Reach Africa Birding & Getaways

06/04/2021

21/02/2021

The Western Cape hosts more South African endemic bird species than anywhere else in the country and our tour has been structured to afford us the opportunity of encountering at least 45 endemics.

April is certainly the best time for migrant wader birding, with thousands of waders crowding the mudflats along the West Coast in late summer and early Autumn.

Many will be sporting beautiful breeding plumage, donned prior to their journey northwards. Normally drab Curlew Sandpipers, Red Knots, Little Stints and Grey Plovers are barely recognizable in their strikingly beautiful “breeding gear.”

Click here to find out more: http://reachafrica.co.za/itinerary/western-cape-2021/

16/09/2020

Our Namaqualand trip last week was beyond incredible. The flowers were showing off for us and our bird sightings were great. It felt amazing to get back into nature. Join us next year!

16/08/2020

What better way to emerge from the COVID lockdown nightmare than to escape to the Garden of the Gods, Namaqualand, for eight glorious days of flower watching and birding?

29/05/2020

Welcome to our new page!
Join us as we experience the birding and wildlife wonders of the Southern African wilderness.
We will be sharing expert birding tips, our latest tour schedules, and photographs.
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Birding Tour Specialists "Your choice of travel options can either make or break your experience" Reach Africa have... Birding Tour Specialists Discover More

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

Another fantastic trip which produced many superb mammal sightings, magnificent scenery, brilliant birding and indelible memories.The Vic Falls were spectacular, our Chobe boat cruise and game drive were very rewarding, Hwange produced excellent birds and mammals and the Matobos were the cherry on top. Our bird trip list totalled 279 species and we saw 31 species of mammals. Birding highlights included Racket-tailed Roller, Three-banded Courser, Arnot's and Boulder Chats, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Grey Crowned Crane, Schalow's Turaco, Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, Long-toed Lapwing, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, African Pygmy-goose, Stierling's Wren-Warbler and Northern Grey-headed Sparrow. But the birding highlight was surely the scores of Dusky Larks which we encountered in a recently burnt field in Hwange. A truly memorable trip was enjoyed by all. Many thanks to Mike for the excellent photographs.

23/05/2020

This was our seventh visit to Mana & Kariba and we continue to be overwhelmed and inspired by these magnificent destinations. Glorious sunrises and sunsets, breathtaking scenery, amazing mammals and birds and fantastic fellowship. This fantastic trip more than lived up to its reputation. Kariba was beautiful, Spurwing Island a real treat, Chirundu yielded great excitement with our first Lilian's Lovebird sighting of the trip and Gosho Park, Marondera provided the perfect ending to a wonderful experience.. And, of course, Mana Pools was the cherry on top of the most exquisite and delicious cake imaginable. Game viewing was exceptional. Highlights included following a pack of Wild Dogs on foot, nocturnal visits by a couple of old Tuskers to our camp at Chirundu and witnessing several crocodiles devouring a poor Impala which had been chased into a pool by some hungry Wild Dogs.. Birding was great, with the trip list totalling in excess of 250 species. Fantastic sightings of African Skimmer, Western Banded Snake-Eagle, Lilian's Lovebird, Racket-tailed Roller, Arnott's Chat, Bohm's and Mottled Spinetails, Red-throated Twinspot, Carmine Bee-eater colony near Chirundu, White-browed and Senegal Coucals, majestic Ground Hornbills on several occasions, seven species of Herons, Martial Eagle, Collared Palm-Thrush and many more.. Mana Pools definitely gets into one's soul and anyone who fails to be touched by this magnificent place is surely not human. I cannot wait for September 2017. Many thanks to Peter Divall for the super photographs.

23/05/2020

Another fantastic trip to the magical mountain desert known as the Richtersveld, the starkly beautiful Bushmanland and the stunning floral displays of Namaqualand. This was the eleventh year in a row that we have visited this awe-inspiring region and I can honestly say I never fail to be enchanted and mesmerised by it. Scenery is spectacular, birding is excellent, destinations are remote and interesting and one experiences an overwhelming sense of peace and solitude. This will always be one of my favourite trips and I look forward to reliving the magic again in 2017. Many thanks to Penny for the super photographs of some of the dry western "specials" .

