South Africa
Flowers & Birds from the Cape to Namaqualand
Wednesday 5 - Thursday 20 August 2009 (16 days)
From the flowers, birds and stunning scenery of the Cape, to wonderful flower-rich Namaqualand, we visit an astoundingly beautiful and varied land, rich in wildlife. Join us at a time of year when the flowers and birds here are at their best, and when whales are displaying close inshore!
© Paul Martin/Nature Portfolio
Cape Rock Thrush
South Africa is both one of the world's most beautiful countries, and one of its richest for wildlife. We start in Cape Town, known for its dramatic mountain scenery and unique fynbos vegetation, both at sea level and up Table Mountain, where we take one of the most spectacular cable car rides in the world. The coast here also has some excellent wetlands, and is one of the best places in the world for shore-based whale-watching. We hope to see Southern Right Whales doing some dramatic display activities close inshore.
We travel on to one of the world's most famous spring flower areas, Namaqualand on the west coast of South Africa, a flowering desert in the southern early spring when we visit. This region has the highest concentration of endemic birds in Southern Africa and is a superb birding area.
The tour is designed and operated by Geoff Crane, who has been operating birding and natural history tours throughout Southern Africa for the past fifteen years.
Prices: £ 3,595
Single supp.: £ 325 per person
Deposit: £ 300 per person
The price is per person and includes scheduled return flights London/Cape Town*, airport taxes, ground transportation and excursions as outlined above, accommodation on a full-board basis, admissions, local taxes, tips, and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes holiday insurance, drinks, optional tips to the driver/local guides, and other personal expenses.
*For an ex-flight cost (Cape Town/Cape Town) please deduct £ 645 from the tour cost.
Leaders:
John Muddeman and Geoff Crane
Itinerary
Day 1
We take an evening scheduled flight from London to Cape Town, arriving early on Day 2.
Day 2
We arrive at Cape Town Airport and transfer to our guest house. We start off our stay in Cape Town with a cable car trip to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting). If there is too much cloud or wind we will settle for the vantage point of Signal Hill, which provides a 360 degree view of Lion's Head, the city, Table Bay and the majestic Table Mountain. We will go for a short walk either on top of Table Mountain or around Signal Hill.
William Burchell, the famous British naturalist, summed up the flora on the slopes of Table Mountain very well: 'To give some idea of the botanical riches of the country, I need only state that, in the short distance of one English mile, I collected in four hours and a half, one hundred and five distinct species of plants.'
We aim to spend the rest of the day at the magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens, surely one of the finest Botanical Gardens in the world, situated on the lower slopes of Table Mountain, where Cape Sugarbirds feed on the numerous Proteas.
In addition to the extensive plant types on show, the birds are also excellent. Here it is easy to get good views of Orange-breasted Sunbird, Olive Thrush, Cape Bulbul, Cape Batis, Southern Boubou, Southern Double-collared Sunbird and the larger Cape Francolin. We may also have brief sightings of the Small Grey Mongoose as we explore the Garden pathways.
Overnight Cape Peninsula
Day 3
We spend a leisurely day experiencing the rugged beauty of the Peninsula with its spectacular coastline and diverse fauna & flora. We follow the False Bay coastline to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which is now part of the Table Mountain National Park. The 7,750 ha reserve is an excellent example of the wealth of floral diversity in the Cape Floral Kingdom. The Protea, Erica and Restio families are well represented. We go on a botanical walk through the reserve, where we can enjoy studying, identifying, photographing and marvelling at this floral wonder.
The park also has a variety of mammals such as the Chacma Baboon, Cape Mountain Zebra, Bontebok, Red Hartebeest, Eland and Cape Grysbok. Cape Grassbird, Neddicky and Levaillant's Cisticola can be seen in the vegetation that surrounds the rocky outcrops. Raptors are well represented in the Reserve, with Verreaux's Eagle, Black Harrier, Jackal Buzzard, and Peregrine Falcon to name but a few!
At Cape Point, we can take a short walk or a funicular ride to the old lighthouse, from where the panoramic views encompass the whole of False Bay and the Boland Mountains beyond. Two great ocean currents - the warm fast flowing Agulhas from the Equator and the slower moving Benguela from the Antarctic - meet off Cape Point. After a picnic lunch in the reserve, we will visit the African Penguin colony at Simon's Town.
Overnight Cape Peninsula
Day 4
We start today with a visit to the Strandfontein Water Purification Plant (sewage works!).We will then head out of Cape Town along the South Coast road through the craggy mountain scenery of the Hottentot's Holland Mountains. We will have lunch at Betty's Bay followed by a visit to the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens. A walk around these gardens with its rich fynbos flora will afford us many new bird sightings.
