South Africa
The Kruger, Zululand and Drakensberg
Tuesday 27 October - Thursday 12 November 2009 (17 days)
From the big game of the Kruger National Park, to the highveld grasslands and stunning scenery of the former Transvaal, through the lowland savannah and coast of Natal, to the spectacular peaks and high plains of the Drakensberg Mountains, we visit an astoundingly beautiful and varied land, rich in wildlife.
© Jamie McMillan/Nature Portfolio
Plains Zebras in Kruger National Park
South Africa is both one of the world's most beautiful countries and one of its richest for wildlife. This tour covers the part of the country that is best for variety: the north-east corner. We start in the highveld of Dullstroom with superb birdwatching, before continuing to the fabulous Kruger National Park, with wonderful birds, and an abundance of large mammals. From here we head back up into the highveld of the former Transvaal, where the open grasslands are home to Blue and Crowned Cranes and delightful Meerkats. Then we continue south and east to Zululand, whose lowland savannas and coastal wetlands form probably the very best birdwatching area in South Africa, as well as being the place where White Rhino were rediscovered in the wild - and is still amongst the best places to see them. Finally we travel high into the majestic Drakensberg Mountains, including a trip into Lesotho with its Afro-alpine grasslands and heathlands, and its abundance of flowers.
October and November, the southern spring, are probably the best months for birdwatching here, with many species in full breeding plumage. It is also an excellent time to see mammals, before the savannah vegetation gets too leafy.
Price: £ 3,895
Single supp.: £ 390 per person
Deposit: £ 400 per person
All prices are per person unless stated and include scheduled flights London/Johannesburg and Durban/London*, 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 optional whale-watching excursion (c£ 60), holiday insurance, drinks, and other personal expenses.
*For a price ex-flights London/Johannesburg, and Durban/London, please deduct £ 745 from the tour price.
**Single accommodation may not be available throughout.
Leaders: Keith Grant & local guides
Itinerary
Day 1
We take an evening scheduled flight from London to Johannesburg, arriving early on Day 2.
Days 2 - 3
We meet up with our local guide(s) at the airport and drive to Dullstroom (a two-and-a-half to three-hour journey) with one or two stops en-route at shallow fresh water pans to look for water birds such as Cape Shoveler, Hottentot and Red-billed Teals, Yellow-billed Duck, Southern Pochard, Maccoa Duck, African Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Sacred and Glossy Ibises, among others. We arrive in Dullstroom in the early afternoon and check in to our accommodation.
There will be an optional afternoon birdwatching drive for those willing and able, returning late afternoon for time to freshen up before dinner.
Next day we will have a pre-breakfast excursion up into the Valoren Valei Nature Reserve in the Steenkampsberg Range. Here, at over 2,000 metres above sea level, the grassland habitat supports good numbers of birds during the summer and special species we will be targeting include Denham's Bustard, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Buff-streaked Chat, Secretarybird, Jackal Buzzard, Malachite Sunbird and Gurney's Sugarbird, among others. Later in the morning we will head back to town for breakfast, after which there will be time to relax before the next activity. We may take a birding walk around town and after lunch take a long afternoon drive in the surrounding countryside, searching for birds such as Southern Bald Ibis, Grey Crowned Crane, Long-tailed Widowbird, Bokmakierie, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler and others.
Two nights Dullstroom
Days 4 - 7
After an early breakfast we leave Dullstroom and drive towards the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment. We will have some stops along the way to view the massive Blyde River Canyon, the third largest in the world, and to look for rock and cliff species such as Rock Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, White-necked Raven and, with a bit of luck, Verreaux's Eagle. Moving on from the canyon we'll have a quick stop on the Abel Erasmus Pass to have a look for the resident Taita Falcon pair. This has the distinction of being South Africa's rarest breeding bird and is an uncommon species throughout its range in Africa.
We'll then head down to the Lowveld (the low-lying savannah), enter the Kruger National Park via Orpen Gate and drive on to our first camp.
The plains of the Kruger occupy a truly vast area of the country, with a great range of habitats, from the dry central savannah to the wetter south, and, probably best of all for birdlife, the rivers that extend throughout.
The Kruger is renowned for its huge herds of mammals. The commonest antelope by far is Impala, with smaller numbers of many others, from Wildebeest to the delightful Steenbok. Huge herds of Buffalo and Zebra roam the plains here, along with an array of herbivores that includes Elephant (with some really impressive old 'tuskers') and White Rhino. The usual assemblage of predators, including Lion and Leopard, are here in good numbers too, although the latter can be elusive. We'll be taking two night drives with the Park Rangers for nocturnal mammals, hoping for Civet and Genets, owls and nightjars.
