You will be amazed at the incredible habitat diversity during this trip, from miombo woodland in Zimbabwe and lush riparian forest in the Caprivi and Botswana to arid desert and dune landscapes in central Namibia, not forgetting the spectacular lagoon at Walvis Bay on the Atlantic coast and much more! This diversity offers fantastic birdwatching, with many endemic, special, and localised species on every serious birder’s wish list. You can count on seeing several hundred avian species, many mammals, other fauna and flora, and some superb classic African safari landscapes.
Built on a plateau overlooking the Zambezi National Park, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is just 4km from the majestic Victoria Falls and offers a unique wildlife experience.
This lodge has been voted "Best Safari Lodge/ Resort Hotel in Zimbabwe" for 23 consecutive years. You'll be welcomed to this wonderful destination by a warm and personable staff. Built of thatch and timber, the lodge rises several levels, giving the impression of a vast, open-plan treehouse. Your room will have a private balcony that overlooks a waterhole, where herds of buffalo, elephants, and kudu can be seen as the sun goes down, and hyenas later in the evening.
After a restful night, you'll awaken early for a sunrise breakfast cruise on the Zambezi River, which is especially rewarding for birders. The captain is well-versed in identifying the resident bird species.
Afterward, your group will make their way to Victoria Falls itself.
Victoria Falls – Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “The Smoke that Thunders” is the largest waterfall in the world by volume, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. However, no amount of cold facts can prepare you for the sight of the unfathomably vast and powerful body of water that plunges into the Zambezi gorge. It truly is majestic and unforgettable, making it a must-see for adventure and wildlife enthusiasts from all over the globe.
We will spend some time staring in awe at the falls, but won’t forget about the birding. There are several footpaths in the small national park connected to the falls, and you'll search for Schalow’s Turaco, Trumpeter Hornbill, White-browed Robin-chat, Red-winged Starling, Terrestrial Brownbul, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Rock Martin, Rock Pratincole, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, and a variety of waterbirds. If time allows, you might visit the local water treatment works, where species such as African Rail, African Swamphen, Orange-breasted and Blue Cordonbleu, as well as several raptors (including Augur Buzzard and Verreaux's Eagle), may be seen.
You'll have a late lunch somewhere in town close to the falls after an exhilarating day. The rest of your day will be spent exploring the town and birding in the gardens of our Hotel before freshening up before dinner.
This morning, after breakfast, you will be transferred to Namibia via Botswana. Enjoy an afternoon boat cruise at the lodge and enjoy dinner at our lodge.
Experience the Zambezi Kingdom from 24 chalets dotted along the leafy riverbank of the Kwando. Watch the vervet monkeys leap along tree branches, salute the wizened elephant giants in the Bwabwata National Park, and glide through the wild waterways—Revel in Namushasha gold.
After breakfast, you will embark on a lengthy drive across the Caprivi Strip to the Botswana border, stopping at a well-known stake-out for Rock Pratincole before crossing, and then to your lodge, which has a beautiful setting on the Okavango River.
If time allows, you can enjoy the variety of resident birds in the lodge’s grounds, which include Hartlaub’s Babbler, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Green Wood Hoopoe, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, and Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird. Additionally, African Wood Owl and African Barred Owlet are often seen.
At your accommodation for tonight, you will find a warm welcome, personalized attention, local knowledge from both owners and staff, an excellent restaurant, lush green gardens, and a welcoming swimming pool. It is situated in a birding and fishing paradise in the Okavango panhandle.
Enjoy a sumptuous dinner as we update our growing list of trip experiences and drift off to sleep under the African sky. Before returning to our rooms for a good night’s rest, remember to listen for the distinctive who-who, who-who-who are-you call of the African Wood Owl.
Enjoy two boat trips while at Drotsky’s, which are often the highlight of your days here.
Drotsky's Cabins is situated on the banks of the Okavango River in the north-western corner of Botswana. The property, surrounded by lush green lawns and tall, shady indigenous trees, is dotted with 10 spacious wooden chalet cabins featuring en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, mosquito nets, tea and coffee-making facilities, and TVs
Start your day with a morning walk in the riverine forest, where you can look for the stunning Narina Trogon, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Swamp Boubou, Brubru, Black-backed Puffback, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, and Bearded Woodpecker.
After breakfast, depart on an exciting boat cruise along the Okavango River. Our main targets here will be the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl, even more elusive White-backed Night Heron, Luapula and Chirping , Greater Swamp Warbler, Little Rush Warbler, Little Bittern, Allen’s Gallinule and Purple Heron, with the more common birds being Squacco and Grey Heron, Tawny-flanked Prinia, White-winged Tern, Hamerkop, African Openbill, African Fish Eagle, African Marsh Harrier and Village Weaver.
