I’ve at all times needed to go on a guided photographic safari, so when the chance presents itself to expertise it firsthand, I pack my baggage and digicam gear and head to Kasane in Botswana. Arriving within the afternoon, I’m excited to be taught extra about pictures with Pangolin Picture’s Better of the Chobe bundle. That is the perfect studying college for each novice {and professional} photographers. Company with out cameras are supplied with Canon mirrorless digicam our bodies and Canon telephoto lenses. We make a quick cease on the Pangolin Chobe Lodge earlier than being pushed to the jetty in an open safari car. Our passports should be stamped at each the Botswana and Namibian immigration counters. We will likely be alternating between the waters (borders) of those two international locations.
Moored on the Namibian aspect of the Chobe River, the Pangolin Voyager is an engineering masterpiece. Launched in 2025, the vessel changed the primary Pangolin Voyager, which served for 20 years on the river. “We purchased her again in 2015,” Pangolin Picture Safaris Director Toby Jermyn tells me. “The boat was beforehand referred to as the Zambezi Voyager and the Nguni Voyager earlier than that. In 2008, which was three years earlier than my enterprise associate Gerhard ‘Guts’ Swanepoel and I began Pangolin, I used to be touring via the Chobe. I met up with my mother, who came visiting from the UK. We spent three nights on the Nguni Voyager. Roll on to 201,5 and we had the chance to purchase the Pangolin Voyager. This was our first enterprise into having a houseboat on the Chobe.”
With the unique Pangolin Voyager reaching the top of her service life, she will likely be moored in a channel simply off the Chobe. She will likely be used for storage and employees lodging. Toby admits that his mother was so excited once they purchased the brand new houseboat, she instantly came visiting. He enthusiastically shares that they are going to be celebrating her 80th birthday with a celebration on the Pangolin Voyager in 2027.
Realizing {that a} substitute was wanted for the present Pangolin Voyager, the chances had been limitless. Ranging from the bottom up, the design crew knew they wanted a big, secure platform. They may construct up from that. “We needed to make it a lot lighter than the present Pangolin Voyager,” Toby says. “It was constructed from aluminium versus metal. An organization referred to as Edelstahlbau in Windhoek constructed the brand new houseboat.”
“Edelstahlbau constructed the ferry that goes between Impalila Island and Kasane,” Toby continues. “We contacted them utilizing the idea that the ferry can be a trimaran. We then had a platform on which we may construct. The concept of being photo voltaic got here very early on. If we solely had two flooring versus three on the outdated Voyager, we might have a really massive floor space on high of the roof. This might be splendid for photo voltaic panels, which meant we may run all the things electrical.”
It dawned on the crew slightly shortly that sufficient electrical energy was going to be produced via the photo voltaic panels. They may take a look at electrical motors and run air-conditioning, lighting, followers, and fridges. Toby and Guts approached a UK firm referred to as RAD Propulsion, which makes probably the most extraordinary state-of-the-art electrical drives. Working with them and Edelstahlbau, they concocted the thought of getting the houseboat transfer utilizing electrical drives as effectively.
For Toby and your complete Pangolin Picture Safari firm, the brand new vessel is undoubtedly a dream come true. From fruition to launch, it took round two and a half years. Revolutionary know-how and engineering ingenuity paved the way in which in making the Pangolin Voyager one in every of a sort. Overcoming various hurdles and issues within the development section made the journey even sweeter.
“The design itself was very a lot a crew effort from everybody at Pangolin,” Toby concludes. “We knew we needed to make it look actually trendy and really cool. To make the houseboat within the form of a Pangolin can be an incredible function. We had a great deal of enjoyable enjoying round with drafts. It’s evident that we’re all more than happy with the way in which it turned out. She’s a factor of magnificence.”
The outside was designed with enter from everybody concerned with Pangolin Picture Safaris. For the development of the function beam, which is within the form of a Pangolin, the help of Edelstahlbau was referred to as in. Claire Christie was answerable for the beautiful interiors. She managed to supply as many components as doable from Namibia, excluding the immediately recognizable Ardmore touches.
Reaching the Pangolin Voyager by way of speedboat, we’re all wanting ahead to what’s in retailer over the subsequent three days. Pangolin Picture Safari Host Pusetso Nteta joins the group from the onset. She will likely be imparting her information to visitors to enhance their pictures talents. Or be taught abilities in the event that they’ve by no means even taken images with a digicam and solely used a smartphone. There’s a particular enhancing suite on board the boat, the place visitors can tweak their photographs.
Heading out on our afternoon boating safari, Pusetso is at hand to show us about guide settings. There’s a a lot higher benefit in taking images on this method. You may actually mess around with mild and get the sensible photos you’ve at all times needed.
Photographing transferring objects isn’t as straightforward as it’d sound, particularly birds in flight. Pusetso patiently explains the right way to handle the digicam settings in order that the chook is completely in focus.
In terms of wildlife, getting intricate particulars makes for unbelievable imagery. On this particular a part of the Chobe River, elephants are the celebs of the present. Sitting a number of ft away from one taking a mud bathtub is astonishing to witness.
Parked within the specifically designed photographic boat, we look ahead to a breeding herd of elephants to start out crossing the river. “Get your cameras prepared,” Pusetso encourages. “They are going to be transferring via the water. The lifting of their ft ought to herald some stunning pictures.”
Anticipating an animal to do one thing and being affected person about it might reap great rewards. Sitting alongside a Nile crocodile who has his mouth open, we marvel what he’ll do subsequent. He finally glides soundlessly into the river. Who knew {that a} crocodile had such fascinating patterns on its physique because it descends into the water?
When the wildlife seemingly need their picture taken, they are often very cooperative. A beautiful wire-tailed swallow makes use of the boat as cowl and ‘poses’ for images. On this occasion, it’s vital to have a gradual grip in your digicam due to the gimbal supplied. The eyes should at all times be in focus.
The most effective a part of being on the Pangolin Voyager? The truth that it’s so quiet is as a result of it’s absolutely solar-powered. It appears like a small, unique floating lodge. Everybody arrives collectively and leaves collectively as one harmonized group. Whether or not you’re strangers whenever you arrive or a household touring collectively. The houseboat strikes to 3 totally different mooring locations, and visitors actually get to expertise the best of the Chobe River.