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

This trip was jampacked with fantastic scenery, excellent birding and magical memories.. The spectacular Spreetshhoogte and Remhoogte Passes, awe-inspiring Sossusvlei, a group of Desert Elephants in our camp in the Brandberg, the Welwitscia Plains near Swakopmund, Gobabeb Desert Research Station in the heart of the Namib. And who can forget the supermoon lunar eclipse in the enchanting desert near Sossusvlei, the Catamaran Cruise in Walvis Bay and the majestic Erongo Mountains ?These are but some of the highlights of a truly fantastic experience. Birding was exceptional with more than 200 species recorded in this "dry and lifeless " environment. Company was excellent. Bev, John, Penny and Roy shared these soul-enriching experiences and contibuted to making this a trip to be remembered. Thanks to Roy for the excellent photographs, some of which are included here for your enjoyment. All in all, another fantastic Reach Africa trip.

23/05/2020

71 photos · Updated 4 years ago
Enjoyed a fantastic trip to Eastern Zimbabwe and Central Mozambique with a group of Swedish birders in December 2015. Had superb sightings of most of the main target birds and our trip total of 470 species was exceptional.An unexpected bonus was a vagrant Whinchat seen on Mt Gorongosa. Many thanks to Bengt Grandin and Stefan Johansson for the excellent photographs.

23/05/2020

We recently returned from a fantastic tour to the magical mountain desert of the Richtersveld, the spectacular Fish River Canyon the wild and rugged Diamond Coast and starkly beautiful Bushmanland with its wealth of special birds. The scenery in the Richtersveld was breathtaking and the unique flowers and plants had us spellbound. The Fish River Canyon was spectacular. There is a serene beauty about the arid plains of Bushmanland and the coastline around Port Nolloth and Alexander Bay is wild and alluring. Birding was excellent with 189 species being recorded. The area is renowned for its larks and we chalked up 13 species, including all of the "specials". We enjoyed excellent views of a pair of Cinnamon-breasted Warblers, several super Karoo Eremomela sightings, Karoo Korhaans and Ludwig's Bustards aplenty, Booted Eagle, Lanner Falcon and many Pygmy Falcons. The sight of tthree Verreaux's Eagles (two adults and a juvenile) in an aerial display overhead will live long in the memory. All in all this was a memorable trip and I look forward to visiting again in 2016. Many thanks to Rosella, Rhona, Mike and Christa and a special thanks to Rosella for her excellent photographs,

23/05/2020

This has been undoubtedly my favourite trip for 2015 so far. Destinations were fantastic and mammal and bird sightings were spectacular. Victoria Falls was at its majestic best, the two private bush camps in Hwange were superb, our camp on the Chobe yielded great sightings and our lodge in the Matobos provided the perfect finale to a great trip. Our trip total of 239 species of birds and 31 mammals was exceptional and the quality of some of our sightings was breathtaking. The sight of a Martial Eagle staring us down while holding on to its prey on the ground a few metres from us will remain in my memory for a very long time. The family of five Cheetah at a waterhole, Wild Dogs being chased around by an enraged Elephant, the heartbroken Elephant cow standing motionless next to her stillborn calf. Then there was the pair of Three-banded Coursers in the moonlight, the huge herd of Buffalo, the flock of several hundred Collared Pratincoles and the three Crowned Cranes in the company of a Wattled Crane. I could go on forever. Barry, Colleen, Vaughan, Janet and Penny helped to make the trip a very memorable one and thanks to Vaughan and Penny for the super photographs. Hwange has slotted in just behind Mana Pools as my second favourite southern African destination and I cannot wait to return early next year to see what summer goodies are on offer.

