Archives: Madagascar 

Madagascar, India, Brazil, Borneo, Ethiopia

There are only superlatives for Oryx Photo Tours and guide Dale Morris. Dale is a Super-guide! He is talented, skilled, and hard-working. He has a great eye for photographic situations. He finds subjects from a mom orangutan and her youngster to something called a Satanic leaf-tailed gecko. He seems to work magic behind the scenes, making sure you, the client, are comfortable, and happy and the tour is meeting, and exceeding your expectations. If plan A doesn’t work, he has a plan B in his back pocket. As a companion, he is easy & fun to talk with, plus he has a terrific, dry sense of humor.I also know that when it’s a tour with Oryx Photo Tours, I will experience an awesome, carefully arranged program with minute attention paid to every detail assuring my comfort, safety and that I will come home with the very best possible images.

Brazil, India, Madagascar, Africa, Borneo

Photo guide extraordinaire

‘My wife and I have traveled with Dale Morris from Oryx since 2012, on several personal and small group photographic safaris in India, Brazil, Borneo, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. The fact that we keep going back and seeking out Dale as our guide indicates we think he adds real value to our experience. Apart from being a great photographer, Dale is an easy-going, down-to-earth guide – but with a real passion for improving your photographic skills. Importantly, he is very happy to share his knowledge and is patient! He works extremely hard to provide unique opportunities for some great photography. We have captured some wonderful images with Dale. His attention to detail and real desire to make your trip an enjoyable experience sets him apart. Dale has a genuine passion for wildlife, and the natural environment and a love of being in nature, which translates into an infectious, enthusiastic approach to everything he does.
Dale really cares for his clients on a personal level and is fun to travel with. After many shared travel experiences over the years we have come to know Dale as a genuine friend. We would highly recommend him to others seeking an unforgettable experience and some brilliant photographic opportunities.

Brazil, India, Madagascar, Africa, Borneo

Dale Morris, Wildlife photographer, and Super guide!
Dale’s enthusiasm has given my husband and I the most exciting and in-depth experiences all over Southern Africa and Brazil. He cares most passionately for his wildlife subjects and for his customers – us! He arranges the best experiences we could possibly have and gently guides us through technicalities and tireless teaching for better photography. We have been on numerous trips with him and look forward to a time when we can do it again. Margaret and Leigh Hall

Brazil, India, Madagascar, Africa, Borneo

Dale was an excellent guide. His enthusiasm is infectious and his knowledge of the wildlife and environment is outstanding. He was a pleasure to be with and we all gained from his photographic expertise. All four of us have traveled with Dale previously and will travel with him on another ORYX trip without hesitation.

2022

I’ve had the privilege of traveling with Oryx several times. The first was to the Omo Valley with Dale Morris. That trip was a leap of faith, signing up for it based on online reviews, a ‘good feeling’ – and little else.

What an amazing out-of-this-world trip it was. The arrangements were impeccable and Dale was a brilliant lead.
There’s been no looking back since then and I’ve been on magical journeys to the Masai Mara, Lake Turkana, Ranthambore/Varanasi and Peru – with Oryx. It never ceases to amaze me how perfectly organized these trips are, from the travel arrangements, accommodation, the local ground team, the emphasis on safety, and of course the photography ‘tuition’ – I keep learning new things on every single trip. All the Oryx leads are so generous with their knowledge and time and are absolute gems – a testament to Oryx’s corporate and hiring culture.
Oryx takes photography journeys to the next level. I have two more expeditions booked already.

Madagascar 2022

Our Madagascar tour was everything and more than I imagined it would be.  I appreciated all the help and information I received from both oryx and Dale prior to the trip.  All my questions ranging from travel arrangements to appropriate photo gear to bring were answered efficiently. The itinerary was well thought out, and the accommodations were nice.

The local guides and Dale were excellent. They were knowledgeable about the wildlife for which we were looking. I was amazed at how good the guides were at spotting these animals. The attention to detail on this tour was excellent.

I cannot commend our ORYX tour leaders more for their guidance in making this trip successful. They did their best to accommodate the needs of each of the six diverse individuals. Dale was a wealth of information. I learned a lot about the ecology and wildlife we were seeing from him. While some tour leaders spend time getting their own good shots, the members of our group always came first on this tour. Dale was constantly finding windows and angles from which each person could get good shots of our subjects. He also encouraged us to leave our narrow comfort zones and try new techniques. I personally learned how to use a flash in combination with a wide-angle lens to obtain very interestingly, different views of some of the lemurs. I had never used a flash previously, and Dale took the time to teach me how to use one. He also taught me how to take motion photos.  It was fun to try some new techniques that I would have never attempted without his encouragement. While he has great technical skills, Dale is personable and very fun. He made the tour so enjoyable that I can’t wait to go on another photo adventure with him.

