This tour combines a wildlife extravaganza with a visit to Earth’s most celebrated sporting event, the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The tour takes advantage of the multitude of big game viewing and birding opportunities before the big event kicks off. Although in the austral winter, the mild climate and drier vegetation make the mammal viewing better, while the abundant bush birds will be easy to see. Unforgettable experiences await us as we sample a host of bee-eaters, hornbills, kingfishers, barbets, sunbirds, iridescent starlings, waxbills, and bushshrikes as well as Africa’s charismatic mega fauna. We will also visit Cape Town and the spectacular coastline of the Western Cape. The Cape’s famous flowers will be in full bloom and several of the endemic birds will have started breeding. Many of the sub-Antarctic seabirds will be present offshore, making this the ideal time to enjoy one of Cape Town’s famous pelagics.

Day 1: Johannesburg to Magoebaskloof. Today we visit Nylsvley, where the Kalahari type bushveld will support some spectacular birds such as Violet-eared Waxbill, Golden-breasted Bunting, and Crimson-breasted Shrike, and Roan Antelope and Warthog abound. After lunch we’ll visit Polokwane Nature Reserve, in search of dry country specialties such as Temminck’s Courser, White-quilled Korhaan, Black-cheeked Waxbill and the beastly White Rhinoceros. We’ll overnight in Magoebaskloof.

Day 2: Magoebaskloof to Letaba (Kruger NP). Early morning birding at Woodbush Forest may reveal Crowned Hawk-Eagle, Cape Parrot, Orange Ground-Thrush, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Yellow-streaked Bulbul, and Long-tailed Wagtail. On our way to Kruger NP we will try to find a Bat Hawk at a well-known roost. In the early afternoon we’ll bird our way into Letaba, an excellent area for raptors, bee-eaters, sunbirds, as well as several antelopes and Elephant. We’ll spend the next four nights inside the park.

Day 3: Letaba (Kruger NP). Birding this area of Kruger is superb, both inside and outside our camp. The riverside usually provides Giant Kingfishers as well as African Fish Eagle, Goliath Heron, and Open-billed, Yellow billed, and Marabou Storks. White-fronted and Little Bee-eaters hawk from nearby reeds, while melodious Heuglin’s Robin-Chats sing non-stop from thickets below. Crested Barbets, Red-headed Weavers, Burchell’s Starlings, and Groundscraper Thrushes command the camp lawns. The surrounding woodlands and savanna offer Red-billed Woodhoopoe, African Green-Pigeon, Purple-crested Turaco, Lilac-breasted Roller, Sulfur-breasted and Grey-headed Bushshrikes, Black-headed Oriole, Bearded Woodpecker, Yellow-billed, Trumpeter Hornbills and the impressive Southern Ground-Hornbill. The area is home to several Lion prides and at least one Wild Dog pack. Herds of Elephant and Buffalo roam widely, and plenty of Hippopotamus wallow in the rivers. Giraffe, Greater Kudu, Burchell’s Zebra, and Blue Wildebeest are also present. Optional night drives offer the best chance at Leopard, Serval, Porcupine, and a suite of coursers, owls and nightjars.

Day 4: Letaba to Satara (Kruger NP). Our drive south may include encounters with exciting creatures such as Bateleur, White-headed Vulture, Black-breasted and Brown Snake-Eagles, Kori Bustard, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, and Swainson’s and Natal Francolins. Satara camp offers the best night drives in Kruger and within camp both African Scops-Owl and Pearl-spotted Owlet occur, as well as Greater Bushbaby.

Days 5-6: Satara (Kruger NP) to Kirkman’s Camp. After another full morning we head out towards Kirkman’s Camp for a luxurious private game reserve experience. This plush camp has an incredible record at finding Leopard, the most difficult of Africa’s cats. While searching for this fantastic feline, the superb local trackers will also attempt to get us up-close and personal with Cape Buffalo, both species of rhinoceros, Elephant and other superb mammals and birds.

Day 7: Kirkman’s Camp to Nelspruit to Cape Town. After completing our last morning’s activities at Kirkman’s, we drive to Nelspruit and board a flight to Cape Town. We’ll spend the next three nights in the “Mother City”.

Day 8: Pelagic (optional). The waters off Cape Town offer one of the best pelagic experiences in the world. In this season, thousands of sub-Antarctic breeding birds head to these waters to escape the frigid conditions farther south. We will be awed by the spectacle of thousands of seabirds of 20 to 25 species squabbling over scraps behind fishing trawlers. Once we have enjoyed crippling views of Black-browed, Shy, and both Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, White-chinned and Pintado Petrels, and hordes of Wilson’s Petrels, we will sift through the pack for less common species. Surprises could include Wandering and Royal Albatrosses or Spectacled Petrel. A visit to the Boulders African Penguin Colony will round off the day. This trip is optional because it is weather dependent and may be canceled if we are unlucky with the weather. 

Day 9: West Coast. A full day birding the prolific West Coast scrublands will yield a wealth of local specialties such as Bar-throated Apalis, Cape Penduline Tit, White-backed Mousebird, Malachite Sunbird, Acacia Pied Barbet, Thick-billed and Red-capped Larks, and a most absorbing cast featuring Black Harrier, Southern Black Korhaan and the majestic Verreaux’s Eagle.
 
Day 10: Cape Town to Tanqua Karoo. Leaving at dawn we drive into the arid and semi-desert bushlands of the Tanqua. Here we shall use the cooler morning hours to locate a rich selection of specialties and endemics, including Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Ground Woodpecker, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Ludwig’s Bustard, Pale Chanting-Goshawk, Greater Kestrel, Fairy Flycatcher, Pririt Batis, Dusky Sunbird, Karoo Eremomela, Trac-trac, Karoo, and Mountain Chats, Namaqua Prinia, and Cape Clapper and Karoo Larks. We’ll overnight in Tanqua Karoo.

Day 11: Tanqua Karoo to Overberg. After another full morning birding the Karoo, we set off across the magnificent Cape Fold Mountains towards the Agulhas Plain, birding en route. We’ll overnight in Overberg.

Day 12: Overberg to Cape Town. After breakfast we’ll drive into the Agulhas plain, a mosaic of rolling golden wheat and lowland fynbos that stretches towards the tip of Africa. The De Hoop reserve will give us our best shot at locating some birds and mammals of the fynbos, a Mediterranean-type heathland that will be in spectacular bloom during our visit. Specialties include parties of stately Blue Crane and strutting Stanley's Bustards and Karoo Korhaans amongst Cape Mountain Zebra and Bontebok. A return via Sir Lowry's Pass should provide our best chance to locate a smattering of more local fynbos-endemics such as Cape Rockjumper, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Cape Sugarbird, Cape Grassbird, and Victorin's Warbler.

Day 13: Cape Town. We will awake in Cape Town awaiting the opening ceremony of the “greatest show on Earth”. The tour ends before kickoff.