Toddao

Wow...this thread has gone on way longer than I anticipated.

Chris...the 400 served me well on safari. I considered purchasing the 100-400 but I just couldn't rationalize purchasing another lens. At times I wished I had the 500 for the narrower angle of view and greater reach, but I was generally quite pleased with the 400, and happy with the relatively light weight of the gear.

Lynn...yes the penguins were mostly shot at Boulders Bay though I did take some shots on Robben Island as well.

I hesitate to do so but since this thread has gone on for a while I will reluctantly add one other comment. Since my partner is an HIV researcher and since Botswana has a huge HIV problem that the government there has been way ahead of the curve in addressing, we enquired of the staff about how their medical needs are addressed at the camp. Apparently each company addresses this issue differently with some offering medical care at the camp and some not. You can imagine the hardship of being out in the bush without ready access to medical care. In places that don't offer medical care, I was told that the staff was required to pay for their own flight to Maun to be seen at the hospital there. Additionally, those with HIV are only given one month's supply of drugs at a time and similarly must pay for their own plane fare back to Maun each month to refill their prescriptions. The cost of the plane fare is no small change for these people. I don't want to get into the economics of the Safari camp business. But I would just urge people to tip well if they feel they receive good service from these wonderful people.