We then move on to Hermanus, which has gained worldwide recognition for its excellent land-based whale watching. During the southern spring months, Southern Right Whales use this coastline as a safe haven in which to calve. We can watch these gentle giants from the cliff top walk.
Overnight Cape Peninsula
Day 5
After breakfast we leave Cape Town and head for the little town of Darling in the heart of the Swartland. En route we will stop at Bloubergstrand beach, for the dramatic view of Table Mountain from across the bay.
At Darling we visit a couple of flower reserves that have been set up to protect a rare type of vegetation called renosterveld. We will then visit the Tienie Versveld Flora Reserve. This small botanical reserve is particularly noted for its Gladioli, Babiana and Lachenalias.
We drive through the wheat fields of the 'Swartland' where we look out for Southern Black Korhaan, Blue Crane, White Stork, Secretary Bird and some of the many Lark species.
Overnight Langebaan
Day 6
Langebaan Lagoon is a must for any birdwatcher. The Park is dominated by coastal strandveld which hosts a large amount of bush birds. We will be looking out for Long-billed Crombec, Bar-throated Apalis, Grey-backed Cisticola, Layard's Tit-babbler, Karoo Lark, Cape Penduline Tit, Namaqua Dove, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Yellow Canary and Grey-wing Francolin. Raptors overhead might include Black-shouldered and Yellow-billed Kites, Steppe Buzzard, Rock Kestrel, Booted Eagle and Black Harrier.
We drive slowly through the West Coast National Park stopping here and there to see what's flowering. After a picnic lunch we drive around the lagoon to the Postberg Flower Reserve, which is only open to the public for a few months of the year. The spring flowers of the Western Cape have a worldwide reputation. The area receives little rain throughout the year, but, after our winter rains, the landscape is swathed with a vibrant carpet of flowers. Flowers to look out for include: the vygies (Mesembryanthemum family), Asteraceae, including the Namaqualand daisy as well as many geophytes, notably from the Iris family.
Overnight Langebaan
Day 7
We follow the old West Coast road via the saltpans and the Berg River estuary at Velddrif, where we will look out for South African Shelduck, Greater & Lesser Flamingos and any overwintering shorebirds.
We continue north along the coast road via the bird reserve at Rocherpan, the saltpan at Wadrif and the wetland at Verlorenvlei. We have a picnic at Eland's Bay, while looking out for the endemic Heaviside's Dolphin. After lunch we drive to Lambert's Bay, a small town with an attractive harbour. Here we can visit the Cape Gannet Colony, as well as seeing terns, cormorants and African Penguins at very close quarters. There are 6,000 breeding pairs of the endemic Cape Gannets on the 'island', which can be viewed at close quarters from the observation hide. From Lambert's Bay we then head inland to Clanwilliam and the Cederberg Mountains.
Overnight Clanwilliam
Day 8
The Cedarberg Mountains were once the hunting ground of the San people (Bushmen). Though the San no longer live in the area, they recorded their exploits in the form of remarkable rock paintings. We can visit these paintings whilst on a walk through the dramatic red sandstone rock formations that characterise the Cedarberg Mountains. The vegetation in the Cederberg area is quite unique and very special. The area has a mix of the varied mountain fynbos, which is the predominant vegetation of the Cape and the curious but hardy Succulents of the semi arid areas of the Karoo. The Clanwilliam Cedar tree, which gives the area its name, grows at an altitude of over 1000 meters and was heavily exploited by the early settlers and woodcutters. The tree has almost become extinct and there is a concerted effort to re-plant the trees in suitable areas of the mountains.
A few of the birds to be looking out for are the Cape Rockjumper, Ground Woodpecker and Fairy Flycatcher. Fauna in the area has in the past been extensively hunted. Today there is a small range of mammals that include Klipspringer, Grey Rhebok, Steenbok, Baboons and an assortment of smaller mammals such as Cape Mongoose, Genet, African Wild Cat and Smith's Red Rock Rabbit.
We will be planning our afternoon, depending on where the best spring flowers are at the time. If we have time at the end of the day we can visit the Ramskop Flower Reserve, home to many endemic flowers of the area, before heading back to our guest house for a refreshing swim. (or a cup of hot chocolate Ð depending on the weather!)
Overnight Clanwilliam
Day 9
Our route to Nieuwoudtville is very much weather dependent! We may drive via the Tanqua Karoo to Nieuwoudtville via the Botterkloof Pass. This route is all on dirt roads, which get very muddy after rain. If we take this route, the typical bird species include Ludwig's Bustard, Karoo Korhaan, Karoo Eremomela, Tractrac Chat, Karoo Chat, Burchell's Courser, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Karoo Lark, Karoo Long-billed Lark, Black-eared Finchlark, Karoo Eremomela, Rufous-eared Warbler, Dusky Sunbird and Black-headed Canary.
