We think our safaris offer a fabulous experience for enthusiastic wildlife photographers, but don’t take our word for it, read what our guests have to say.
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Photographer feedback on our safaris
This was my first safari adventure and so I was understandably a little nervous prior to the safari. I needn’t have worried. Ann and Steve have years of experience visiting and organising trips in Africa. The information they provided prior to the trip was excellent and when I did have any questions, they were always available with a detailed response to put my mind at rest. Everything about the safari was extremely well organised. We were greeted, as arranged, at Nairobi airport and all transportation and hotels were very well organised, making the whole trip so much easier than trying to do it on your own. Accommodation at both Amboseli and in the Masai Mara was excellent and most importantly, both the lodges were sited in excellent positions within the parks, meaning you were always in pole position for the sunrise and sunset, to make the best of the wonderful African light. Ann and Steve are always on hand with photography advice and tips, but it is very much geared to your ability and I always found it helpful. Together with the two local guides/drivers, they were able to predict animal behaviour and get you in the best position to grab the shot. That said, everything is always done with safety and animal welfare in mind and I never felt uncomfortable at any of the sightings. I came away with a huge database of shots, many of which are better than anything I have ever taken in the past. I have also learnt a huge amount about my camera and wildlife photography in general. Finally, Ann and Steve are great company, do not take themselves too seriously and are excellent hosts. I would have no hesitation in recommending them for any kind of photography adventure and I hope to go on more African adventures with them at some point in the future.
Thanks for making our first photo safari such a wonderful experience. Fantastic to spend time with such a lovely group in such an amazing place.
It’s always a magical experience made more special by you two and the awesome packages you put together and the teams you link with. Fills your head with memories that never fade.
Had such an amazing time. I’m still on cloud nine.
Thank you for a stunning holiday. It exceeded my expectations massively.
Thanks to both of you for your support and excellent guidance throughout our tour which was both successful and enjoyable.
A fabulous holiday. Great wildlife, hosts and company to share the experience with. The trip really exceeded our expectations and we would highly recommend your photo safaris to others
A wonderful trip – up there with some of the best experiences we have had.
A first class trip. Largely due to the wide range of wildlife – and of course yourselves.
You are both brilliant. Your comments and pearls of wisdom have turned my shots from grabs to well-composed, thought-out images.
A phenomenal trip. I loved the time spent with everyone, but loved the photography even more. You guys are the best and I can’t wait to join you on the next Toon photography adventure.
My thanks once again to you both for making the trip so special and successful. The thought, time and effort you put in to ensure everyone was relaxed, had a good time and got the absolute most from their trip did not go unnoticed and was very much appreciated. A truly exceptional trip.
An amazing time on Zimanga!
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for this wonderful experience. I have so much more to take home than pictures.
I wanted to thank you personally for a lovely holiday. I had my doubts about joining such an illustrious group of photographers, but I needn't have worried! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learnt a lot too. Your organisation was perfect and you made me feel very welcome, I would certainly like to join you on a future trip.
I want to thank you both again for what was definitely an unforgettable experience. Once my wife had seen some of my photos she understood why I told her it was the best thing I’d ever done although it probably wasn’t the most tactful thing I’ve ever said!
What a phenomenal trip - thank you! It was wonderful in so many ways. We really couldn’t have asked for anything to be better!
Amazing trip to Botswana with Ann and Steve. We have to thank Ann & Steve for encouraging us to try something different when the light was not in our favour or the subject was not cooperating. Thanks also for the suggestions of different techniques and camera angles. Until this trip I had thought I was pretty good at photo composition. But this was a game changer for me. The mornings were spent on the river, quietly drifting in and out of inlets as the sun rose, with no agenda except to see what was around: a malachite kingfisher teasing us as he hopped from pampas to reed; a darter wrestling with his catfish breakfast; a male baboon stealing a baby; a fish eagle in flight. On previous safaris we would move on, having captured our moment. But this type of trip is focused: on turning a nice picture into a fantastic image. By its very nature, it offers countless opportunities to try again. Or take a different perspective. But, for me, it became much more than that. For possibly the first time ever on a safari, I felt my world slow down. I started to really appreciate watching everyday life, with no urgency.