By day the birdlife is simply amazing. More than thirty species of raptor can be found here, with the graceful Bateleur often 'balancing' in the skies above us, and the spectacular Secretary Bird that stalks the grasslands, along with stately Kori Bustards and smaller korhaans. Colour is added by the delightful array of bee-eaters and rollers while huge Ground Hornbills add a touch of the grotesque.
The park also includes some excellent wetlands with a range of waterbirds from Saddle-billed Stork to the delightful Malachite Kingfisher.
Accommodation here is in thatched rondavel huts or cottages with a mix of facilities. We stay in two different camps, in the southern regions of the park. The camps also have excellent birdwatching within and around the grounds.
On some mornings we'll have early starts to get the best of the game viewing.
Four nights Kruger National Park
Days 8 - 9
We head for Wakkerstroom in the highveld, driving through the rolling hills and grassland of the former Transvaal, in some places with an oddly English-style landscape - albeit on a huge scale! We look for small flocks of Southern Bald Ibis en route.
Wakkerstroom is a pleasant-looking village with an impressive church, and has built something of a reputation as a highveld birdwatching centre. A huge wetland with reedbeds and small pools on the edge of the village holds pride of place, with noisy Hadeda Ibises on the edges, and Southern Crowned Cranes and African Marsh Harriers flying over the reedbeds. Nearby, the high grasslands hold flocks of elegant Blue Crane and Blue Korhaan. Here we hope to see characterful Meerkats staring back at us from their burrows before playing follow-the-leader (theirs, not ours!) in the morning.
Two nights Wakkerstroom
Days 10 - 11
We drive east, for a time along the Swaziland border, to the coastal plain and extensive sugarcane plantations of Zululand. The area offers probably the best birdwatching in South Africa, but also boasts an absolute gem of a reserve for mammals, Mkuze. The unique coastal habitats vary from dry sand-forest to dense evergreen dune forest, with some fabulous fresh and salt-water wetlands.
First we stay at Mkuze, a small area of sand-forest and savanna. It is best known for its Black and White Rhino populations, and it was here that the prehistoric-looking White Rhino survived in the wild after it had been shot to extinction elsewhere. All the White Rhinos now seen in other parts of Africa have their origins here.
Elegant Nyala antelopes are another speciality. We can get very close views of these and others, both in the camp - which is unfenced so that antelope stroll around the camp - and at various waterholes which can offer superb photographic possibilities. The birdwatching here is also superb, with Ensumo Pan brim-full with pelicans, herons and egrets, storks, jacanas and other wetland birds, not to mention the usual Hippos and Crocodiles. Leopard can also be found at Mkuze: we were lucky enough to find one dozing by the road on a previous visit.
We stay in superb, spacious safari-style en suite tents here.
Two nights Mkuze Game Reserve
Days 12 - 13
We then travel east to St Lucia, via a Zulu women's basket-weaving co-operative - an excellent place for souvenir-hunters. St Lucia is a pleasant, small seaside resort, with some excellent fish restaurants, and also offers the possibility of an optional whale-watching trip in search of Humpback Whales (coat about £ 60 payable locally).
The St Lucia wetlands are good for waterbirds but the adjacent dune forest is the outstanding habitat here, hosting several local bird species, two tiny antelope - Red and Blue Forest Duiker - that are the favourite prey of Crowned Eagle, and the very local Samango Monkey. Recently declared a World Heritage Site, the reserve is currently undergoing a huge conservation scheme, with eucalyptus forests being removed and large mammals being re-introduced.
Two nights St Lucia
Days 14 - 15
We leave the coast and head inland through the rolling hills and Zulu settlements of the KwaZulu Natal Midlands en- route to the mighty Drakensberg Mountains. We stay amidst spectacular scenery below the Sani Pass.
The Sani is Africa's highest road pass, rising to just under 3,000m, and rises amidst some breathtaking scenery through a succession of habitats from protea scrubland, home of the characterful Gurney's Sugarbird, to the Afro-montane heath of the high, landlocked Kingdom of Lesotho. We travel up in 4-wheel drive vehicles, the only way possible. The road is very rough - despite having been allegedly 'improved' - but the trip is always voted well worth it.
Here amongst the spectacular peaks and crags, Lesotho shepherds tend their flocks from small, isolated stone-age huts on the hillsides, while Lammergeiers and Cape Vultures drift over the crags above. The mountains are host to a fine range of endemic birds including the charismatic Drakensberg Rock-jumper, which frequents the boulders next to the small pub at the top of the Sani Pass (good beer and soup here too!), the recently-discovered Mountain Pipit, and the flamboyant Gurney's Sugarbird on the protea flowers. Mammals are few, but there's always Sloggett's Ice-Rat... not a brand of lager (as far as we know), nor even a true rat, but a rather endearing small mountain mammal that we should see at the summit.