23/05/2020

What an awesome trip !!!!!!!!!. This was the first leg of a double header and proved to be an absolutely mind-blowing experience. We visited Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Lakes Xau and Ngami, Makgadigadi Pans, Maun, the Okavango Panhandle and the Kwando/Linyanti Rivers. Game viewing and birding were fantastic. Accommodation and food were excellent and the scenery was spectacular. Mike, Barry and Colleen and Vaughan and Janet were great company and we enjoyed many laughs and special experiences together. Thanks to Vaughan and Mike for their excellent photographs.

23/05/2020

Enjoyed another fantastic trip to Swaziland in May. Birding was, as usual, wonderful with over 200 species being recorded. Not bad at all for a winter trip. Our 3 destinations are really top drawer and our guests are always amazed at the beautiful scenery and quiet, relaxed experiences that Swaziland has to offer. Many thanks to Alice for her great photos and to Betty, Peter and Alice for a memorable trip.

23/05/2020

We always look forward to our annual visit to the Fairest Cape and our recent trip certainly did not disappoint,We visited some super destinations, enjoyed some spectacular scenery and saw some very special birds. One of the major features of the Western Cape is the diversity of habitats within a couple of hours drive from the Mother City. The West Coast National Park near Langebaan produced thousands of waders, several of which were in full breeding plumage. We enjoyed three superb Black Harrier sightings and Southern Black Korhaan was a lifer for some. A pair of Protea Seedeaters gave us excellent views at Kransvlei Poort near Clanwilliam and we enjoyed the spectacle of thousands of Cape Gannets at Lambert's Bay. We stayed at a charming and very remote lodge in the Tanqua Karoo near Ceres. Here we were treated to wonderful sightings of several Tanqua specials, including Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Karoo Eremomela, Rufous-eared Warbler, Namaqua Warbler, Karoo Korhaan, Karoo Lark, Layard's Tit-Babbler and Fairy Flycatcher . We visited Bontebok National Park en route to our beautiful lodge on the banks of the Breede River near Malgas. A surprise find in the lodge grounds was a Knysna Woodpecker, which initially played very hard to get but finally showed himself well. The road past De Hoop Nature Reserve en route to our final destination near Pringle Bay produced excellent sightings of displaying Agulhas Long-billed Larks, Cape Vultures feeding on the remains of a lamb, many regal Blue Cranes, Karoo Korhaan and a number of overflying Denham's Bustards. Our final two specials for the trip were three beautiful Cape Rockjumpers going about their business on the slopes near Rooiels and a very confiding Victorin's Warbler which gave us brief but excellent views. Once again the Western Cape came up trumps and we look forward to returning next year. Penny, Joan, Val and Geoff were excellent company and it is safe to say that a great time was had by all.

23/05/2020

Our March trip to Namibia took us to some of the most spectacular destinations in this beautiful country. This was our first late summer visit to Namibia and we were astounded by the lush green vegetation and flowing rivers. Overnight accommodation was excellent with the highlights being Kunene River Lodge and Erongo Wilderness Lodge. The trip produced a bird list of 261 species and several lifers were celebrated along the way.We succeeded in finding all of the Namibian near-endemics that we were looking for, including excellent views of Herero Chat, Rockrunner ( a noisy chick being fed by a rather exasperated parent), several close up and personal experiences with Hartlaub's Spurfowls and thrilling encounters with Violet Wood-Hoopoes. Raptor highlights included a beautiful Peregrine Falcon dining in the late afternoon, a European Honey Buzzard soaring overhead, a Grey Kestrel right next to the road near Ruacana and a rather bemused looking Osprey perched on a dead tree near the Brandberg with not a drop of water in sight. We saw an impressive eleven species of larks including Dusky, Pink-billed, Stark's and Benguela Long-billed. Thanks toJanet, Jane and Penny for making this trip memorable and to Penny for the excellent photographs.

