About Cotter Safaris
Cotter Safaris was founded around a simple idea: to make the Kruger National Park accessible, comfortable, and deeply rewarding for small groups who want a personally guided safari experience.
The company is being developed as a separate travel service business, with Cotter Safaris preparing its first small-group Kruger departures. The initial focus is on carefully planned tours for Evergreen Val de Vie residents and similar retirement community groups who would love to visit Kruger but prefer not to manage the flights, transfers, accommodation, park logistics, and daily planning themselves.
Michael Cotter — Full Trails Guide & Wildlife Photographer
Michael Cotter’s guiding career began in 2008. He completed FGASA Level 1 and Level 2, as well as his trails guide qualification, and later obtained his full trails guide qualification under the supervision of well-known SKS guide Bruce Lawson. Michael also acted as backup guide for Bruce during this period.
His background includes guiding, anti-poaching work, lodge operations, ecological monitoring, wildlife tracking, game drives, guest hosting, bush walks, and reserve operations. He has worked in and around some of Southern Africa’s remarkable wilderness areas, while always returning to his first loves: Kruger and the Kalahari.
Michael is also a wildlife photographer, with a background in forensic photography that developed into a deep love for photographing Africa’s wild places. Together with Bernette Cotter, he has travelled and photographed many of Africa’s iconic landscapes, including Namibia, Damaraland, Etosha, the Caprivi, the Okavango Swamps, Kruger, and the Kgalagadi.
Guiding strengths
Michael has particular knowledge and passion for:
birds,
dangerous game,
tracking,
photographic interpretation,
bush behaviour,
Kruger's northern and southern regions,
the Makuleke area in the north,
the Skukuza region in the south.
Travel with someone who knows Kruger from the inside.
About Cotter Safaris
Cotter Safaris was founded around a simple idea: to make the Kruger National Park accessible, comfortable, and deeply rewarding for small groups who want a personally guided safari experience.
The company is being developed as a separate travel service business, with Cotter Safaris preparing its first small-group Kruger departures. The initial focus is on carefully planned tours for Evergreen Val de Vie residents and similar retirement community groups who would love to visit Kruger but prefer not to manage the flights, transfers, accommodation, park logistics, and daily planning themselves.
Michael Cotter — Full Trails Guide & Wildlife Photographer
Michael Cotter’s guiding career began in 2008. He completed FGASA Level 1 and Level 2, as well as his trails guide qualification, and later obtained his full trails guide qualification under the supervision of well-known SKS guide Bruce Lawson. Michael also acted as backup guide for Bruce during this period.
His background includes guiding, anti-poaching work, lodge operations, ecological monitoring, wildlife tracking, game drives, guest hosting, bush walks, and reserve operations. He has worked in and around some of Southern Africa’s remarkable wilderness areas, while always returning to his first loves: Kruger and the Kalahari.
Michael is also a wildlife photographer, with a background in forensic photography that developed into a deep love for photographing Africa’s wild places. Together with Bernette Cotter, he has travelled and photographed many of Africa’s iconic landscapes, including Namibia, Damaraland, Etosha, the Caprivi, the Okavango Swamps, Kruger, and the Kgalagadi.
Guiding strengths
Michael has particular knowledge and passion for:
birds,
dangerous game,
tracking,
photographic interpretation,
bush behaviour,
Kruger's northern and southern regions,
the Makuleke area in the north,
the Skukuza region in the south.
Travel with someone who knows Kruger from the inside.