Day 1 - Arrival in Windhoek

Touching down in Namibia’s capital, we step into a land of big skies and rugged beauty. Time permitting, we’ll explore some local hotspots this afternoon. The first is Avis Dam, where we’ll have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with many of the common birds we’ll see throughout the tour. Among Maccoa Duck, Kittlitz’s Plover, Crimson-breasted Gonolek, Short-toed Rock-Thrush, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, and Mountain Chat, Rockrunner is the real prize, the near-endemic favoring the bluffs above the basin. We might also venture to the Gammams wastewater treatment plant. We’re always successful in negotiating entrance, but it sometimes takes a bit of back-and-forth and a call to the supervisor! Once inside, we can expect Red-knobbed Coot, African Darter, and Reed Cormorant; African Fish-Eagle, Squacco Heron, and African Swamphen are also possible. 

​

Day 2 - Windhoek to Spreetshoogte Pass
As we need to move only three hours south on this first full day, there will be time to visit (or revisit) Avis Dam and/or the Gammams waterworks. As both sites hold many species, return visits inevitably turn up birds that escaped us on a first pass. We’ll lunch as the midday heat gathers, provision ourselves with snacks at a local grocery store, and leave the city behind, closing the distance to our overnight through the afternoon. Reaching that destination, we’ll absorb incredible scenery as we explore the property for the likes of Red-billed Spurfowl, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Pearl-spotted Owlet, and Karoo Scrub-Robin. If we’re really lucky, we might intersect Orange River Francolin or Nicholson’s Pipit. The bulbous rock formations are stunning, and the star-gazers among us will enjoy the crystal clear views the light-free region permits. 

​

Day 3 - Spreetshoogte Pass to Walvis Bay
The non-stop drive to Walvis is upwards of four hours, but the journey will take us closer to seven or eight by the time we include birding stops. There’s zero civilization along our route — not even a gas station! — so we’ll enjoy a hearty farmhouse on this usually chilly morning. That meal concluded, we’ll drive fifteen minutes to Spreetshoogle Pass, an elevated overlook offering breath-taking views of the surrounding mountains and the Namib desert. Continuing west, we’ll look for Herero Chat, Bokmakierie, Social Weaver, White-throated Canary, Chat Flycatcher, and Rüppell’s Korhaan as we descend. Turning north, toward Walvis, we should encounter our first mammal in the form of Oryx, one of the most striking antelopes on the planet. If we make good time, a field lunch enjoyed along the road, we’ll search for Dune Lark, one of Namibia’s most coveted birds, as we approach Walvis. If we miss, we’ll try again tomorrow, but nailing this bird down on this admittedly very long day frees us up to chase down other species tomorrow. Regardless, we’ll have a massive seafood dinner after checking into our beachfront digs, where we’ll spend two nights. Today’s long drive will have unfolded entirely on dirt roads, so we’ll sleep well with all the bouncing and bumping behind us!

​

Day 4 - Walvis Bay and Swakopmund
This morning’s activities will be dictated by the results of yesterday’s Dune Lark search. If we missed that bird, then we’ll backtrack for it; if we bagged it, then we’ll take a relaxed spin around Walvis Bay looking for Damara Tern, Hartlaub’s Gull, Orange River White-eye, and a wide variety of shorebirds: Pied Avocet, Chestnut-banded Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Stint, and others. Either path will lead us to Swakopmund mid-morning, whereupon we’ll search for Gray’s Lark and Tractrac Chat on the gravel plains backing the local salt works. Lunch will be had in 'Swakop', and we’ll use the afternoon to mop up whatever waterbirds we missed in the morning. With proper dedication, we should be able to pick-up African Oystercatcher, Great Crested Tern, and Cape Cormorant as we sift through thousands of Greater and Lesser Flamingos. If the winds are from the east, we might score a pelagic bonus like White-chinned Petrel or Sooty Shearwater. Who knows? We had African Penguin in the surf one year! This will be our second night in Walvis.