Two nights Drakensberg
Day 16
We drive to Durban to connect with our flight returning to London via Johannesburg, arriving on Day 17.
Accommodation will be in camps, small hotels and guesthouses. The style of accommodation is usually in cottages, chalets and rondavels, and is much favoured by South Africans themselves. In Mkuze we will be staying in spacious safari tents. All accommodation is en suite.
Meals: All included in the price. Food is excellent. Some lunches will be buffet-syle picnics.
Walking: Easy. In the game reserves, the presence of wild animals precludes excursions on foot. Sturdy, comfy walking shoes adequate for this tour.
Baggage restrictions: For the trip itself, it is essential to limit baggage to one item, to prevent overloading of the tour vehicles. This should be a soft holdall. This weight limit does not include optical equipment. If you are bringing telescope and tripod, please bring separate cases for their protection in the vehicles.
Numbers: Max. 12 clients
Day 1
We take an evening scheduled flight from London to Johannesburg, arriving early on Day 2.
Days 2 - 3
We meet up with our local guide(s) at the airport and drive to Dullstroom (a two-and-a-half to three-hour journey) with one or two stops en-route at shallow fresh water pans to look for water birds such as Cape Shoveler, Hottentot and Red-billed Teals, Yellow-billed Duck, Southern Pochard, Maccoa Duck, African Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Sacred and Glossy Ibises, among others. We arrive in Dullstroom in the early afternoon and check in to our accommodation.
There will be an optional afternoon birdwatching drive for those willing and able, returning late afternoon for time to freshen up before dinner.
Next day we will have a pre-breakfast excursion up into the Valoren Valei Nature Reserve in the Steenkampsberg Range. Here, at over 2,000 metres above sea level, the grassland habitat supports good numbers of birds during the summer and special species we will be targeting include Denham's Bustard, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Buff-streaked Chat, Secretarybird, Jackal Buzzard, Malachite Sunbird and Gurney's Sugarbird, among others. Later in the morning we will head back to town for breakfast, after which there will be time to relax before the next activity. We may take a birding walk around town and after lunch take a long afternoon drive in the surrounding countryside, searching for birds such as Southern Bald Ibis, Grey Crowned Crane, Long-tailed Widowbird, Bokmakierie, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler and others.
Two nights Dullstroom
Days 4 - 7
After an early breakfast we leave Dullstroom and drive towards the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment. We will have some stops along the way to view the massive Blyde River Canyon, the third largest in the world, and to look for rock and cliff species such as Rock Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, White-necked Raven and, with a bit of luck, Verreaux's Eagle. Moving on from the canyon we'll have a quick stop on the Abel Erasmus Pass to have a look for the resident Taita Falcon pair. This has the distinction of being South Africa's rarest breeding bird and is an uncommon species throughout its range in Africa.
We'll then head down to the Lowveld (the low-lying savannah), enter the Kruger National Park via Orpen Gate and drive on to our first camp.
The plains of the Kruger occupy a truly vast area of the country, with a great range of habitats, from the dry central savannah to the wetter south, and, probably best of all for birdlife, the rivers that extend throughout.
The Kruger is renowned for its huge herds of mammals. The commonest antelope by far is Impala, with smaller numbers of many others, from Wildebeest to the delightful Steenbok. Huge herds of Buffalo and Zebra roam the plains here, along with an array of herbivores that includes Elephant (with some really impressive old 'tuskers') and White Rhino. The usual assemblage of predators, including Lion and Leopard, are here in good numbers too, although the latter can be elusive. We'll be taking two night drives with the Park Rangers for nocturnal mammals, hoping for Civet and Genets, owls and nightjars.
By day the birdlife is simply amazing. More than thirty species of raptor can be found here, with the graceful Bateleur often 'balancing' in the skies above us, and the spectacular Secretary Bird that stalks the grasslands, along with stately Kori Bustards and smaller korhaans. Colour is added by the delightful array of bee-eaters and rollers while huge Ground Hornbills add a touch of the grotesque.
The park also includes some excellent wetlands with a range of waterbirds from Saddle-billed Stork to the delightful Malachite Kingfisher.
Accommodation here is in thatched rondavel huts or cottages with a mix of facilities. We stay in two different camps, in the southern regions of the park. The camps also have excellent birdwatching within and around the grounds.
On some mornings we'll have early starts to get the best of the game viewing.
Four nights Kruger National Park
Days 8 - 9
We head for Wakkerstroom in the highveld, driving through the rolling hills and grassland of the former Transvaal, in some places with an oddly English-style landscape - albeit on a huge scale! We look for small flocks of Southern Bald Ibis en route.