Our alternative route would be on tarmac, via the succulent nursery at Vanrhynsdorp. Here we can view the many different species of Lithops and Euphorbias. This will give us an idea of what to lookout for in the veld. We would then continue to Nieuwoudtville via the Vanrhyns Pass, looking out for Protea Canary, Streaky-headed Canary and Cape Canary as well as Bokmakierie and Fairy Flycatcher.
Overnight Calvinia
Day 10
The route that we take today is very much dependent on where the best Namaqualand flowers are at the time. The spring flowers of Namaqualand are very dependent on the vagaries of the weather.
We could spend some time walking at the Nieuwoudtville Flower Reserve or we could drive the circular route to Loeriesfontein via the Quiver Tree Forest. The Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, with its waterfall and birdlife could be another option.
Overnight Calvinia
Day 11
Today we drive to the Namaqua National Park via the mountains above Kamieskroon. In between the flower stops we will be looking out for Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Cape Long-billed Lark, Karoo Lark and Cape Bulbul. The Namaqua National Park has a number of mammal species, which we will be looking out for. Bat-eared Fox, Klipspringer, Cape Fox and African Wild Cat can be seen in amongst the spring flowers.
Overnight Springbok
Day 12
Today we walk in the Goegap Nature Reserve, which features many of Namaqualand's natural riches. The Reserve is 15,000 hectares of granitic, rocky hills and sandy flats that support close on 600 indigenous flower species, 45 mammal species including Springbok, Gemsbok, and the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra. 94 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, which include the Black-headed Canary, Red Lark and Sickle-winged Chat.
Overnight Springbok
Day 13
Today we will take a circular route towards Kleinsee on the West Coast. Our route will depend on where the best Namaqualand flowers are at the time.
Overnight Springbok
Day 14
We leave Springbok after an early breakfast in order to arrive at Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands by mid-afternoon. Initially we follow our footsteps back through the Namaqualand region. We then drive through the wheat fields of the Swartland: 'The Bread Basket of South Africa'. We do have a good distance to travel today but we will be taking many breaks at the various points of interest along the way to do some birding & botanizing.
Overnight Stellenbosch
Day 15
The dramatic backdrop of the Hottentots Holland Mountains and the tree-lined streets, with the white gabled Cape Dutch homesteads all blend in tranquil harmony to make Stellenbosch one of the most beautiful towns in South Africa. Here is the perfect opportunity to buy Cape wine and experience the rich historical and architectural traditions of the Winelands region.
This morning we have at leisure to browse through the many arts & crafts shops, galleries and interesting shops that adorn the main street of Stellenbosch. Alternatively, for the non-shoppers, we can visit the bird hides at the Paarl Bird Reserve with its many different water birds. We will have a late farewell lunch in Stellenbosch before driving to Cape Town's International Airport for our flight home, arriving on Day 16.
Accommodation will be in quality guest-houses and lodges with all rooms en suite.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients
Day 1
We take an evening scheduled flight from London to Cape Town, arriving early on Day 2.
Day 2
We arrive at Cape Town Airport and transfer to our guest house. We start off our stay in Cape Town with a cable car trip to the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting). If there is too much cloud or wind we will settle for the vantage point of Signal Hill, which provides a 360 degree view of Lion's Head, the city, Table Bay and the majestic Table Mountain. We will go for a short walk either on top of Table Mountain or around Signal Hill.
William Burchell, the famous British naturalist, summed up the flora on the slopes of Table Mountain very well: 'To give some idea of the botanical riches of the country, I need only state that, in the short distance of one English mile, I collected in four hours and a half, one hundred and five distinct species of plants.'
We aim to spend the rest of the day at the magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens, surely one of the finest Botanical Gardens in the world, situated on the lower slopes of Table Mountain, where Cape Sugarbirds feed on the numerous Proteas.
In addition to the extensive plant types on show, the birds are also excellent. Here it is easy to get good views of Orange-breasted Sunbird, Olive Thrush, Cape Bulbul, Cape Batis, Southern Boubou, Southern Double-collared Sunbird and the larger Cape Francolin. We may also have brief sightings of the Small Grey Mongoose as we explore the Garden pathways.