​

Day 5 - Walvis to Omaruru via Spitkoppe
Assuming we’ve ticked all the relevant larks and waders, we will depart Walvis under cover of darkness and drive two hours to Spitzkoppe. The goal is to arrive soon after sunrise, when Namibia’s most elusive endemic, Herero Chat, is most vocal and active. Weaving around the towering rock formations as we search for that bird, we’ll keep our eye peeled for White-tailed Shrike, Layard’s Warbler, Pririt Batis, Dusky Sunbird, and Verreaux’s Eagle. Once we’ve ticked our Spitzkoppe targets, hopefully by mid-morning, we’ll vacate the area and continue two hours to Omaruru for lunch and a heat-of-the-day siesta at our incredible, tented  lodge. Rock Hyrax crawl over every boulder, and Rosy-faced Lovebirds mob the feeder just outside the restaurant. Once the sun drops a bit, we’ll bird the wooded areas along the property and nearby riverbed for Rüppell’s Parrot, Carp’s Tit, Violet Woodhoopoe, Southern Pied Babbler, and a foursome of hornbills: Southern Yellow-billed, Damara Red-billed, Monteiro’s, and African Gray. And the kicker? Freckled Nightjar often buzzes the outdoor tables at the lodge restaurant, so bring your binos to the meal!

​

Day 6 - Omaruru
The Omaruru/Erongo region hosts so many key birds that we’ll want (and need) another full day to track them all down. This morning, we’ll make a dedicated, predawn effort to locate Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, a near-endemic which vocalizes while standing atop large boulders. Other birds we might hope for in the area, include Green-winged Pytilia, Acacia Pied Barbet, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Black-chested Prinia, Brubru, Golden-breasted Bunting, and Violet-eared Waxbill. It will be very hot in the dry surroundings, but so will the birding (hopefully)!

Day 7 - Omaruru mop-up and Etosha National Park
We have another morning in this area to soak up the special birds or catch up on any missed targets, before heading north to Etosha. The middle third of our drive to Okaukuejo Camp offers productive birding  – Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Red-headed Finch, and Fawn-coloured Lark, to name a few possibilities – so we’ll slow down through that section and see what we can find. Arriving at Etosha, we’ll eat lunch and rest-up ahead of a late-afternoon game drive. Skirting the western edge of the massive salt pan as the sun dips west, we’ll hope for Common Ostrich, White-quilled Bustard, Double-banded Courser, and Pink-billed, Spike-heeled, and Stark’s Larks. Roadside Springbok allow close approach; Southern Giraffes, Plain Zebras, Blue Wildebeest, and Oryx meander through the dusty landscape. If we’re lucky, we might encounter the local Lion pride. With those and other mammals in the milieu, the end of this day will feel truly African. After returning to camp, we’ll spend a bit of time at the camp water hole. It’s maintained just outside the camp fence and attracts a host of mammals including African Elephant, Black Rhino, and Spotted Hyena.

​

Day 8 - Etosha National Park
We’ll enjoy breakfast and a short bout of in-camp birding for the likes of Barred Wren-Warbler, White-browed Scrub-Robin, and Marico Sunbird before taking to the park roads. Heading east, we’ll visit a series of waterholes, hoping for additional mammals as we sift through the resident birds. Red-crested Bustards skulk in roadside grass, Marico Flycatchers flit between low perches, and White-crowned Shrikes scope prey from bushtops. As the temperature rises, raptors take to the air, Tawny Eagles and White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures spiraling skyward on mid-morning thermals. Clients are usually eager to see Lilac-breasted and Rufous-crowned Rollers, so we’ll make a special effort to spot those. Reaching Halali Camp in time for lunch, we’ll eat and rest through the midday heat. As 3pm nears, we’ll pile into the vehicle and again return to the park roads, our goal to catch-up with whatever birds and mammals we’ve missed to this point. We’ll be out until 6pm, at which point we’ll return to camp and visit the Halali waterhole. Beyond close looks at various mammals, it will afford us the opportunity to enjoy hundreds of Double-banded Sandgrouse when they arrive for their end-of-day drinks. Those bent towards nightbirds will be happy to hear that African Scops- and Southern White-face Owls can sometimes be had in camp. Those with energy can try for those after dinner. 

​

Day 9 - Etosha National Park
As yesterday, we’ll begin with in-camp birding for the likes of Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, White-crested Helmetshrike, Violet Woodhoopoe and Brown-crowned Tchagra. Halali has historically been a good area for Bare-cheeked Babbler and Carp’s Tit, both near-endemic, so we’ll do our best to intersect those. Leaving camp, we’ll continue east along the southern edge of the Etosha pan. Beyond birds already mentioned, we’ll be looking for Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, African Gray Hornbill, Gray-backed Sparrowlark, and Desert Cisticola. Leopard and Cheetah are more prevalent at the end of the park, so we’ll be on high alert for those as we close the distance to Namutoni camp. After lunching there, we’ll run north, to the Andoni Plains, to look for a small and highly localized population of Blue Cranes. We’ll use whatever time is left to visit a series of waterholes (Burchell’s Sandgrouse, perhaps) as we retrace our tracks south and exit the park. It should be an exciting conclusion to our three Etosha days! This night will be spent either just outside the park or farther down the road, in Tsumeb.

​

Day 10 - To Kavango
This will be mostly a driving day as we head northeast, into the Caprivi Strip, but we’ll make sure to explore the hotel/lodge grounds for Eurasian Hoopoe, White-bellied Sunbird, Black-backed Puffback, Black-faced Babbler, and Southern Red-billed Hornbill before we initiate the long haul to Rundu. We’ll pick up provisions and have lunch in that bustling outpost before visiting the local wastewater treatment plant. While Black-winged Stilt and Whiskered Tern are expected, African Painted Snipe would be a sweeter find. Another ninety minutes east and we’ll reach our lodge. Perched on a cliff above the Kavango River and looking north into Angola, the property will be our base of operations for the next two days. Water levels permitting, this afternoon’s feature activity is a boat ride along the slow flow that fronts our hotel. While a large colony of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters will be the highlight of that outing, we’re also hoping for Black Crake, African Openbill, Little Bee-eater, and Pied Kingfisher.

Day 11 - Kavango
An early start will deliver us to broadleaf forest shortly after sunrise. In that unique habitat, we’ll search for an entirely new complement of birds including Striped Kingfisher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Pale Flycatcher, Arnot’s Chat, Tinkling Cisticola, Sharp-tailed Starling, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Cut-throat Finch, Southern Black Tit, African Penduline-Tit, and Souza’s Shrike (very tough). The birding is notoriously challenging, so it’ll be a successful outing if we score even a handful of the mentioned possibilities. Returning to the lodge for a late-breakfast, we’ll use what remains of the morning and the entire afternoon (minus a midday siesta, of course) to explore the property. Red-faced Mousebird, Magpie Shrike, and Kurrichane Thrush are likely, and we’ll pay special attention to babblers, hoping to score Black-faced among more prevalent Hartlaub’s and Arrow-marked. Other possibilities include Senegal Coucal, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Lesser Honeyguide, Chinspot Batis, Yellow-breasted Apalis, and White-browed Robin-Chat. The evening soundtrack will be provided by the resident hippos, their grunts cascading up and down the river.

​

Day 12 - Kavango wrap-up and drive to Botswana
Depending on energy/enthusiasm and how we did yesterday, we’ll use the early morning hours to further bird the lodge grounds and/or in the broadleaf forest. Afterwards, we’ll head towards the Mahango section of Bwabwata National Park. The park road winds between dry thickets and wet meadows, so we’ll have cracks at both land and waterbirds. Some of the more interesting targets include Swainson’s Spurfowl, Crested Francolin, Yellow-billed Stork, Goliath and Black Herons, Spotted Thick-knee, Temminck’s Courser, and Meves’s Starling. Elephants are common, but we’ll target local specialities like Cape Buffalo and Roan and Sable Antelopes as they aren’t possible elsewhere on this itinerary. Leaving Mahango, we’ll bid Namibia temporary goodbye and – after what is usually only minimal administration – cross into Botswana. Our lodge is only 40 minutes beyond the border post, and we’ll arrive in time to enjoy an afternoon river cruise. The low boats are a fantastic way to explore the gentle flow of the Okavango River, and we’ll feel lost in time as we sweep around muddy banks and along reedy edges. Among a host of interesting possibilities – African Skimmer, Malachite and Giant Kingfishers, Luapula and Chirping Cisticolas, Slaty Egret, Rufous-bellied Heron, Wattled Crane – the stealthy White-backed Night-Heron and the enormous Pel’s Fishing Owl will be our primary targets. 

​

Day 13 - Okavango Panhandle, Botswana.
A second boat trip this morning boat should help us intersect with some enticing new goodies. The midday period will feature lunch and a siesta; the afternoon will be spent on the property, where we hope to find Mourning Collared-Dove, White-fronted Bee-eater, White-browed Coucal, Black Cuckooshrike, Gabon Boubou, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Yellow-bellied Greenbull, Terrestrial Brownbul, Lesser Striped Swallow, and others. And, after dinner, we might be able to secure views of African Wood-Owl to round out the day.

