Our partner's team in South Africa is made up of experienced guides; Dr. Chris Lotz, Nick Lotz, Eduardo Ormaeche, Errol de Beer and Nadia Gunter. Chris Lotz has operated his own company since July 2002.

Day 1: Arrival

International flight arrives in Durban.  Drive inland to Creighton (1.5 hours’ drive from Durban), birding along the way.  Time permitting, we can look for Pied (Magpie) Mannikin before birding the fine Oribi Gorge and Vernon Crookes Nature Reserves. 

Overnight: Smithfield Guest House, Creighton

Days 2: Sani Pass

We leave very early in the morning (around 05h30) with a packed breakfast and lunch to ascend the Sani Pass by 4-wheel drive with a local guide.  The ascent up Sani Pass, one of the most famed birding routes in South Africa, provides easy access to most of the birds endemic to the Drakensberg Escarpment and highlands, plus spectacular mountain scenery.  Patches of temperate forest and scrub, inhabited by sought-after Bush Blackcap, Drakensberg Prinia, Chorister Robin and other endemics, are found in the lower reaches of the pass.  This habitat is replaced by Protea savanna a little higher up, where Gurney’s Sugarbird and Malachite Sunbird occur.  Above the tree-line, Drakensberg Siskin and Orange-breasted Rockjumper start to appear, and at even higher altitude, Mountain Pipit, Bearded Vulture (Lammergeyer) and many other Drakensberg specials occur.  We will spend a full day ascending to the top of the escarpment and into the beautiful mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, with frequent stops along the way, in a quest to find all the localized specials.  We then descend the mountain for dinner.

Overnight: Smithfield Guest House, Creighton

Day 3:  High Altitude Temperate Forest & Grasslands -  Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park

This morning before brunch, we will bird a patch of high altitude temperate forest and surrounding grasslands for stunning birds such as Orange Ground Thrush, Olive Woodpecker, the critically-endangered Cape Parrot, the magnificent and endangered Blue Swallow, Narina Trogon and a host of others.  We may find Denham’s and Black-bellied Bustard, Bald Ibis, Southern Ground Hornbill, Black-winged Lapwing and a host of other exciting specials between the B&B and the forest patch.  After brunch, we head northwards for the splendid Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park. Time permitting, we can start birding the forests in this area for Livingstone’s Turaco, Brown Robin, Rudd’s Apalis, Woodward’s Batis and other mouth-watering species. 

Overnight:  St. Lucia Wetlands B&B

Days 4: Cape Vidal - Bonamanzi Game Reserve

We will leave early with a packed breakfast for Cape Vidal, on the peninsula between the sea and the huge Lake St. Lucia estuary.  We are bound to stumble across White Rhino and other mega-fauna en route to Cape Vidal, which is one of the best sites for Green Twinspot, the elusive Southern Banded Snake Eagle and the attractive Crested Guineafowl – far more exotic in appearance than its more common cousin the Helmeted Guineafowl.  There are of course many other birds, such as Green Malkoha, Red-backed Mannikin, etc.  The rare and local Samango Monkey occurs at Cape Vidal along with the more widespread Vervet Monkey. After birding Cape Vidal and other parts of St. Lucia, we depart for Bonamanzi Game Reserve. 

Overnight: Bonamanzi Game Reserve

Day 5: Bonamanzi Game Reserve - Mkuze Game Reserve

Morning birding at Bonamanzi usually yields the spectacular Rosy-throated Longclaw (plus the other two less localised longclaw species), and the recently described Lemon-breasted Canary.  A more difficult mega-special is the almost mystical (to many birders) Short-tailed Pipit.  Lesser Black-winged (Senegal) Lapwing is sometimes found.  In case we missed Southern Banded Snake Eagle at St. Lucia, Bonamanzi is also a good site for it.  Bonamanzi also presents our first chance for another southeast African coast endemic, the splendid Pink-throated Twinspot.  After Bonamanzi, if time permits, we can head to a site where we usually find Pel’s Fishing Owl at its daytime roost, before driving to Mkuze Game Reserve.  After dinner at Mkuze, we can embark on a night drive.  Mkuze night drives quite often yield Leopard, and there are chances of seeing several owl, nightjar, thickknee and courser species. 

Overnight: Mkuze Game Reserve

Day 6: Sand Forest - Eshowe

An early morning bird walk in the Sand Forest should yield the extremely localised Neergaard’s Sunbird, African Broadbill with its bizarre display flight, Pink-throated Twinspot and other tantalizing endemics, plus a phenomenal diversity of other species.  Mkuze is one of the richest sites for birds on the entire African continent.  We will also have a reasonable chance of finding the diminutive Suni Antelope in the Sand Forest.  After our early morning bird walk, we will embark on a birding drive in search of a whole host of exciting species – we will bird woodland, savannah and wetland areas.  While looking for birds, there is also an excellent chance of stumbling across White Rhino (and possibly the rarer Black Rhino), Nyala, as well as other mammals that are difficult to find in most other game reserves.  After lunch, we start heading southwards again, to spend the last two days of our trip birding all kinds of forests as well as other habitats.  If we reach Eshowe in time, we can bird the magnificent aerial boardwalk and canopy tower in Eshowe before it gets dark (otherwise this will have to wait until our last morning). 

Overnight:  Eshowe B&B

Day 7: Ongoye Forest - Mtunzini

We will make a very early start with packed breakfasts and lunches.  We will bird the medium-altitude Ongoye Forest in the morning with a local guide.  In this truly beautiful temperate forest, we may find Narina Trogon, the endangered Spotted Ground Thrush, the rare and unpredictable Delegorgue’s Pigeon, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, the inconspicuous Green Twinspot, Grey Waxbill, Red-backed Mannikin, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Green Malkoha, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, and many other phenomenal species.  Ongoye Red Squirrel is also quite possible.  After birding this and other forests in the area (time permitting), we will then head to the warm coast to seek Palm-nut Vulture (in the Raffia Palm Nature Monument at Mtunzini), Collared (Red-winged) Pratincole, the rare Swamp Nightjar at its daytime roost, and a plethora of other tantalizing specials.

Overnight: Eshowe B&B

Day 8: Dlinza Forest - Departure

We will visit the Dlinza Forest canopy tower in the early morning.  Here, it is often possible to see Grey Cuckoo-shrike and other generally elusive species at eye-level.  White-eared Barbet, Green Malkoha, Trumpeter and Crowned Hornbill, Olive Bush-shrike and a whole host of other species often put in an appearance.  When mixed feeding flocks (bird parties) gather, the birding becomes even more exciting than usual.  Thanks to the new canopy tower, this is probably the easiest place in South Africa to find Delegorgue’s (Eastern Bronze-naped) Pigeon, but in some years this species is absent.  After morning birding, we can shower, etc. at the B&B before departing for Durban International Airport (about 1.5 hours’ drive).  International flight leaves Durban.

Price includes: daily full breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, cool-drinks, bottled water, accommodation, entrance fees, guiding fees, and all transport while on tour in South Africa.