23/05/2020

Our Kgalagadi trip this year proved to a real winner. We shared some fantastic moments, enjoyed excellent mammal, bird and reptile sightings and were treated to magnificent Kalahari sunsets and breathtaking thunderstorms. Mammal sightings included several encounters with Lions and Cheetahs,both Brown and Spotted Hyena, Bat-eared Foxes and a pair of Honey Badgers. We watched as a Cape Cobra investigated every hole and cranny in a large Camelthorn tree until it emerged triumphantly with its Bat dinner. A Kori Bustard polished off a small Cape Cobra and a beautiful Kalahari Lion munched happily on a Gemsbok kill. We enjoyed the spectacle of hundreds of Burchell's and Namaqua Sandgrouses descending on Cubitje Quap waterhole for their morning drink. Other birding highlights included two excellent sightings of Red-necked Falcons, a juvenile bird showing its inexperience by trying its luck with a Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill. We encountered a pair of regal Martial Eagles at a nest, a beautiful Black Harrier taking a bath in a waterhole, a pair of Bateleurs preparing a nest and numerous Lanner and Pygmy Falcons.We saw 5 species of owls ie Spotted and Verreaux's Eagle-Owls, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Western Barn Owl and Southern Whited-faced Scops. Our trip total was 191 species. All in all a wonderful experience shared with super people. Thanks to Heta and Jurgen, Wilna, Gaynor and Simon. And thanks to Wilna, Simon and Gaynor for the superb photographs.

23/05/2020

Recently returned from two fantastic week-long trips to Swaziland. Mountain flowers were spectacular, butterflies were breathtaking and the birding was top drawer. We saw a combined total of 307 species on the two trips and enjoyed many birding highlights. We were treated to numerous wonderful close up and personal views of a very confiding Finfoot family (male, female and junior). We were priviledged to witness a juvenile Thick-billed Cuckoo in the company of its Retz's Helmet-Shrike hosts as well as low fly-overs by adult Thick-billed Cuckoos. A Narina Trogon posed for photographs, a Buff-spotted Flufftail serenaded us through the night, a magnificent African Crowned Eagle perched on a tree mere metres away from us. We watched a beautiful White-backed Night-Heron fishing at a river crossing, flushed a startled Bronze-winged Courser on an early morning walk and enjoyed stunning views of Green and PInk-throated Twinspots. All in all these two trips proved that Swaziland is a superb birding destination with beautiful scenery and wonderful overnight destinations. Many thanks to our two great groups of people who made these trips especially memorable. Gabby, Margaret, Penny, Roy and Wilna on trip 1 and Barry, Colleen, Joan and Margaret on trip 2 once again reminded us of how privileged we are to share our wonderful region and its birding treasures with lovely people. We return again in May and I, for one, can hardly wait.

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

23/05/2020

Our Namaqualand trip once again proved that the combination of excellent birding, stunning flowers and spectacular scenery takes a lot of beating. Our birding exploits yielded 176 species, including a number of "dry western " endemics. Highlights included Ludwig's Bustards in great numbers, a rather confiding Namaqua Warbler nest building, several lark species (Cape Long-billed, Karoo, Spike-heeled, Cape Clapper, Large-billed, Red-capped and Sabota), the rather elusive Protea Seedeater, Cape Eagle-Owl, Booted and Verreaux's Eagle, Black Harrier, Blue, Karoo, Northern Black and Southern Black Korhaan, Grey-winged and Orange River Francolin, Black-headed Canary, Blue Crane, Black Stork, Fairy Flycatcher, Layard's Tit-Babbler, Cape Penduline-Tit, all three Sparrowlark species, Rufous-eared Warbler and Common Quail. The spring flowers were mind-blowing with the bulb flowers around Nieuwoudtville being particularly good, Namaqua National Park produced stunning displays of daisies and the coastal flowers around Garies were great. The Pakhuis and Botterkloof Passes near Clanwilliam provided breathtaking mountain scenery and our last overnight stop beneath the Gifberg Mountain near Vanrhynsdorp provided a fitting end to a very special trip.