As a general rule, wildlife photographers capture better images of big game from safari vehicles than on foot, because more ground can be covered and wildlife is less skittish when approached from a more familiar 4WD vehicle.  Photographic hides are game changers, allowing one to get up close and personal to large animals like elephant, buffalo, rhino and even big cats - at eye level or from an ant's eye perspective from underground.

Legendary wildlife hidesSome safari lodges have taken game viewing to the next level, particularly for guests with an interest in photography, by adding the novelty of a game viewing hide to their safari experience. For the ultimate photographic experience, capture one-of-a-kind images of elephants and other large mammals at ground level, from the safety of a hide, and bring home unique and amazing images from a different perspective.

Get real up close and very personalSome of the more interesting and productive photographic hides can be found at Mashatu, King’s Pool and Hyena Pan camps in Botswana, and Singita Pamushana in Zimbabwe.

And there are the legendary log-pile hides at Savuti Camp in Botswana; Somalisa, Little Makalolo and The Hide in Zimbabwe; and Ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya, where one can come face-to-face with huge herds of elephants and other beasts with only a pile of thick logs separating photographers and animals. Not for the faint-hearted, but an experience of a lifetime!

Cutting edge safari creativityKaingo Camp in South Luangwa has an impressive array of unique hides - including innovative hippo and carmine bee-eater hides - which are frequently used by National Geographic, Discovery Channel and BBC wildlife film crews. Kanga Camp in Zimbabwe's Mana Pools, home to the 'armchair safari’, has a main deck that overlooks a very active watering hole where elephants are literally inches away, allowing you to take incredible photographs.

Many of the safari camps and lodges in our portfolio have built photographic hides in strategic locations frequented by animals, so even while guests are unwinding in-between game drives, they are still able to enjoy watching and photographing all the animals.

Take note that hides are not just for photographers. They are for anyone who wishes to have an up close and personal view into the lives of the animals, offering an unobtrusive vantage to observe the wildlife in their natural environment.