Namibia Birding Special with Victoria Falls

Arrive independently to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and join your luxury transfer to the comfortable Villa Vista for an overnight stay on a bed & breakfast basis. Settle in to your room and enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep in preparation for the adventures that lie ahead.

After breakfast on the morning of day 2 you will be collected from your hotel in your specially adapted 4x4 safari vehicle that will be your comfortable mode of transport for the majority of your tour. As you start your excursion through Namibia the first journey will be a 4.5 hour drive to Walvis Bay where you will check into the beautiful Oyster Box Guesthouse for a 2 night stay on a bed & breakfast basis. Set on Walvis Bay's beautiful Lagoon, the guesthouse is an ideal location from which to explore the area’s beautiful scenery and enjoy the abundant birdlife of the region. Walvis Bay is home to a large numbers of resident species and is a way station for African and Palearctic migrant birds. It is also famous for its thousands of Lesser and Greater Flamingo, and has been listed by RAMSAR as a natural heritage site. After check in you are free to explore the area and dinner can be booked in one of the 3 restaurants within walking distance of the guest house. If you wish to venture further afield, the restaurants in town are only a five minute drive away.

On the morning of day 3 you can enjoy a thrilling Pelagic Birding Catamaran Excursion to Pelican Point and Walvis Bays' beautiful bay area. Few people realise that there is a whole new world of strange and wonderful birds just a few miles off shore of Namibia's beaches. The pelagic birds here rarely approach land, except at their remote and isolated breeding locations scattered around the Southern Atlantic Ocean. During the two-hour ride to the continental shelf, while sipping hot coffee and tea, you will pass Pelican Point with its landmark lighthouse and 50,000 resident seals, and may encounter bottlenose, heaviside and dusky dolphins, mola, leatherback turtle or even a southern right whale or two. You will spend around two hours 20 to 25 nautical miles offshore, where even the casual birder is bound to see a sprinkling of Cape Cormorant, Cape Gannet, White-chinned Petrel and Sooty Shearwater, Shy and Black-browed Albatrosses, with regular appearances made by Sub-Antarctic Skua, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, Yellow-nosed Albatross, Wilson's Storm Petrel and Broad-Billed Prion. Your pelagic birding expert guide will point out and explain sightings. During your journey back to the waterfront a lunch consisting of oysters, a variety of snacks and dessert, accompanied by sparkling wine, light drinks, cool drinks and water will be served.

After an exciting morning of nautical birding, in the afternoon you can enjoy a land-based birding excursion to the Kuiseb Dunes in search of the only true endemic of the country, the arid adapted Dune Lark. This little lark is one of the most arid-adapted birds in the world. It lives at the base of the huge red dunes of the Namib where it is most active in the morning and late afternoon. Besides this species we may also see the coastal form of Tractrac Chat en route and in the river bed there are several other species such as Bokmakierie, Black-chested Prinia, Ashy Tit, Chestnut-vented Tit Babbler, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Cape Sparrow, Dusky Sunbird, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Rock Kestrel, Lanner Falcon and Black-chested Snake Eagle.

After breakfast, your guide will drive you to Erongo Wilderness Lodge, an approximately 3.5 hour drive from Walvis Bay. The lodge is set in the foothills of the Erongo Mountains on the edge of the enormous Erongo Crater, and is a spectacular photo opportunity spot. During your day here you can enjoy guided walks, self-guided walking trails and optional guided nature drives into the 200,000 ha conservation area. Birding is one of the main attractions with 48 different species having been sighted in the immediate vicinity, including Black Eagle, Rosy Faced Lovebird & Ruppell’s Parrot.

In the evening a delicious dinner will be served either in the partially open, thatched dining room which affords magnificent views, or under the stars on the outside deck overlooking the floodlit waterhole. Your stay here includes 1 night in a luxury tented chalet with dinner, breakfast and guided walks included.

After a beautifully scenic drive of approximately 4 hours you will arrive in the stunning Etosha National Park area. Famed for its abundant wildlife, Etosha offers up countless scenic and wildlife photo opportunities, and this all comes together at the fantastic Okaukuejo Camp which is located overlooking arguably the best waterhole in Southern Africa, where iconic African animals of all kinds come to graze and soak up the offerings. Your time in Etosha will include a 2 night stay at Okaukuejo Camp on a bed and breakfast basis, with opportunities for a full day game drive through the park (not included in package) where you’ll have the chance to take some pictures of the free roaming wild life.