Day 14 - Botswana wrap-up and Namibia return
While we will have spent yesterday afternoon on lodge property, there is so much to see that we’ll dedicate this final Botswana morning to ferreting-out whatever species have hitherto escaped us. Holub’s Golden Weaver? Hopefully! African Pied Wagtail? Sure! Violet Starling? If they’ve migrated early enough! The point is that there’s plenty to keep us engaged. A mid-morning departure will have us back at Mahango with time to make an additional, clean-up swing through that reserve. The afternoon is dedicated to driving, but we might revisit the sewage works in Rundu, depending on timing and enthusiasm.

​

Day 15 - Windhoek return
This day is dedicated to driving, but we are likely to make a birding stop or two as we close the distance to Windhoek. Depending on where we stay, we might also use some of the morning to bird the hotel/camp grounds for outstanding species.

​

Day 16 - International departures
Most international flights depart in the afternoon, so there might be time to revisit Avis Dam on this final morning. Regardless, you will have had a complete and unforgettable Namibia experience to this departure point! 

​

Trip Considerations

PACE: Moderate. We’ll want to be out early, around 6 am, and stay out to around 5 pm, in order to take advantage of the best times of day for birds and mammals. Where possible, we will use the middle of the day to rest up, or travel between localities. There will be a few days that are full days in the field. There will be only a handful of optional outings after dark to search for owls and nightjars; these are normally done just before dinner and seldom last for more than an hour (typically between 6–7 pm). Namibia is a fairly large country and there are some long drives required, but the roads are very good. The longest drive is about 9 hours on day 15, with drives of 4-6 hours on at least three other days. There will be packed lunches on many days; but sitting with a packed lunch for a siesta under a tree is often a far more relaxing way to do things than spending a long time driving back to camp for lunch, only to head out again in two hours.

 

PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. Almost all the birding is done from easy roads or tracks, or from a safari vehicle. The maximum amount of walking will be around 2 miles (3 kilometers) on a few days.

 

CLIMATE: Pleasantly warm, though some mornings can be coolish, but it is dry and overall the weather in central Namibia is a delight (usually 55°-82°F, 13°-28°C). Rain is highly unlikely, but not impossible. In the north and in the Okavango it can be very hot, especially in October and November (maximums of up to 105°F, 41°C).

 

ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent; all have private bathrooms, and hot water. Electricity is available everywhere, and is 24 hours a day in most lodges. Internet is fairly widespread, but not available everywhere. The lodge on the Kavango is a little rustic, but well placed and still some of the best accommodation in the area.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY: If you are a casual photographer, you will love this trip! Birds are cooperative, and mammals are easy to take pictures of, and visiting many places where birds are common, tame and easily seen, there are plenty of opportunities for the casual photographer to indulge and enjoy shooting. If you are a serious photographer however, you may wish to consider our Namibia Photo Tour.

 

WHEN TO GO: We often run the set-departure tour in September, when the birds all begin breeding and some of the Palearctic migrant have arrived. Also, it is the end of the dry season, when the mammals are being drawn into the many waterholes that are present in Etosha; it is the ideal time to see a great combination of animals. This trip can be run as a custom tour at almost any time of year, and in the austral winter (May – August) the mammals are excellent, while in austral summer (November – March) it is significantly warmer and the mammals are harder to find, but the birding is excellent. Custom tours can be tweaked to make the most of any season.

​

Other Information

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of South Africa, USA, Canada, UK, most of the EU, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Visas are required for citizens of India, China, and much of the remainder of the world; please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff for help. Travel requirements are subject to change; it’s a good idea to double check six weeks before you travel.

 

WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 15; meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 16 (if you have a very early flight on the last day, you may miss the included hotel breakfast); reasonable non-alcoholic drinks with meals; safe drinking water between meals; Tropical Birding bird tour leader with scope and audio playback gear from the afternoon of day 1 to the afternoon of day 15; one departure airport transfer per person specifically on the departure day (transfer may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they arrive at the same time); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from the afternoon of day 1 to the afternoon of day 15 in a suitable vehicle (depending on group size it may be driven by the tour leader); entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary; 2 boat trips – one on the Kavango and one on the Okavango Panhandle; a printed and bound checklist to help you keep track of your sightingsd (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance).

 

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters at hotels (if you require their services); flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included.