CANON PHOTO FESTIVAL 2026
Join us for the Canon Photo Festival in May 2026!
This event promises to be a joy for all those passionate about wildlife photography and fans of this illustrious brand. We look forward to welcoming Canon fans and photographers of all levels of experience, knowledge, and ability to The Pangolin Chobe Hotel as guests of Canon UK.
Frankie Jim, Pro Imaging Senior Specialist from Canon UK, will host the event. In addition, Roger Machin from Canon South Africa will be driving up with a carload of the latest Canon cameras and lenses for you to try out during the festival! A full list of what he is bringing will be circulated closer to the time, but rest assured, it will be all the latest gear suited for wildlife photography.
The Chobe in May
May is a fantastic time of year to photograph in The Chobe with the river in full flood and the bushveld drying up away from its banks. This increases the density of animals to be found along the river, as well as the prolific birdlife that the Chobe is renowned for. This is also the time of year when we see more elephants feeding IN the river itself!
Festival Information
Festival Dates
The festival will run from the 16th to the 22nd of May 2026 with options to extend your stay with visits to Victoria Falls,
The Okavango Delta or even The Kalahari.
Accommodation Details
The Festival will be based at The Pangolin Chobe Hotel perched on the plateau overlooking the Chobe River and a stone's throw away from the National Park. The Hotel has 14 rooms, and the numbers are restricted to a maximum of 24 people, making this a very exclusive event. We expect the rooms to fill up fast, so don’t delay.
Check out the video below to get a sneak peek of the hotel.
The Activities
Every day we will head into the park accompanied by the festival hosts. If you don’t have a camera and telephoto lens, then don’t worry; we will give you one of ours to use free of charge, and we will show you how to use it! Most of the activities will be in the Pangolin Photo Boats on the river, but we will also do a few game drives inside the National Park. Every boat and vehicle will be hosted by one of your hosts, who will be on hand to help you get all the photographs that you are craving.
Your questions answered!
Do I need to have a camera and telephoto lens?
At the Pangolin Chobe Hotel, we have plenty of cameras and lenses for you to borrow. These are usually a Canon EOS R6mkII along with the RF 100-500mm lens. If you don't have your camera or would like to use one of ours, you are welcome to do so free of charge! The Pangolin Photo Hosts will also be on hand to show you a few new skills.
Canon South Africa will be bringing lots of Canon gear, and you will have the chance to try out some of their new mirrorless cameras and lenses during the activities. We will do our best to rotate the gear among those who are interested in trying it out, and Roger Machin will also be on hand to help answer any technical questions you might have.
Will non-photographers enjoy the festival?
We often have non-photographer spouses, partners, and friends joining our photo safaris, and they are more than happy to enjoy the activities with a pair of binos instead. If however, they would like to try their hand at photography, we will happily lend them a camera with a fresh memory card to start their journey into the wonderful world of wildlife photography. Equally, if they would like to relax at the hotel pool with a good book, that’s always an option. After all, this is still a holiday.
Will there be seminars and talks?
Each evening after dinner, we will be hosting short talks in the gallery for you to enjoy. The subjects are being finalised, but they will be presented by Frankie Jim and Roger Machin (Canon SA).
Will there be image editing sessions?
During the day and in between the activities, there will be group editing and image review sessions at the hotel. Please be aware that this is not supposed to be a course on learning how to edit, and you will need your laptop and an updated version of your editing programme of choice. We do have a free online Adobe Lightroom course that we encourage you to check out before you arrive.
The ticket price
The ticket price for the festival is $4,950 (+/- £3,700) per person sharing. If you would like your own room, then it will be $6,250 (+/- £4,850)per person. This includes all your meals, drinks, activities, park fees, bed levies, laundry, and use of the Pangolin cameras and lenses if required. At the hotel, we have five rooms that are configured as twin beds for friends travelling together and wanting to share a room but not a bed. The rest of the rooms are configured as doubles with one bed. We are happy to help solo travellers of the same gender pair up to share a room.
Getting there
Our closest airport is Kasane (BBK). The quickest way from Johannesburg is on the Airlink flight direct to Kasane. We do not recommend Air Botswana. Otherwise, you can fly to Victoria Falls and stay for a day or two before, or we will organise a transfer straight over to The Chobe by road, which takes around 1.5 hours.
What can I do before or after The Festival?
If you have not visited Victoria Falls, then we can add on a night or two there, before or after, at several properties at various price points. Lastly, May has some great rates at our partner properties in The Okavango Delta. We will be happy to give you some options and prices.