You will then check out and make your way back across the border, taking a short drive in Mahango National Park if time allows.
You will then check into our lodge, situated on the banks of the Okavango River, overlooking Bwabwata National Park, just before sunset. Your lodge offers comfortable, thatched, air-conditioned bungalows and delicious, typical Namibian cuisine. The sunsets from the decks will make for some incredible photographs and indelible memories.
Mahangu Safari Lodge is located on the western bank of the Okavango River, 22 kilometres south of Divundu, Namibia. The lodge offers a range of accommodations, including bush huts, a houseboat, safari tents, and river-facing campsites. The comfortably furnished huts and tents have air conditioning and cosy beds. Guests can enjoy inclusive meals on-site. Facilities and services include a central lapa, a lounge and dining area, a bar, a swimming pool, two sunset decks, and electricity. Area activities include birdwatching, game drives, and exploring the Popa Falls.
Our day will be dedicated to exploring Mahango Game Park, which boasts an incredible diversity of species for a park of its size. The 25,000-hectare (60,000-acre) reserve, part of the greater Bwabwata National Park, stretches along the Okavango River floodplain in the western Caprivi and boasts a bird list of over 400 species, including some key Okavango specials.
It has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. The reserve features three distinct habitats. The habitat along the river is a mix of trees, reed beds, and grassland. Away from the river, the habitat is primarily open woodland, and in the south, it consists of dry forest with some dense patches of large trees.
During our time here we hope to see Wattled Crane, Long-toed Lapwing, Slaty Egret, Collared Pratincole, Crimson breasted Shrike, Violet-eared Waxbill, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Crested Francolin, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Greater and Lesser Honeyguide, Long-billed Crombec, Grey Tit-flycatcher, Broad-billed Roller, African Fish Eagle, Western Osprey, Brown-necked Parrot, African Cuckoo-hawk, Ayres’s Hawk-eagle and smaller raptors like Lizard Buzzard, Little and Ovambo Sparrowhawk, and Shikra.
Mahango offers excellent general game viewing, and you'll search for the rare and beautiful Sable and Roan Antelope, as well as Tsessebe, African Elephant, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Red Lechwe, Greater Kudu, Impala, and even Lion, Cheetah, African Wild Dog, or Leopard, if we are fortunate.
You will enjoy dinner with your colleagues and then head off to bed for a good night’s sleep.
After breakfast, you will re-enter the park and continue westward to explore it further.
Your group will stop at waterholes during your drive, as this is where the mammals congregate, especially in the dry months. You will also stop for interesting birds along the way. And keep your cameras at the ready, as Etosha is a photographer’s dream, with the contrasts in light, colour, and textures particularly dramatic. Many a guest’s “lifer shots” of African animal and bird species were taken in this park.
You will stop for lunch at Halali camp and, if time permits, take a short stroll to the famous waterhole that can be seen from within the camp. All sorts of mammals come to drink here, and every now and again, something truly spectacular happens!
The area around Okaukuejo camp (where we are heading) should produce Dusky and Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Crimson-breasted Gonolek, Acacia Pied Barbet, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Marico and Chat Flycatcher, Rattling Cisticola, Double-banded and Namaqua Sandgrouse, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Northern Black and Red-crested Korhaan and Great Sparrow to name a few. We will scan on top of all the huge Sociable Weaver nests for Pygmy Falcon. Also, keep an eye out for snakes in the nests or nearby, as this is another characteristic for which Etosha is famous.
In the late afternoon, bird the Okondeka plains north of the camp to look for Spike-heeled, Pink-billed, Eastern Clapper, Red-capped and Sabota Lark as well as Grey-backed and Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Capped Wheatear, Double-banded Courser, Ant-eating Chat, Desert Cisticola, and Rufous-eared Warbler. The waterhole in this area is also famous as being the best place in the park to see Lions.
We will arrive at our next camp, Okaukuejo, late in the afternoon and check into our rooms. The camp is situated only 17 km (11 mi) from the southern entrance of Etosha National Park, at the Andersson Gate, and is located at the western end of the Etosha Pan. It is the oldest tourist camp in Etosha and the administrative centre of the park. The campgrounds themselves are also very productive, and here we could see Crimson-breasted Shrike, Groundscraper Thrush, Pririt Batis, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Red-headed Finch, Acacia Pied Barbet, and South African Ground Squirrel.