Madagascar 2022 (private)

It was while on my first private ORYX photo tour with Dale Morris in Londolozi, South Africa, that the idea of a Madagascar photo trip germinated. It took three years, but I finally got to experience another trip of a life-time with Dale in that magical place, photographing all my targeted species in the impossibly finite time window I had given ORYX. 

Where to start?  I cannot thank ORYX enough for their patience in putting together this amazing tour. For those who are unaware, Madagascar is no easy place to plan predictable travel! The fact that all the moving parts – interior flights, hotels, safe food, competent drivers, comfortable vehicles, local guides, boat trips, park access, etc. – came together for a perfect experience is a testament to their expertise and competence. Once I told Dale what I wanted to do, the ORYX team got it done.

A special shout-out to Nonotinamalala – “Nono” – Dale’s right-hand man in Madagascar, who used his wizardry with Air Madagascar and countless other contacts to ensure smooth sailing – or hiking – or flying – or driving. It was fascinating to watch them work so well together to get the job done.Once I landed in Tana, Dale made sure I was comfortable and ready for the journey ahead. From our time in Kruger, I knew I would be in good hands. He is an amazingly talented photographer, but, just as important, is able to expertly share this knowledge of wildlife and photography with his guests while in the field, guaranteeing the best photos possible. 

While I have been on over 30 photo expeditions all over the world, I always know I will learn new techniques from Dale, and he sure did not disappoint on this trip. Handling the challenges of Madagascar, attending to the desires and needs of his clients, and ultimately delivering the goods while maintaining a sense of humor and professionalism is no small feat!

My passion for wildlife photography tends to be species driven – the ultimate headache for tour leaders, as we all know that in nature, nothing is promised. I have to say that, with a little luck and a lot of Dale’s expertise, I was able to come away with stunning images of EVERY ONE of the critters on my Madagascar bucket list.

OK, Dale, where to next?

Madagascar 2022

I’ve been meaning to send in a special review and ‘thank you’ for our two outstanding guides in Madagascar!  As you know I’m impressed enough with Dale to book a second trip with him to Borneo next year!

We want to put in a special ‘thank you for Dale Morris and Nono who made our recent trip to

Madagascar so special. We now know that Madagascar is not an easy trip and presents many challenges to the traveller. Bad, rough, incomplete roads, unreliable airlines and vehicles, and other events that cannot be anticipated. However, Dale and Nono worked with Oryx behind the scenes to make the trip as pleasant as possible. They elevated our trip to be outstanding despite the obstacles and we want them to know how much we appreciate the hard work they put in to make this trip so productive and to enable us to capture the best photographs.

Madagascar 2019

I have been on many tours around the world and yours was the best!

Thanks again for your leadership in Madagascar.  I definitely enjoyed our time together and you may well find me signed up for another trip with you.  The Pantanal trip is definitely on my radar.

Late in 2019, I joined a wildlife photo tour in Madagascar, superbly organized by ORYX Photo Tours and terrifically led by Dale Morris. ORYX Photo Tours was well-organized, flexible and responsive throughout my interactions with them, starting with my first inquiries about the trip through the trip itself and on to my immediately following trip to the remote Omo Valley photo tour in Ethiopia. Their arrangements were excellent; I survived and thrived!

Dale is a terrific photo tour leader. He is an excellent photographer and teacher of photography (separate talents that don’t always come packaged together in one person). He is highly knowledgeable about the locations and their available wildlife subjects where he leads tours. Just as important, Dale is fully committed to meeting the needs and aspirations of his photo tour clients, including making sure the tour is fun and enlightening for everyone. Here’s one example of his commitment. There was another cycle of our tour scheduled right after ours with another ORYX tour leader. When that tour leader had passport difficulties and could not travel to Madagascar, Dale agreed to stay on (and away from his family) for another three weeks to take care of that later group.

I would, without hesitation, take another photo tour with Dale Morris and ORYX. Hopefully, we’ll emerge from this pandemic and that will be possible again soon!

Madagascar 2018

I have been on many tours around the world and yours was the best!

I have had the pleasure of traveling with Oryx and Dale Morris on 2 very special trips -one to Madagascar and the other to the Pantanal – both destinations were terrific and Dale does a great job – he is a great photographer but also a really nice and helpful person.
I look forward to joining him in Ethiopia next November