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.

This is a tour for those who want the ultimate African mammal safari experience while also seeing a huge diversity of birds, many of them brightly coloured, charismatic and spectacular, as well as some strategic Drakensberg endemics and incredibly rare raptors.  This tour should yield elephant, lion, many antelope species, crocodile and all the other mega fauna that sub-Saharan Africa is famous for, as well as multiple species of bee-eater, roller, kingfisher, cuckoo, hornbill, eagle (including Bateleur), vulture, owl, turaco, seed-eater, stork, and a myriad others.  The Kruger National Park boasts 450 bird species! We also target the phenomenally rare Taita Falcon and Cape Parrot, Black-fronted Bush Shrike, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, the magnificent Blue Swallow and many other localized species occurring along the forested Great Escarpment, west of the dryer Kruger National Park lowlands.

During this tour we concentrate on the northern Kruger National Park where we can find good numbers of bird species only just making it into South Africa over the Mozambique and Zimbabwe borders. The exciting list of possibilities includes Bohm’s Spinetail, Mottled Spinetails, Arnott’s Chat, Grey-headed Parrot, Tropical Boubou, Meeve’s (Long-tailed Glossy) Starling and a host of others alongside a host of more widespread South African species.

Day 1: Arrival

International flight arrives in Johannesburg.  We will spend our first night at Kwa Ndaba Game Lodge, where we will immediately be overwhelmed by an incredibly rich assemblage of Kalahari bird species, quite a lot of them spectacular. 

Target Species: The list includes the likes of Northern Black Korhaan, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Southern Pied Babbler, Violet-eared Waxbill, Black-cheeked Waxbill, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Scaly-feathered Finch, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and other bee-eaters, Kalahari Robin and a host of others. 

Overnight: Kwa Ndaba Game Lodge

Days 2: Kwa Ndaba - Polokwane Game Reserve - Nyl River Floodplain - Pafuri River

After early morning birding around Kwa Ndaba, we will continue our journey northwards. We will stop at Polokwane Game Reserve for the very localized Short-clawed Lark (picking up other new species as a by-product).  In years of good rainfall, it may also be worth stopping at the remarkable Nyl River Floodplain.  When flooded, this wetland hosts huge numbers of breeding tropical waterbirds, and the area as a whole supports a staggering 400 bird species.  We also recommend a visit to a cliff breeding colony of Cape Vultures which also hosts the only known Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture (1 or 2 individuals) outside of East Africa!  For this, however, we recommend adding one night to this itinerary.  After a stunning day of birding, we eventually reach Pafuri River Camp where we will spend the night.

Overnight: Pafuri River Camp

Day 3: Kruger National Park

We start early with a picnic breakfast, heading for the nearby extreme northern part of the Kruger National Park (the Pafuri area)

Target Species: Bohm’s Spinetail, Meve’s Starling, White-crowned Plover, Arnot’s Chat and MANY others lurk.  Occasionally, Racket-tailed Roller occurs alongside the more common roller species (European, Purple and Lilac-breasted). 

Overnight: Punda Maria Rest Camp, Kruger National Park

Days 4: Kruger National Park

We continue birding the very exciting extreme north of Kruger, where we will also see many big and small mammals. 

Overnight: Shingwedzi Rest Camp, Kruger National Park

Day 5: Kruger National Park

We travel southwards in Kruger, eventually reaching the extremely pleasant, green and shaded Letaba Rest Camp where we will spend the night.  As we travel southwards, the birdlife changes.  Specials of the central region of the park, where we now find ourselves, include African Mourning Dove, Bennett’s Woodpecker and many more.  

Overnight: Letaba Rest Camp, Kruger National Park

Day 6: Woodbush Forest

After a final morning of birding in Kruger, we head westwards to the forested escarpment. Here we will bird the marvellous Woodbush Forest, inhabited by a critically endangered Yellowwood Forest specialist – the Cape Parrot.  There are only about 1000 individuals of this fine parrot left on earth, and all of them occur in South Africa.  This sprawling mountain forest also supports other localized species such as Orange Ground Thrush (we have an interesting method for finding this species), Black-fronted Bush-shrike, Yellow-streaked Greenbul and more.  The rare and beautiful Blue Swallow breeds in this area in summer.    

Overnight:  Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge, Magoebaskloof

Day 7: Woodbush Forest

We will bird the Woodbush area for the entire day

Overnight: Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge, Magoebaskloof

Day 8: Abel Erasmus Pass - Dullstroom

After completing Woodbush birding, we head for the Abel Erasmus Pass to seek Taita Falcon.  This was only recently discovered as a breeding bird in South Africa, but this site is now probably the most reliable place on earth to find this small, yet very powerful and fast falcon. As usual, we may find all sorts of other birds, such as Mocking Cliff Chat, Lanner Falcon, Cape Griffon Vulture, etc.  We then head for the Dullstroom area.  Yellow-breasted Pipit, Gurney’s Sugarbird, Denham’s Bustard, Secretarybird, Eastern Long-billed Lark, Bald Ibis, occasionally Wattled Crane, Black Harrier and other spectacular and localized birds can often be found quartering the green rolling hills around Dullstroom.

Overnight: Accommodation in Dullstroom

Day 9: Dullstroom & Departure

After early morning birding in the lovely Dullstroom area (South Africa’s trout fishing mecca), we depart for Johannesburg for our international flight home.

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.