Overnight Cape Peninsula
Day 3
We spend a leisurely day experiencing the rugged beauty of the Peninsula with its spectacular coastline and diverse fauna & flora. We follow the False Bay coastline to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which is now part of the Table Mountain National Park. The 7,750 ha reserve is an excellent example of the wealth of floral diversity in the Cape Floral Kingdom. The Protea, Erica and Restio families are well represented. We go on a botanical walk through the reserve, where we can enjoy studying, identifying, photographing and marvelling at this floral wonder.
The park also has a variety of mammals such as the Chacma Baboon, Cape Mountain Zebra, Bontebok, Red Hartebeest, Eland and Cape Grysbok. Cape Grassbird, Neddicky and Levaillant's Cisticola can be seen in the vegetation that surrounds the rocky outcrops. Raptors are well represented in the Reserve, with Verreaux's Eagle, Black Harrier, Jackal Buzzard, and Peregrine Falcon to name but a few!
At Cape Point, we can take a short walk or a funicular ride to the old lighthouse, from where the panoramic views encompass the whole of False Bay and the Boland Mountains beyond. Two great ocean currents - the warm fast flowing Agulhas from the Equator and the slower moving Benguela from the Antarctic - meet off Cape Point. After a picnic lunch in the reserve, we will visit the African Penguin colony at Simon's Town.
Overnight Cape Peninsula
Day 4
We start today with a visit to the Strandfontein Water Purification Plant (sewage works!).We will then head out of Cape Town along the South Coast road through the craggy mountain scenery of the Hottentot's Holland Mountains. We will have lunch at Betty's Bay followed by a visit to the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens. A walk around these gardens with its rich fynbos flora will afford us many new bird sightings.
We then move on to Hermanus, which has gained worldwide recognition for its excellent land-based whale watching. During the southern spring months, Southern Right Whales use this coastline as a safe haven in which to calve. We can watch these gentle giants from the cliff top walk.
Overnight Cape Peninsula
Day 5
After breakfast we leave Cape Town and head for the little town of Darling in the heart of the Swartland. En route we will stop at Bloubergstrand beach, for the dramatic view of Table Mountain from across the bay.
At Darling we visit a couple of flower reserves that have been set up to protect a rare type of vegetation called renosterveld. We will then visit the Tienie Versveld Flora Reserve. This small botanical reserve is particularly noted for its Gladioli, Babiana and Lachenalias.
We drive through the wheat fields of the 'Swartland' where we look out for Southern Black Korhaan, Blue Crane, White Stork, Secretary Bird and some of the many Lark species.
Overnight Langebaan
Day 6
Langebaan Lagoon is a must for any birdwatcher. The Park is dominated by coastal strandveld which hosts a large amount of bush birds. We will be looking out for Long-billed Crombec, Bar-throated Apalis, Grey-backed Cisticola, Layard's Tit-babbler, Karoo Lark, Cape Penduline Tit, Namaqua Dove, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Yellow Canary and Grey-wing Francolin. Raptors overhead might include Black-shouldered and Yellow-billed Kites, Steppe Buzzard, Rock Kestrel, Booted Eagle and Black Harrier.
We drive slowly through the West Coast National Park stopping here and there to see what's flowering. After a picnic lunch we drive around the lagoon to the Postberg Flower Reserve, which is only open to the public for a few months of the year. The spring flowers of the Western Cape have a worldwide reputation. The area receives little rain throughout the year, but, after our winter rains, the landscape is swathed with a vibrant carpet of flowers. Flowers to look out for include: the vygies (Mesembryanthemum family), Asteraceae, including the Namaqualand daisy as well as many geophytes, notably from the Iris family.
Overnight Langebaan
Day 7
We follow the old West Coast road via the saltpans and the Berg River estuary at Velddrif, where we will look out for South African Shelduck, Greater & Lesser Flamingos and any overwintering shorebirds.
We continue north along the coast road via the bird reserve at Rocherpan, the saltpan at Wadrif and the wetland at Verlorenvlei. We have a picnic at Eland's Bay, while looking out for the endemic Heaviside's Dolphin. After lunch we drive to Lambert's Bay, a small town with an attractive harbour. Here we can visit the Cape Gannet Colony, as well as seeing terns, cormorants and African Penguins at very close quarters. There are 6,000 breeding pairs of the endemic Cape Gannets on the 'island', which can be viewed at close quarters from the observation hide. From Lambert's Bay we then head inland to Clanwilliam and the Cederberg Mountains.
