Simba Experience - African Safaris

Comprehensive birding-safari in Namibia, a country where over 700 species have been recorded so far. We cover Central Region, Namib Desert, Atlantic Coast, Damaraland, Etosha and highland-regions. Our tour is lead by a world-class Namibian bird & photography –guide, guaranteeing the best possible results. This safari is also an experience to non-birders as we cover many different parts of Namibia and see lot of African wildlife. We stay at good quality lodges & camps and travel with our own vehicle, being able to adjust our movements as required.

Day 1 You will be met by our guide at Windhoek International Airport. After completing all the airport formalities and loading your luggage, we depart to River Crossing Lodge for the night. Lodge is only 5 minutes from the heart of Windhoek and is located on a pristine 6500 hectare game reserve.l There will be ample time to do some birding and in the evening you will be handed your Bird-checklists and a briefing of the tour will be given by your Birding Guide. Birds that may be encountered here are Rockrunner, White-tailed Shrike, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Orange River Francolin, Red-billed Spurfowl and a host of other Southern African species. (Dinner)

Day 2 We head South West to towards the Namib Desert. We have a picnic lunch on the way and do some birding along the route to our destination in the Sossusvlei area. We stay at the comfortable Sossus Dune Lodge. Species we can expect to encounter here are Herero Chat, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler with the possibility of raptors over the mountains. We will also look for Karoo Chat, Rüppell’s Korhaan, Ludwig’s Bustard, Burchell’s Courser and other arid adapted species such as Karoo Scrub Robin, Yellow Canary, Ashy Tit, Cardinal Woodpecker, Pririt Batis, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler, Pale-winged Starling, White-throated Canary, Rock Kestrel and with luck Karoo Long-billed Lark and Karoo Eremomela. Before dinner we complete our daily checklists and look forward to the next morning’s birding, which should deliver some of our first real arid specials. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3 This morning will be an early start as the best time to view Sossusvlei is close to sunrise and sunset; colours are strong and constantly changing, allowing for wonderful photographic opportunities. During exceptional rainy seasons, Sossusvlei may fill with water, causing travellers to flock there to witness the grand sight, but normally it is bone dry. From our lodging in the desert, we now travel towards the coast. En route to the coast we have another opportunity to search for Rüppell’s Korhaan, Ludwig’s Bustard, Burchell's Courser as well as the only “true” endemic of Namibia, the Dune Lark. Further into the open gravel plains we may also encounter Gray’s Lark which blends in well with the pale gravel surrounds. There is also a good chance of encountering Lappet-faced Vultures and a few other raptors such as Greater Kestrel, Lanner Falcon and Black-chested Snake-Eagle. We arrive late afternoon in Swakopmund to stay at Rapmund Hotel. We complete our list for the day before going out for dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4 After breakfast we will travel to Walvis Bay and do a drive to the evaporation pans and lagoon to look at an array of different waders, Flamingos (both Greater and Lesser), Gulls, Terns, Pelicans, Herons and sometimes thousands of Black-necked Grebes . The Walvis Bay Lagoon is a proclaimed RAMSAR site and many thousands of migrant birds use this unique wetland during our summer months December to April. There are also some resident species such as Chestnut-banded Plover, White-fronted Plover, Hartlaub’s and Kelp Gulls and Eastern Great White Pelicans which can be seen. There are often some interesting rare vagrants that can sometimes also be found such as European Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull, Broad-billed Sandpiper and American Golden Plover as well as annual vagrants such as Terek Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Franklin’s Gull and Gull-billed Tern. Whilst exploring the lagoons and saltpans we should find the diminutive and endangered Damara Tern, returned from its winter quarters in West Africa. The afternoon will be dedicated to look for the Gray’s Lark. This pale colored desert lark can be difficult to locate as it blends in perfectly to the expansive gravel plains which it frequents in the true Namib Desert. Tractrac Chat, Red-capped Lark and with luck Rufous-eared Warblers are other species that you will be looking for. After we have found the Gray’s Lark we will work our way back to the salt works near Swakopmund and scope the area for any interesting waders. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 5 We set off early this morning and drive northward across the desert en route to Damaraland. We shall be looking out for the large-billed form of Sabota Lark (sometimes split as Bradfield’s Lark) while other species we should record today include Benguela Long-billed Lark, Grey-backed Sparrow-lark, Common Fiscal, Bokmakierie and Red-headed Finch. Should we not have located the Herero Chat we once more have an opportunity to search for this elusive bird. Huab Lodge is ideally situated in granite hills on the banks of the ephemeral Huab River in habitats where several near endemic Namibian bird species occur. The area boasts 9 of the near endemic bird species including Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Rüppell’s Parrot, Violet Wood-hoopoe, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Carp’s Black Tit, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Damara Rockrunner and White-tailed Shrike. This evening our ears will be kept open for the unmistakable grunts of the Giant Eagle Owl, our largest owl as well as the African Scops Owl our smallest owl species, Pearl-spotted Owlets will also no doubt provide us with their “music”. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6 Today you will catch up on many species that you have not seen during the trip. Late September the Madagascar Bee-eater arrives to breed in Namibia and provides excellent photographic opportunities. The Violet-backed Starling, the Rosy-faced Lovebird and the boisterous Bare-cheeked Babbler can be seen from the camp. There is also a hide just below the main house for bird watching and photography. The water at the hot spring is maintained between 37 and 40 degrees and you may want to follow a soak with a choice of one of the many treatments available with the resident masseur. Again, with luck on returning from a game drive we may encounter Bronze-winged (Violet-tipped) Courser, Nightjars and Owls. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7 After a leisurely breakfast we will travel northbound for the Etosha National Park. We stop for lunch at the quaint town of Kamanjab. We will enter the Park via the Galton Gate, possible good species along this route are African Quail Finch, Pink-billed Lark, Barred Wren-Warbler, Red-necked Falcon, Blue Crane, Ostrich, Secretary Bird, and hopefully Southern Pied Babbler. Once in the park we have our first opportunity to see four of the big five and an abundance of antelope, giraffe and other game. Etosha is one of Africa’s largest game parks and here we expect to find a plethora of Kalahari birds. We stay at the Dolomite Camp, being able to view birds and wildlife right at the Camp. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8 Etosha National Park covers nearly 23,000 square kilometres and is justly famous as one of the finest game reserves in Africa. Covering such a large area, the park encompasses a varied selection of habitats and an unusually high diversity of birds and mammals. For most of the year the area is very dry, ranging from near desert in the west to dried-out lake beds in the central sector and well developed woodland in the moister east, but the many waterholes act as a magnet for mammals and birds during the drier months. Okaukeujo Camp is famous for its flood-lit waterhole where you can observe at close quarters a spectacle of wildlife congregating and interacting Raptors are well represented here and we should find Yellow-billed Kite, Brown and black-chested Snake Eagles, Tawny and Wahlberg’s Eagles, African Hawk-Eagle, Augur Buzzard, Gabar Goshawk, Shikra and with luck Little Sparrowhawk. Here we will also encounter Damara (split from Red-billed) and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills and the restricted range Monteiro’s Hornbill. Other species which we can expect to see are Acacia Pied Barbet, Cardinal and Golden-tailed, Woodpeckers, Pearl-breasted Swallow, Carp’s Black Tit, the very localized Bare-cheeked Babbler, Capped Wheatear, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Long-billed Crombec, the endemic Rockrunner, Black-backed Puffback, Brubru, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Southern Masked and Chestnut Weavers, Red-billed Quelea (often by the thousand!), Yellow Canary, and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Birds that can be observed around the camp is Cardinal Woodpecker, Ashy Tit, Brubru, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Red-billed Quelea, Sociable Weaver etc. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 9 After breakfast we will proceed towards Namutoni birding along the route. Birds likely to be found are: Kori Bustard, Ludwig’s Bustard, Northern Black Korhaan, Burchell’s Courser, Temminck’s Courser, Double-banded Courser and all of southern Africa’s Sandgrouse species. Species preferring wooded Acacia and partial cover include Red-billed Francolin, Red-crested Korhaan, Monotonous Lark, Crimson-breasted Shrike, White-crowned Shrike, Kalahari Robin, Southern Pied Babbler, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Barred Warbler, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Marico Fly-catcher, White-bellied Sunbird, Cape Penduline Tit, Pririt Batis, Scaly-feathered Finch, Violet-eared Waxbill, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Glossy Starling and Burchell’s Glossy Starling. Wherever trees are large enough to support their massive nests, Sociable Weaver and the associated Pygmy Falcon occur. Mokuti Lodge also harbours the sought after Black-faced Babbler, which is one of our target birds and great effort will be made to locate this special bird. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 10 Early this morning we will concentrate on finding the localised black-faced Babbler before we head towards Waterberg Plateau Lodge. Once at Waterberg we will spend the day to try to catch up with any specials we may have missed. This is a good locality for Rockrunner, Hartlaub’s Francolin (Spurfowl), Violet Wood-Hoopoe, Rüppell’s Parrot, and with some luck Cape Vulture. Other species that you can expect to see are Booted Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Rosy-faced Lovebirds, Bradfield’s, Alpine, African Palm, Little, Common and White-rumped Swifts, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Freckled Nightjar, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Carp’s Black Tit, Red-billed and Swainson’s Francolins, Bradfield’s, Southern Yellow-billed, African Grey and Red-billed Hornbills. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 11 We do some early morning birding and if time allows we will stop in at the Avis Dam en route to Windhoek Airport. Avis Dam is a paradise for bird watchers. The sounds of the Kalahari Scrub-robin, and the Short-toed Rock Thrush often welcome visitors entering from the parking area. Just across the dam in the mountainous area, visitors may spot Monteiro’s Hornbill, White-tailed Shrike and a Go-away-Birds. Drive to Airport where this ‘Birding-par-Excellence’-tour will end. (Breakfast)

Price starting from EUR 2940

Price includes:

• Transfers as per program.
• Meals (excl.drinks) and accommodation in double/twin-rooms or tents with own bathroom.
• All birding & safari-activities as per program.
• Park fees.
• Bird Checklist of Namibia.
• Services of English-speaking, professional bird & photography-guide.
• Bottled water on board the vehicle.

Price excludes:

• International flights...contact Simba Experience for price-info.
• Visa fees if required.
• Tips and gratuities.
  

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