Following your time in Okaukuejo your guide will drive you through the park to Onguma, where you will check in to the Onguma Tented camp for a 1 night stay with dinner and breakfast included. Originally part of the greater Etosha Game Reserve, Onguma Game Reserve is one of Namibia’s best kept secrets. The Reserve boasts over thirty different animal species. Plains game roam freely on the Reserve and predators, although not easy to spot, are nevertheless common residents of the area. Lions are frequently seen and often heard. There is a healthy black rhino and leopard population and hyenas are also often seen. More than 300 bird species can be viewed at Onguma and the reserve boasts the biggest breeding colony of white-backed vultures in Namibia. This part of Namibia has been identified as one of the key bird watching sites in Southern Africa.

This morning you will take a scenic 5 hour drive to Hakusembe River Lodge where you will be staying for 1 night on a bed, breakfast and dinner basis. Perfectly positioned on the southern bank of the Okavango River, Hakusembe River Lodge radiates peace. A lush river oasis, it lies 16km from the bustle of Rundu and upon arrival you are greeted with a refreshing image of green lawns, large trees, a collection of thatched chalets and a strip of sparkling river. A day of relaxation, you can enjoy sitting on the floating deck, feet up, book in hand absorbing the peace to the accompaniment of bird calls and the gentle splashing of water, as all worldly worries float away. This is the perfect place to pause and rest en-route to the Zambezi and the rushing waters of the Victoria Falls. Excursions to the local village can be arranged on request.

On the morning of day 9 your guide will drive you from Hakusembe to Shametu River Lodge (approximately 2.5 hours drive) where you will be staying for 2 nights with bed, breakfast and dinner included. The lodge is in close proximity to the Botswana Mohembo border which is the gateway to the well-known Okavango Delta in Botswana. Time here is at your leisure but there are many activities which can be enjoyed should you wish. The lodge is just 80km from the Delta where, among other activities, you can drift on the delta waters in a Mokoro canoe (propelled by your own guide). The Mahangu Game Reserve, which forms part of the Bwabwata National Park is only a 15 minute drive from Shametu. You may also choose to order a picnic basket from the kitchen and spend the day meandering along in the Mahangu Game Reserve searching for leopard, lion, buffalo, roan antelope, shy bushbuck, warthog, monkeys, baboons, elephant, crocodiles, hippo, and a huge variety of birdlife.

This morning a 3 hour drive will take us from Shametu to Camp Kwando where you will be staying for 2 nights on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis. Located at the junction of Botswana, Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe, Camp Kwando offers a wide variety of optional activities in a beautiful and often overlooked area of the country; the Caprivi. Activities on offer include game drives, bush walks, traditional village visits, fishing or excursions into the nearby Mamili National Park.

An exciting couple of days begin as we leave the Caprivi Strip behind and start our journey to Victoria Falls, beginning with a birding tour on the Kwando River. Exceptionally experienced and professional guides will take you through a variety of habitats in search of an abundance of bird species. This is a true birder’s paradise with over 400 species having been recorded in the region. Look out for Schallows Turaco, African Finfoot,White Backed Night Heron and Pels Fishing owl to name just a few. This excursion includes an experienced guide as well as selected beverages.

Following this you will enjoy a scenic transfer by boat across the border into Zimbabwe, via Botswana, to Victoria Falls and the Ilala Lodge where you will be staying for 2 nights on a bed & breakfast basis. The hotel is ideally situated and is the closest to the Victoria Falls as well as the town centre. The National Park borders the front of the property and wild animals often graze on the hotel lawns with the spray of the falls in the background. The hotel has a world class a la carte Palm Restaurant where superb cuisine combines with the background sounds of the mighty waterfall to create an unforgettable dining experience. Alternatively there are a number of other dining options in the area.

On the morning of day 14 you can enjoy a fantastic bird watching cruise through the area to experience the wild beauty of the Zambezi River. As you meander along a stretch of river that boasts spectacular scenery and diverse wildlife you’ll be sure to spot elephants, hippos and crocodile as well as an abundance of exciting and exotic birds. Hot tea and pastries will be provided. For the rest of the day you can take explore your surroundings or join some of the optional activities on offer including explorations of the Victoria Falls National Park which provides an abundant supply of both four-legged and feathered visitors to admire and enjoy.

On day 15 your exciting Namibia birding holiday will sadly come to an end as your transfer takes you to Victoria Falls Airport for your onward or homeward flights.

Please note: Necessary paperwork and visa costs will be required to cross the border on day 13 so please enquire for full details on this and we will be happy to help.