A Photographic Adventure with Julie Lovegrove
October 16th – 30th 2022. Ended. Please contact me to be put on the waiting list or for future tours.
Namibia has been a bucket-list destination for photographers worldwide for a few years now and it’s easy to see why. Rich in wildlife, and with stunning, varied landscapes, it boasts some of the best photo opportunities that Africa has to offer. This great photography tour through the heart of Namibia will be a holiday adventure full of fantastic experiences. If you dream of the serenity of untouched plains, dramatic landscapes and the magic of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat, Namibia is the ultimate destination that will capture your soul.
Namibia Photography Tour Group size:
Up to 8 people (including Julie) with a maximum of 4 per vehicle.
Dates: Future Dates TBA
Price
£6,045 / pp single occupancy (Subject to change for future tours)
£5,645 / pp double occupancy (Subject to change for future tours)
If you are travelling on your own and would like to be paired up with another participant of the same gender in order to receive the lower rate, please let me know.
Booking Deposit
To secure your place I am asking for a deposit of £500.00. This may be paid by PayPal or bank transfer. Subsequent payments must be paid by bank transfer.
What’s Included
- 14 nights accommodation with breakfast
- Special photography permits to photograph the ghost town when it is closed to the general public
- Guided sunrise and sunset drives in the desert
- National Parks entrance fees
- 1/2 day Walvis bay boat cruise
- 1/2 day 4×4 sand dunes adventure with expert drivers
- Air-conditioned 4×4 vehicle hire with fridge, satellite phone and all fuel
- Seven evening meals
- Two lunches
- Bottles of water for the cars
- Two guided game drives in Etosha National Park
- Photographic tuition as required.
What’s Not Included
- Flights and transfers to the start/finish points in Windhoek
- Lunches (except two)
- Seven of the evening meals
- Alcoholic or soft drinks
Namibian Adventure Overview
This Photography Tour of Namibia is a 14 night, 13 day road trip that will journey through amazingly diverse landscapes. We will visit an extraordinary ghost town where buildings are being reclaimed by the desert, the world’s tallest sand dunes, eerily beautiful dead trees parched in a white clay pan and many more sights along the way.
Half way through the trip we have planned a full day tour which incorporates a lagoon boat cruise where we have the chance to see whales, dolphins, leatherback turtles, a seal colony, flamingos and pelicans in the morning, followed by a sand dunes adventure by the ocean in the afternoon.
Our tour also takes us to the extraordinary photogenic quiver tree forest and through an area where wild horses roam freely. We will walk in a canyon, watch the sun rise over the desert, visit a stunning rock arch, see ancient bushman rock paintings, photograph the sunset and spectacular starry night sky, and photograph the wildlife in Etosha National Park, which ranks as one of the world’s greatest wildlife viewing destinations.
The Road Trip
We will see some of the most incredible locations a photographer could hope to visit. We’ll journey in air conditioned 4×4 SUVs, share the driving* and will be no more than 4 to a car. Some days require several hours of driving to get to our next destination but we will break up the journeys with stops wherever we see a photographic opportunity, or are in need of a ‘comfort break’. (*Please contact me if you have concerns about driving in Namibia.)
Namibia’s road network is regarded as one of the best on the continent with the tarred roads constructed at international standards. Expect other days on very bumpy roads however, as there will be a fair bit of driving on gravel surfaces. These are virtually empty though, with as few as 10 cars per hour passing our vehicles at times.
Some free time is built into the schedule on the trip giving you the chance to download and edit your images, or you may choose to completely relax and have some ‘me’ time.
Accommodation
This will be mostly fabulous with one night in a quirky ‘igloo’! If you are travelling on your own and would like to be paired up with another participant of the same gender in order to receive the lower rate, please let me know.
Who Will Enjoy This Tour?
Anyone who relishes a bit of adventure and who isn’t upset if things change or are different due to circumstances out of our control. A tyre may burst and need changing, the wild animals and birds may have wandered away out of sight, or the clouds might hide the stars, but if you’re able to shrug your shoulders and accept that ’TIA’ (This Is Africa) you’ll love this trip! The small group size invariably means that friendships flourish and continue even after the tour.
Do I need to be an expert photographer?