Wakkerstroom is a pleasant-looking village with an impressive church, and has built something of a reputation as a highveld birdwatching centre. A huge wetland with reedbeds and small pools on the edge of the village holds pride of place, with noisy Hadeda Ibises on the edges, and Southern Crowned Cranes and African Marsh Harriers flying over the reedbeds. Nearby, the high grasslands hold flocks of elegant Blue Crane and Blue Korhaan. Here we hope to see characterful Meerkats staring back at us from their burrows before playing follow-the-leader (theirs, not ours!) in the morning.
Two nights Wakkerstroom
Days 10 - 11
We drive east, for a time along the Swaziland border, to the coastal plain and extensive sugarcane plantations of Zululand. The area offers probably the best birdwatching in South Africa, but also boasts an absolute gem of a reserve for mammals, Mkuze. The unique coastal habitats vary from dry sand-forest to dense evergreen dune forest, with some fabulous fresh and salt-water wetlands.
First we stay at Mkuze, a small area of sand-forest and savanna. It is best known for its Black and White Rhino populations, and it was here that the prehistoric-looking White Rhino survived in the wild after it had been shot to extinction elsewhere. All the White Rhinos now seen in other parts of Africa have their origins here.
Elegant Nyala antelopes are another speciality. We can get very close views of these and others, both in the camp - which is unfenced so that antelope stroll around the camp - and at various waterholes which can offer superb photographic possibilities. The birdwatching here is also superb, with Ensumo Pan brim-full with pelicans, herons and egrets, storks, jacanas and other wetland birds, not to mention the usual Hippos and Crocodiles. Leopard can also be found at Mkuze: we were lucky enough to find one dozing by the road on a previous visit.
We stay in superb, spacious safari-style en suite tents here.
Two nights Mkuze Game Reserve
Days 12 - 13
We then travel east to St Lucia, via a Zulu women's basket-weaving co-operative - an excellent place for souvenir-hunters. St Lucia is a pleasant, small seaside resort, with some excellent fish restaurants, and also offers the possibility of an optional whale-watching trip in search of Humpback Whales (coat about £ 60 payable locally).
The St Lucia wetlands are good for waterbirds but the adjacent dune forest is the outstanding habitat here, hosting several local bird species, two tiny antelope - Red and Blue Forest Duiker - that are the favourite prey of Crowned Eagle, and the very local Samango Monkey. Recently declared a World Heritage Site, the reserve is currently undergoing a huge conservation scheme, with eucalyptus forests being removed and large mammals being re-introduced.
Two nights St Lucia
Days 14 - 15
We leave the coast and head inland through the rolling hills and Zulu settlements of the KwaZulu Natal Midlands en- route to the mighty Drakensberg Mountains. We stay amidst spectacular scenery below the Sani Pass.
The Sani is Africa's highest road pass, rising to just under 3,000m, and rises amidst some breathtaking scenery through a succession of habitats from protea scrubland, home of the characterful Gurney's Sugarbird, to the Afro-montane heath of the high, landlocked Kingdom of Lesotho. We travel up in 4-wheel drive vehicles, the only way possible. The road is very rough - despite having been allegedly 'improved' - but the trip is always voted well worth it.
Here amongst the spectacular peaks and crags, Lesotho shepherds tend their flocks from small, isolated stone-age huts on the hillsides, while Lammergeiers and Cape Vultures drift over the crags above. The mountains are host to a fine range of endemic birds including the charismatic Drakensberg Rock-jumper, which frequents the boulders next to the small pub at the top of the Sani Pass (good beer and soup here too!), the recently-discovered Mountain Pipit, and the flamboyant Gurney's Sugarbird on the protea flowers. Mammals are few, but there's always Sloggett's Ice-Rat... not a brand of lager (as far as we know), nor even a true rat, but a rather endearing small mountain mammal that we should see at the summit.
Two nights Drakensberg
Day 16
We drive to Durban to connect with our flight returning to London via Johannesburg, arriving on Day 17.
Accommodation will be in camps, small hotels and guesthouses. The style of accommodation is usually in cottages, chalets and rondavels, and is much favoured by South Africans themselves. In Mkuze we will be staying in spacious safari tents. All accommodation is en suite.
Meals: All included in the price. Food is excellent. Some lunches will be buffet-syle picnics.
Walking: Easy. In the game reserves, the presence of wild animals precludes excursions on foot. Sturdy, comfy walking shoes adequate for this tour.
Baggage restrictions: For the trip itself, it is essential to limit baggage to one item, to prevent overloading of the tour vehicles. This should be a soft holdall. This weight limit does not include optical equipment. If you are bringing telescope and tripod, please bring separate cases for their protection in the vehicles.
Numbers: Max. 12 clients