Tailormade Holidays in South Africa

West Coast National Park is a spectacular 270-square-kilometre reserve located approximately 100 kilometres north of Cape Town, just south of the coastal town of Langebaan. The reserve protects a large tidal lagoon, shoreline and the rocky Postberg peninsula. Life here is dominated by the cold, nutrient-rich Benguela current, which accounts not only for the huge kelp beds and abundance of sea-life, but also for the arid climate and cool sea breezes. Birding highlights include Ostrich, Black-shouldered Kite, Southern Black Korhaan, Common Fiscal, Chestnut-vented Titbabbler, Karoo Scrub Robin, Bokmakierie, Cape Sparrow, White-throated Canary, Cape Bunting, a variety of larks and the rare and beautiful Black Harrier. The Postberg section of the park is only open from August through September, when the flower carpets of southern Namaqualand are at their best. The meadows and rocky hills are painted in the yellows, reds and purples of a wide variety of daisies and other flowers, making for a spectacular sight. Through this kaleidoscope of colour stride a variety of mammals including Bontebok, Eland, Cape Mountain Zebra and Springbok. The Langebaan Lagoon, a wetland of international importance, harbours thousands of migratory waders including Little Stint, Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper, alongside resident species such as Black-winged Stilt, Three-banded Plover, White-fronted Plover and Kittlitz’s Plover.

Cape Town is a modern, cosmopolitan city and the legislative capital of South Africa. Set against the stunningly iconic backdrop of Table Mountain, it is an excellent base from which to begin wildlife exploration. A wealth of ecological reserves lie within easy reach of the city, including the Rondevlei Wetlands, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Silvermine Nature Reserve. The latter two reserves protect swathes of fynbos, a collective term used to describe the shrubby, heath-like plants that dominate the Cape Floral Kingdom. Over 8,500 different plant species can be found here, many of which are endemic to the Cape and have adapted over the millennia to tolerate regular bushfires and sandy infertile soils. Not surprisingly, the fynbos supports many endemic bird species found nowhere else in the world, including Cape Sugarbird, Orange-breasted and Malachite Sunbirds, and Cape Siskin. Other species to look out for include Karoo Prinia, Ground Woodpecker and Bokmakierie, a beautiful yellow, grey, and black shrike. A visit to the infamous Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for so many years, is another popular, if rather sobering, excursion. To the north-east, the Cape Winelands also boast some of the finest wines in the world.

Accommodation in Cape Town

Situated in the highlands of eastern Mpumalanga Province, the small town of Dullstroom is an integral stop on any birding journey in the northeastern region of the country. Altitudes here reach well over 2,000 metres and the high altitude grassland of the Veloren Valei (‘Lost Valley’) Nature Reserve is a prime birding location, holding species such as Blue Crane, Long-tailed Widowbird, Denham’s Bustard, Eastern Long-billed Lark, Buff-streaked Chat, Sentinel Rock Thrush, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Gurney’s Sugarbird, Southern Bald Ibis and many others. Dullstroom’s location (roughly three hours’ drive east of Johannesburg) makes it a great first stop on the typical ‘Escarpment and Kruger route’, adding to the incredible diversity to be found in this part of the country.

Situated on the northern ‘arm’ of the Drakensberg Escarpment, the Blyde River has carved out the third largest canyon in the world and is set in a breathtaking region of deep gorges, rocky escarpments and montane grassland dotted with patches of woodland and indigenous scrub. On account of its dramatic altitudinal variation, this area is home to a wide range of bird species including Red-capped Robin-chat, Mocking Cliff-chat, Cape Rock Thrush, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Bar-throated Apalis, Narina Trogon and many others. Spectacular viewpoints also offer outstanding raptor-watching and Jackal Buzzard, Cape Vulture, Verreaux’s Eagle, African Crowned Eagle and African Goshawk may all be seen. The rare Taita Falcon is also possible, although you will need a slice of luck so see this elusive little falcon. A night or two at Blyde River, staying at one of the area’s comfortable lodges, will suit keen birders as well as anyone interested in outstanding natural beauty.

Accommodation in Blyde River Canyon

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park protects over 3.3 million hectares of the vast Kalahari Desert and supports a remarkably diverse range of wildlife. This is a harsh but beautiful environment of sweeping vistas and distant horizons, and of majestic brick-red sand dunes and some of the most beautiful sunsets in all of Africa. Here the black-maned Lions of the Kalahari, as well as Cheetah, Springbok, Gemsbok and Southern Giraffe may be seen, together with a number of more elusive mammals such as Meerkat (Suricate), Bat-eared Fox, Springhare, Aardwolf and the secretive Brown Hyena. Raptors are common and include Bataleur, Tawny Eagle, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures, Pale Chanting Goshawk and Pygmy Falcon. The huge Kori Bustard is frequently seen pacing through the grasslands, whilst some of the more unobtrusive species include the beautiful Violet-eared and Blackfaced Waxbills, Rufous-eared Warbler, Redheaded Finch and Swallow-tailed Bee-eater. The Kalahari works particularly well in combination with the Western Cape, but to get the best of both regions one must travel in the Austral spring between late August and October. 

Accommodation in The Kalahari & Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is a private reserve of some 65,000 hectares that seamlessly adjoin the western boundary of the Kruger; together they form part of the Greater Kruger National Park. However, Sabi Sand’s small private lodges offer a more exclusive and intimate bush experience than the more ‘public’ Kruger, and the opportunities they offer for viewing Africa’s largest predators – notably Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and Wild Dog – are special. Game drives (including night drives) are the norm here, although it is also possible to join guided bush walks at some of the lodges. However, whilst the reserve is a great option for families and wildlife photographers, keen birders are not as well catered for since it is not possible to spend the entire day exploring (whereas this is possible in the Kruger); reserve excursions mainly being limited to morning and evening game drives focusing chiefly on the larger mammals.

Accommodation in Sabi Sand Game Reserve

The Garden Route, a breathtaking stretch of South African coastline, extends from Cape Town in the country's southernmost tip to Port Elizabeth, some 450 kilometres to the east. For a country blessed with such an abundance of wonderful scenery and varied wildlife, this region of South Africa is especially beautiful; characterised by its numerous hiking trails, quaint towns, beaches, fine wine and, of course, abundant flora. Within this narrow corridor, sandwiched between rugged mountains and the blue waters of the Indian Ocean, flourishes a wonderful diversity of plant-life. From the coastal flora of the fynbos to the montane flora and desert plants of the Little Karoo, the Garden Route encapsulates a botanical wonderland. Indeed, the mountain passes around Calitzdorp hold more species of succulent than anywhere else on Earth. The Garden Route National Park itself, established in 2009, epitomises the region’s natural beauty. Spanning a vast 1,200 square kilometres, it amalgamates the Wilderness and Tsitsikamma National Parks, the Knysna Lakes region, as well as newly protected land. More than 370 species of birds and 85 species of mammals can be found in the region, while out to sea, cetaceans such as Long-beaked Common and Humpback Dolphins are regularly sighted.