Namibia must rate as one of Africa's greatest birding destinations:
fantastic game watching, numerous desert birding endemics, sweeping
scenery and a very high standard of accommodation, to boot!
Our trips focus on finding most of Namibia's endemic birds. We combine
the Namib desert experience (we'll have breakfast atop a huge red
dune while looking for Dune Lark) with a search
for Desert Elephants and Welwitschias, and a visit to Etosha Pan,
one of Africa's most spectacular wildlife parks.
We make an extra effort to stay in comfortable, sometimes luxurious
accommodation, that keeps us as close as possible to the best birding
areas - we even had the near-endemic and elusive Hartlaub's
Francolin in front of our rooms while brushing our teeth
one morning on a tour last year!
Our Namibia itineraries generally include Walvis Bay, the Erongo
Mountains, Spitzkoppe, Brandberg, Etosha and the Waterberg Plateau
National Parks. We offer an optional Living Deserts excursion, to
see desert-adapted reptiles such as Side-winding Adder, Palmato
Gecko and Shovel-snouted Lizard (click here for pictures).
If time permits, we recommend adding a 5 to 7 day extension to the
bird-rich Caprivi area in Northern Namibia and the verdant Okavango
Panhandle in Botswana. Here we search for the elusive Pel's
Fishing Owl along the forested backwaters of the Okavango
River. For private and guided group tours that target the
Okavango Delta, please click
here.
All our previous trips have seen all endemic and near-endemic birds,
including Herero Chat. Click here for a trip
report.
Featured Leaders: Joe Grosel
Joe recommends: This tour
is well suited to world listers, because we see a very high proportion
of endemic birds, as well as keen birders and wildlife enthusiasts
because we make a special effort to see large mammals, desert reptiles
and special plants on our walks.
Based
in northern South Africa, Joe Grosel has
been instrumental in establishing birding sites, clubs and
routes. He has designed, organized and conducted birding and
other eco-safaris across southern Africa for over 20 years.
For more details on his impressive
and varied professional background, please read
on... Joe also leads birding tours to South
Africa.
We also offer self-drive tours. Please contact us or consult
our birdfinding guide book 'The
Southern African Birdfinder' for further trip planning
to Namibia and the Okavango.
What
participants say...
'Again, my warmest thanks
for your [Joe's] fantastic performance as our Namibia-Botswanda
guide. I still wonder how you managed all that driving, bird-watching,
organizing, keeping a perfect mood - not possible to do better!'
H&H, Switserland
'Many thanks [Marje] for such a comprehensive set of information...
but then I'd expect nothing less after all of your previous hard
work and attention to detail!
'The trip was a huge success....” “Dalton was brilliant
with the [21] children and an excellent travelling companion. He
enlivened the list with a huge fund of bird and animal tales...perfect."
JH, Oundle, UK
'...using the invaluable 'Southern
African Birdfinder' (Cohen et al, 2007) as a reference, the services
of Birding Africa (http://www.birding-africa.com/) were employed
in sourcing appropriate accommodating, giving additional logistical
advice and securing some excellent low-season deals on both accommodation
and car hire. Birding Africa were also on hand to make a few tweaks
in the itinerary during the course of our travels and it was reassuring
to know that we had such backup should anything go astray. Special
thanks must be credited to Marje Hemp of Birding Africa who worked
tirelessly in answering our many queries and requests and also to
Callan Cohen for all the additional bird-finding help and advice
so freely given; without Birding Africa's input the trip would surely
not have been the smooth-running success which it turned out to
be and we would urge anyone who follows in our footsteps to do so
with the assistance of this first class company.'
IM, Leicestershire, UK
'I pass on our thanks to you, for what was an excellent trip
and one that I will want to remember for many years." "Great
trip & accommodation everywhere was excellent.'
LJ & MP
* Cost per person sharing a room, ** Single room supplement.
* Included in the above price: Birding Africa tour leader, Birding
Africa printed booklet with species lists, activities as indicated
on the itinerary, road transport, guide fees, entry fees for the parks,
reserves and botanical gardens, full board accommodation and drinking
water on the bus. Not included: international flights, drinks, optional
tips, and items of a personal nature are not included.
Please click this link for more
detailed information about our upcoming tours to Botswana.
Focus
For keen birders and mammal
enthusiasts. The tour focuses on most of Namibia's endemic birds
and wildlife, including unique desert-adapted species. The extension
to the Okavango Panhandle offers specials such as Pel's Fishing
Owl, Slaty Egret and White-backed Night Heron and involves an
Okavango River boat trip. While the tour is designed to see
as many endemic birds as possible, we are also able to spend
a lot of time looking for other aspects of wildlife such as
mammals, chameleons, geckos, butterflies and interesting desert-adapted
plants, such as Welwitschia and Hoodia. We can also customise
any guided or self-drive itinerary to suit to the keen birder,
the wildlife enthusiast or both.
Photography
Many participants on our trips are amateur
wildlife photographers. And when we get excellent views of a
bird or mammal, some time is usually spent watching and photographing
it. However, this is not a photographic tour and once the majority
of the people have felt that they have absorbed the animal or
bird to their satisfaction, then we move on in search of the
next encounter. Thus, while the photographic opportunities are
very good, the group will only occasionally wait for somebody
who wants to spend even longer getting better photos.
No fitness is required. The few walks
are generally in relatively flat areas with occasional small
inclines.
Timing
Good year round. At Etosha, birding
is best in summer, but game viewing is easiest in winter. September
to November may be best for birding in the Okavango panhandle
region as Afritropical and Palaearctic migrants begin to arrive.
However, late summer is equally interesting.
Climate
Hot, especially in summer.
Comfort
A good standard of accommodation in
guest houses, lodges and rest camps.
Transport
We travel by minibus or four wheel drive
vehicle. The tour starts and ends in Windhoek.
Group Size
This depends on the specific tour. Please
enquire.
Top birds
Namibia: One endemic and almost 20 near-endemics
in a spectacular setting; Herero Chat, White-tailed Shrike,
Carp's Tit, Monteiro's Hornbill, Rockrunner, Rosy-faced Lovebird,
Rueppell's Parrot, Hartlaub's Francolin, Dune Lark, Blue Crane,
Secretarybird, Ludwig's Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Burchell's
Courser, Rosy-breasted Longclaw.
African Elephant, Black Rhinoceros,
Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Springbok, Damara Dik-dik, Klipspringer,
Gemsbok (Southern Oryx), Burchell's Zebra, Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, Hartebeest,
Black-faced Impala, Meerkat, Dassie Rat. In the Okavango Panhandle,
there is a chance of seeing Sitatunga and Hippopotamus.
Booking
Your booking can be secured with a booking form and deposit. You will receive confirmation and our tour information pack with practical information on what to expect and how to prepare for the tour. The balance is due 150 days before the tour. Contact us to enquire about availability.
About Birding Africa
Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour company customising
tours for both world listers and more relaxed holiday birders. We
combine interests in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany and
other natural history aspects and will guide you to Africa's and
Madagascar's most diverse birding destinations. Our guides'
knowledge of African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength
and together we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations
with the birding community and had a fun time exploring our home
continent. †We've even written two acclaimed guide
books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best
birds. Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and
we are dedicated to making professional, best value trips filled
with endemic species and unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997,
we've run bird watching tours
in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders,
small birding groups and top international tour companies. We've
run Conservation Tours
in association with the African Bird Club and work with and consult
for a number of other top international tour companies and the BBC
Natural History Unit.