I wanted to thank you both for a superb trip. I thought the whole experience was carefully thought out and presented very professionally. The quality of the facilities was extremely high. Doornhoek was an ideal venue and so well run. Alice’s bright smile and Blessing’s excellent food really made for a welcome stay. The whole set up on Zimanga is excellent. Calvin was a bonus - a great character with excellent wildlife knowledge and a good photographic eye - (must send him some better jokes though!). Despite having been to Zimanga many times before, you both presented the experience to newcomers with a good measure of ‘freshness' and an obvious desire to help your guests get the most out of the photographic opportunities available. I personally gained a lot from your experience and guidance and am much better informed about my own camera and also much happier in Lightroom now. I’ve got lots of ideas for photographs that I want to take in future - just need to save up for another trip.
Thank you for a superb holiday. Your pre-trip information was very complete, and accurate, the choice of accommodation was perfect, and your chosen local guides, Dan and Calvin were very gifted naturalists. I really appreciated your photography advice and it was a real pleasure to travel with you.
A huge thank you to you both for an amazing trip to Zimanga! We expected it to be good, but it exceeded expectations. You both worked so hard to make it all work and ensure that the group atmosphere was good. It was great to have Hendri as our driver and as another viewpoint on how to get the best from our photography. The trip gave us a chance to improve our photography skills in a most enjoyable environment and the Doornhoek Homestead was a perfect base for the week.
Thanks for such a fabulous time in Africa – the memories will live with us forever.
I think you already know how much we both enjoyed our trip with you, but just in case, it was one of the best experiences we’ve had, never to be forgotten.
Thank you for a great experience. I think your Zimanga tour was the best of the 10 photographic trips I have been on. You went that extra step. There was great emphasis on not only getting to the right place at the right time but also positioning to make the best of the available light at every location. This combined with your understanding of the animals’ behaviour, advice on camera setup and checking settings as light levels changed, allowed people to prepare for those special events and get the best possible photographs. My advice to other photographers would be do a Toon Tour.
Many thanks for a fabulous time and for all your help and encouragement. I had a super time.
Thank you so much for making our trip such a wonderful success. My expectations really were met and I now have a very happy experience to reflect on - and a mass of potentially lovely images to play with. I enjoyed many new and really exciting sightings and photo opportunities. I thought that all the hard work you put into preparing us for the safari was the best I have experienced on many previous trips. My lasting impression, however, will remain the mixture of warmth, kindness and professionalism which you both provided for us.
I spent my last morning at Zimanga 'shooting' lions. A pair of males at first light provided an excellent conclusion to a wonderful week. My thanks to Steve & Ann Toon and all the wonderful staff at Zimanga for making this possible. A most exceptional venue for any photographers wanting a unique opportunity to photograph Africa's wildlife in their native setting.
A super trip
Thanks for the wonderful experience in Chobe and Zimanga. We had an excellent time and learnt so much about photography and photographing wildlife
Your joint photographic expertise combined with a great passion and knowledge for South Africa and its wildlife make for a winning combination. A superb, unique bush experience while getting some great images too. We had a fabulous time and won’t hesitate to recommend you. Of the four trips we have been on, designed, organised and run by the tour leader, yours was simply the best!
I promoted the Chobe - Zimanga wildlife photography safari to C as the trip of a lifetime and it certainly did not disappoint. It was the 'trip of a life time' and gave us both many wonderful experiences and memories. I never expected to see C standing within feet of a cheetah and then wild dogs. Needless to say, we both had the chance to get close to wildlife and bird life and to take amazing photos. As a relative beginner C said how much she had learned and enjoyed the whole experience. For myself there was so much material and continual practice that I couldn't help but improve - and I did. I know that over the ten days I have gone up a level and got some wonderful images. Thank you so much for being such great hosts, friends, and imparting your experience and knowledge to make this wildlife trip a never to be forgotten trip.
We are both still buzzing and would go back to do it all again tomorrow. We would like to say thank you for giving us a wonderful time. Even without a photograph being taken we have had a great time with such wonderful hosts, but we have got photographs as a bonus and I’m sure one or two of those will even impress the meanest of competition judges! We feel lucky to have met you both and shared such wonderful experiences together. You two are both absolute stars!
Thank you for an absolutely fantastic Zimanga trip. Not only the outcome from the amazing photos I got but more importantly your contribution to making everything such a success. The organisation from start to finish was impeccable and the atmosphere generated by yourselves within the group was an important factor in making the whole trip so pleasurable. Plus of course, your photographic advice and wildlife knowledge which is second to none. Thank you for all that.