This Namibia photography tour is open to anyone – photographer or not, but you’ll get the most out of it if you enjoy being behind a camera (even if it’s just a little ‘point and shoot’!) because this is a photographer’s paradise. If you have no idea what those settings on your camera actually do, or are lacking in confidence, I will be more than happy to teach and continually guide you as you take your camera off ‘auto’ and start to take full control. This new found freedom will enable you to make creative choices. Don’t worry if you consider yourself to be ‘non-technical’, avoid jargon or talking about cameras though – that’s me to a T!
“I can honestly say that the quality of my Namibia photos greatly exceeds those from past travels. Julie, I learned so much from you and see so much improvement! Thank you!” Kim.
Behind The Scenes
I first planned, organised and led a road trip like this in April 2017 with a small group of 5. This was then followed by another trip for 6 in September 2018 and another for 8 in March/April 2019. I have fine tuned this itinerary to deliver an amazingly diverse experience with fantastic accommodation along the way. Great things happen when extensive preparation meets fabulous opportunities!
Take a look at the reviews of previous trips below.
Tour Leader: Julie Lovegrove
Who is Julie Lovegrove?
This is what she says about herself:
“I didn’t ever know what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up’, so for pretty much all of my adult life I’ve fallen into jobs, which have mostly been fine, but that’s all – just fine. I’ve always had a hankering to travel to exotic and far flung places, and ‘do something’ with wild animals. I used to dream of being brave and adventurous like Joy Adamson, Jane Goodall or Diane Fossey, and it was the film ‘Born Free’ that grabbed my imagination all those years ago. Ever since then I wanted to go to Africa and sit on that rock. (you know, the one where Elsa sits with her cubs at the end of the film.) In December 2010 after seeing the film again on television and talking animatedly about it, my son said “so go and do something with lions”, so we went on the internet, and found a Gap Year volunteer programme where I could actually do just that. So I went. In my 50s. All on my own. Not knowing anybody. And I LOVED IT.
So many people describe something that happens to them as ‘life changing’, but in reality for most people it only changes something in their life for a very short period of time. This really did change mine, as over the years I’ve done more and more volunteering and traveling on my own, to the extent of leaving my family to fend for themselves and working in South Africa teaching photography for several months at a time. Seeing and photographing the various countries of Africa, its wildlife and landscapes is now a huge passion and I escape there as often as I can!”
This is what has been said about Julie:
“Julie is first and foremost modest. She is strong, brave, sensible and clear thinking. Julie knows what she likes and is true to herself. She has developed a keen eye for detail and composition in her photography, a skill honed on the 400 or so fabulous weddings she shot, the numerous portrait commissions she has done as a full time professional photographer, and through her many trips to photograph the African wildlife. Julie has a true passion for Africa and it runs through her veins, so it’s probably a good thing that she has a great sense of adventure. Julie is firm but fair, and extremely patient and calm. The best tour leader anyone could have.”
The Small Print
I reserve the right to change some details if circumstances are out of my control. A non-refundable deposit of £500 is required to secure your place and can be paid via PayPal. The remaining balance must be paid by bank transfer only.
Due to the remote destinations visited on this tour, participants are required to purchase emergency evacuation insurance. In the unlikely event of you sustaining an injury, or becoming ill, Lovegrove Photography Ltd reserves the right to continue the tour for the benefit of other participants. Lovegrove Photography Ltd will make every effort to assist you, while at the same time trying to minimise interruption to the others.
Cancellation Policy
As my fixed costs remain the same regardless of how many participants there are, like any pre-booked tickets for the theatre, concert, flights etc, I am unable to give a full refund in the event of non-attendance, regardless of the circumstances. The exception to this is if I have prior notice, am able to put a cancellation place back online AND your place is resold. In this event I will of course make a full refund or credit to you, less any fees that I have incurred. I recommend that you take out travel insurance as soon as you book this trip, and ensure that it will cover you for cancellation in the event of illness.
How fit do I need to be?
There is very little requirement to be physically fit on this tour. The most arduous walk takes 20-30 minutes over undulating sand dunes to get to and from Deadvlei, and there is a fairly steep incline on a gravel path leading to the rooms at one of our lodges.
Learn more about the itinerary and magic of Namibia here
Other blog posts about my previous trips are here
Have any questions? send a message.