Overnight Clanwilliam
Day 8
The Cedarberg Mountains were once the hunting ground of the San people (Bushmen). Though the San no longer live in the area, they recorded their exploits in the form of remarkable rock paintings. We can visit these paintings whilst on a walk through the dramatic red sandstone rock formations that characterise the Cedarberg Mountains. The vegetation in the Cederberg area is quite unique and very special. The area has a mix of the varied mountain fynbos, which is the predominant vegetation of the Cape and the curious but hardy Succulents of the semi arid areas of the Karoo. The Clanwilliam Cedar tree, which gives the area its name, grows at an altitude of over 1000 meters and was heavily exploited by the early settlers and woodcutters. The tree has almost become extinct and there is a concerted effort to re-plant the trees in suitable areas of the mountains.
A few of the birds to be looking out for are the Cape Rockjumper, Ground Woodpecker and Fairy Flycatcher. Fauna in the area has in the past been extensively hunted. Today there is a small range of mammals that include Klipspringer, Grey Rhebok, Steenbok, Baboons and an assortment of smaller mammals such as Cape Mongoose, Genet, African Wild Cat and Smith's Red Rock Rabbit.
We will be planning our afternoon, depending on where the best spring flowers are at the time. If we have time at the end of the day we can visit the Ramskop Flower Reserve, home to many endemic flowers of the area, before heading back to our guest house for a refreshing swim. (or a cup of hot chocolate Ð depending on the weather!)
Overnight Clanwilliam
Day 9
Our route to Nieuwoudtville is very much weather dependent! We may drive via the Tanqua Karoo to Nieuwoudtville via the Botterkloof Pass. This route is all on dirt roads, which get very muddy after rain. If we take this route, the typical bird species include Ludwig's Bustard, Karoo Korhaan, Karoo Eremomela, Tractrac Chat, Karoo Chat, Burchell's Courser, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Karoo Lark, Karoo Long-billed Lark, Black-eared Finchlark, Karoo Eremomela, Rufous-eared Warbler, Dusky Sunbird and Black-headed Canary.
Our alternative route would be on tarmac, via the succulent nursery at Vanrhynsdorp. Here we can view the many different species of Lithops and Euphorbias. This will give us an idea of what to lookout for in the veld. We would then continue to Nieuwoudtville via the Vanrhyns Pass, looking out for Protea Canary, Streaky-headed Canary and Cape Canary as well as Bokmakierie and Fairy Flycatcher.
Overnight Calvinia
Day 10
The route that we take today is very much dependent on where the best Namaqualand flowers are at the time. The spring flowers of Namaqualand are very dependent on the vagaries of the weather.
We could spend some time walking at the Nieuwoudtville Flower Reserve or we could drive the circular route to Loeriesfontein via the Quiver Tree Forest. The Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, with its waterfall and birdlife could be another option.
Overnight Calvinia
Day 11
Today we drive to the Namaqua National Park via the mountains above Kamieskroon. In between the flower stops we will be looking out for Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Cape Long-billed Lark, Karoo Lark and Cape Bulbul. The Namaqua National Park has a number of mammal species, which we will be looking out for. Bat-eared Fox, Klipspringer, Cape Fox and African Wild Cat can be seen in amongst the spring flowers.
Overnight Springbok
Day 12
Today we walk in the Goegap Nature Reserve, which features many of Namaqualand's natural riches. The Reserve is 15,000 hectares of granitic, rocky hills and sandy flats that support close on 600 indigenous flower species, 45 mammal species including Springbok, Gemsbok, and the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra. 94 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, which include the Black-headed Canary, Red Lark and Sickle-winged Chat.
Overnight Springbok
Day 13
Today we will take a circular route towards Kleinsee on the West Coast. Our route will depend on where the best Namaqualand flowers are at the time.
Overnight Springbok
Day 14
We leave Springbok after an early breakfast in order to arrive at Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands by mid-afternoon. Initially we follow our footsteps back through the Namaqualand region. We then drive through the wheat fields of the Swartland: 'The Bread Basket of South Africa'. We do have a good distance to travel today but we will be taking many breaks at the various points of interest along the way to do some birding & botanizing.
Overnight Stellenbosch
Day 15
The dramatic backdrop of the Hottentots Holland Mountains and the tree-lined streets, with the white gabled Cape Dutch homesteads all blend in tranquil harmony to make Stellenbosch one of the most beautiful towns in South Africa. Here is the perfect opportunity to buy Cape wine and experience the rich historical and architectural traditions of the Winelands region.
This morning we have at leisure to browse through the many arts & crafts shops, galleries and interesting shops that adorn the main street of Stellenbosch. Alternatively, for the non-shoppers, we can visit the bird hides at the Paarl Bird Reserve with its many different water birds. We will have a late farewell lunch in Stellenbosch before driving to Cape Town's International Airport for our flight home, arriving on Day 16.
Accommodation will be in quality guest-houses and lodges with all rooms en suite.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients