The Guide's Tale Blog. - Page 2

South Africa offers some of the best birding on the continent. While it may not have the most number of species, it does have the most endemics. South Africa has 18 birds that are only found within her borders, but that figure jumps to 38 endemics and 30 near-endemics if you include Lesotho and eSwatini, two small nations within South Africa. In this Blog Post we look at 10 of the Best Birds to see in South Africa.

In May we finished our inaugural Birds & Wildlife of Kenya safari - 16 days covering some of the best birding and wildlife areas of Kenya. From Samburu - absolutely magical after good rains - to the Rift Valley Lakes, Kakamega Forest - a last remnant patch of rain forest that once extended much further eastwards across Kenya - to the famous Masai Mara, there was plenty to keep us occupied! Check out some great images in out Safari Photo Trip Report.

It's always more fun on the water... birding, that is. In Southern Africa birding is usually done by foot or car - car being the most used method generally, especially in national parks where there are certain creatures that can make you very glad that your medical cover is up to date. In open savanna habitat the car has certain advantages - it acts a bit like a mobile hide (or 'blind' of you are American), and also allows you to cover more distance, upping your bird daily bird count. But sitting in a car for long periods is not ideal either, and where possible, birding by boat offers a fresh perspective. Read more about the various boat trips we do on our 'Windhoek to Victoria Falls' itinerary....

There are literally hundreds of private safari lodges throughout Southern Africa, all trying to entice you, the client, into staying with them, rather than the next-door lodge, or another lodge in another country. The competition is fierce! Of course, the price tag will be the initial filter, and we find that most lodges are getting to be very experinsive overall. Some are worth it, but some aren't, and many of these tend to be a bit ostentatious (100-square foot bathrooms, 'his and hers' showers, more food than one can possibly eat etc) and just 'over the top'. Other lodges don't try to compete in this market however, but rather aim at delivering perfectly adequate food and accommodations and a good safari experience at a reasonable price. And Tuli Wilderness's Serolo Camp, in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana, is just such a camp...

In November we hosted seven clients on our inaugural 'Tanzania's Northern Circuit' Safari. It was an untested itinerary, set up during the dark days of the global lockdown, so it was definitely a pioneering tour for us, but it's really hard to go horribly wrong when dealing with one of Africa's top wildlife destinations, right?

And as it turned out, it was a roaring success. The itinerary was solid (though we are changing it slightly for 2023 and beyond to make it even better), our local guides Wilfred and Arnold were both excellent in every way, the two stretched Land-Cruiser safari vehicles were also excellent, the accommodations proved to be wonderful, and of course the game viewing was just incredible. Indeed, it was one of the highlights of 2022, and we're looking forward to returning again soon!

Read more about it and see some images in this safari trip report!