We will enjoy dinner at the restaurant, update our lists, and then walk to the famous floodlit waterhole in the camp. We will sit quietly with a drink in hand and look for Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Western Barn Owl, and Rufous-cheeked Nightjar. We may even see a Black Rhinoceros come for a drink. There may also be African elephants, giraffes, Gemsbok, greater kudu, Springbok, Common Warthog, and many other animals. Sitting here will make you realize why Etosha is such a special place…
Your day starts with an early coffee and breakfast and then bird around the Brandberg, making sure we pick up all the species we still need. The Brandberg is a spiritual site of great significance to the San (also known as Bushmen) tribes. The main tourist attraction, apart from the peak, is the White Lady rock painting (one of over 45,000 paintings), located on a rock face with other artwork under a small rock overhang in the Tsisab ravine at the foot of the mountain.
You will then make your way south to the Erongo Mountains after leaving Brandberg. The Erongo Mountains and surroundings are a real endemic hotspot, and we will focus on finding any of the endemics that we might have missed.
We will have lunch on the way to Erongo and arrive in the afternoon with enough time to enjoy this spectacular area.
The granite hills surrounding our lodge where we will stay tonight are famous for Hartlaub’s Spurfowl and Rockrunner. Besides these two specials we can look for Rüppell’s Parrot, Carp’s Tit, White-tailed Shrike, Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Violet Wood Hoopoe, Pale-winged Staring, Red-billed Spurfowl, Augur Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, African Hawk-eagle, Booted Eagle, vultures, and Cinnamon-breasted, Golden-breasted, Cape and Lark-like Bunting.
Rosy-faced Lovebirds are present in massive numbers and we will also wrap up on the general scrub savannah birds like White-throated, Yellow and Black-throated Canary, Green-winged Pytilia, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked and Blue Cordonbleu, Barred Wren-warbler, Rattling Cisticola, Marico Flycatcher, Pririt Batis, Shaft-tailed Whydah, African Red-eyed Bulbul, White-backed Mousebird, Cape Starling and Mountain Wheatear.
Located in Omaruru, Namibia, the Erongo Wild offers luxury accommodations perfect for nature enthusiasts seeking a relaxing getaway surrounded by pristine natural landscapes. You'll enjoy the delicious meals at the on-site restaurant. Activities in the area include village tours, hiking, and game drives.
After morning birding and breakfast, you will make your way to Swakopmund and the coast, stopping to look for Gray’s Lark along the way.
After settling into your accommodation, you will spend the afternoon at the Walvis Bay lagoon, which has been designated a Ramsar site of global importance due to the thousands of waders that inhabit it. Can you find a Damara Tern? Other birds you hope to find include Ruff, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-necked Grebe, Red-necked Phalarope, Bar-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Swift, Common, Sandwich and Caspian Terns, Eurasian and African Black Oystercatchers, Common Ringed, Chestnut-banded, Grey and Three-banded Plovers and Greater and Lesser Flamingos. Cape Cormorants are usually spotted in large flocks. You will also look for Crowned and White-breasted Cormorants, as well as, if you are lucky, the Bank Cormorant.
Located on Swakopmund’s Platinum Mile, Swakopmund Sands Hotel boasts a prime location within walking distance of the city centre, tourist attractions, restaurants, the Jetty, and the beach. Our accommodation offers great views, stylish comfort, top-class amenities, and warm Namibian hospitality.
Start your day with a delicious breakfast and exceptional coffee from local Namibian roasters. Our rooms range from Classic to Luxury, including Luxury Suites and Family Rooms, catering to all types of travelers. For small groups or self-drive clients, the Swakopmund Sands Cottage provides a cozy alternative with an amazing view of the Jetty.
Our newest addition is an intimate in-house bar area, perfect for pre-dinner or sundowner drinks. Guests can also enjoy relaxing on-site massage treatments, ensuring a rejuvenating stay. Experience the best of Swakopmund with comfort and convenience at Swakopmund Sands Hotel.
On your final morning, the focus is on finding Dune Lark, Namibia’s only true endemic and a great bird to end the trip with. You will spend time on the scenic Kuiseb riverbed, searching for this special species at the base of some of the impressive dunes that form a beautiful backdrop.
This hard-to-find sandy-coloured lark survives in this harsh environment without any water, instead getting everything it needs to survive from seeds and insects found in the sparsely vegetated areas between the dunes in the desert. There are no known records of it ever drinking even a drop of water!
Other interesting birds you might see here include the Bokmakierie, White-backed Mousebird, Cape Sparrow, Great Sparrow, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Dusky Sunbird, Grey-backed Cisticola, Jackal Buzzard, Pale Chanting Goshawk, and the desert form of the Tractrac Chat.
As most flights from Walvis Bay International Airport depart around lunchtime. You should have a little extra time to bird the lagoon area for any new waders and shorebirds.