I very much enjoyed the Zimanga trip, lovely house-party style group. The help and encouragement from both of you was super, you do look after your clients and prioritize their needs.
As a couple with a passion for photography, we have been on many photo tours, and this trip with Ann and Steve Toon stands out as being absolutely excellent and one of the very best, with the added bonus of being very reasonably priced and remarkable value for money for the truly diverse and unique photo opportunities on offer. Can we come again, please!
Steve and Ann Toon are the UK Southern Africa photographic experts. They have been visiting Southern Africa several times a year for 20 years and their 40 years combined experience of travel and photographing in Africa shines through in their knowledge of the best and most unique photo opportunities, their encyclopaedic knowledge of the wildlife and the environment, and their calm, friendly but very efficient management of travelling and staying in Africa. They are excellent hosts and company and seen to have inexhaustible energy and patience, being always available to sort any issues with the (excellent) accommodation, health concerns and activities.
Having two professional hosts for only 6 clients meant that we benefited from expert personal help when ever needed or asked for.
We found them selfless in their attention to ensuring their clients were in the very best photographic positions, and providing regular, but quiet and unobtrusive advice on settings and composition, and anticipating evolving scenes based on their deep knowledge of animal behaviour (‘ you might want to check your ISO as the light is improving…perhaps underexpose a bit to stop the fish eagle breast from burning out…check your speed, that kingfisher is just about to dive…lets wait, that elephant is heading for the river’).
We have been on one or two trips where the guide's personal photographic objectives dominated their behaviour - never with the Toons!
What a fantastic experience you gave us all! Very many thanks.
Thanks for a wonderful holiday which far exceeded my hopes and expectations!
You will have the best photo trip of your life and you are in great hands with Ann and Steve.
Thanks so much for such a great time and making my dreams come true. It was just brilliant. I wake up in the mornings wanting to be on the Chobe river! Thanks for the time of my life and your great company.
Thank you both for giving us such a memorable safari. We had a whale of a time and enjoyed every minute of it, learnt a lot, got lots of pictures and really relished the ability to concentrate on photography. Your gentle tutelage was invaluable. The group was really wonderful and I have many happy memories of our time together.
I was fortunate enough to be on the inaugural Chobe-Zimanga photographic trip and the comprehensive briefing notes and joining instructions set high expectations for what was to follow. In the event, the venues and close access to so many birds and mammals far exceeded this and the organisation, accommodation and food was first class. Ann & Steve were excellent hosts using their vast experience of the regions in both helping to establish optimum locations, identifying the wildlife and providing valuable insights into the behaviour and lifestyle of the species. The trip was suitable for keen photographers at all levels with Ann & Steve providing appropriate guidance on optimum camera settings and lenses to maximise the chance of getting stunning images. Ann regularly reminded us of her dictum on the first rule of photography which is “enjoy yourself”. I think I can safely speak for all the guests in concluding that we certainly did that. Highly recommended.
Our trip with you was a fabulous and unique experience. Each day brought a new delight in terms of animal behaviour and wildlife photographic opportunities: a family of the rare painted dogs including fourteen puppies at close quarters; mirror reflections in Bence Mate's fantastic hides of fish eagles, jacanas, melba finches to mention but a few; yellow-billed storks nesting en masse and flying (even I managed to get some good pictures in focus!); sable antelope; meeting Kalahari the cheetah in his home context; hovering pied kingfishers; hippos yawning; a kaleidoscope of giraffe; and of course the amazing elephants: dusting; mud wallowing; snorkelling.
We enjoyed it all and were particularly appreciative of your regular but not invasive reminders about changing exposure, ISO, aperture etc. as the situation before us developed and the light changed. The most vital input that you had, using the experience of our wonderful local guides, was to take us to the right places in the right light. I shall never forget the tiny calf elephant struggling up a step in the river bank helped up with her mother's trunk, the whole scene bathed in precious golden light.
The hotels were extremely well appointed, the food much to be enjoyed, and the staff at Chobe and Zimanga delightful. We much enjoyed your generous company and tapping into your voluminous information bank about these parts of Africa, and for giving us the opportunity to experience Chobe from the unique viewpoint of the river, and Zimanga in the early days of the Mate hides. You were both excellent guides.