Botswana, Namibia, Caprivi, Kunene Birding Tour Road Trip
Nata, Katima Mulilo, Popa Falls, Rundu, Tsumeb, Kunene River Lodge, Kamanjab, Swakopmund, Walvisbay, Gobabis, Kang. 18 Day
www.escapetothewild.co.za 1 ITINERARY CAPRIVI, PANHANDLE, KUNENE Days Destination Summary Day 1 Johannesburg to Nata We will meet in Centurion and take a route to Nata Overnight Hotel at Elephant Sands
Day 2 Nata to Katima Mulilo Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 3 Katima Mulilo Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 4 Katima Mulilo Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 5 Katima Mulilo Birding the route Overnight Hotel to Popa Falls
Day 6 Popa Falls Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 7 Popa Falls Birding the route Overnight Hotel To Rundu
Day 8 Rundu Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 9 Rundu Birding the route Overnight Hotel To Etosha
Day 10 Etosha Birding the route Overnight Hotel To Kunene River Lodge
Day 11 Kunene River Lodge Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 12 Kunene River Lodge Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 13 Kunene River Lodge Early morning departure to Kamanjab. Birding the route To Kamanjab Overnight Hotel
Day 14 Kamanjab to Birding the route Overnight Hotel Walvisbay Day 15 Walvisbay Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 16 Walvisbay to Gobabis Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 17 Gobabis to Kang Birding the route Overnight Hotel
Day 18 Kang to Johannesburg Drive back to Pretoria where the tour concludes.
www.escapetothewild.co.za 2 Day 1: Johannesburg to Nata
Drive to Nata in Botswana Collection Hotel and drive to Nata. The first stretch is a long drive to get to Botswana where we then begin birding seriously. Trip (+-825 km) Johannesburg to Nata about 8 – 9 hours Route - Johannesburg, Pretoria, Hammanskraal, Bela-Bela, Modimolle, Vaalwater, Lephalale, Ons Hoop, Ga-Seika, Gedroogte, Groblersbrug, Lerala, Maunatlala, Mogapinyana, Topisi, Serule, Tonata, Shashe Mooke, Tati Siding, Francistown, Mathangwane, Makaleng, Mosetse, Dukwi, Nata.
Botswana Botswana is topographically flat, with up to 70 per cent of its territory being the Kalahari Desert . It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast.
Images Nata Botswana
Boulder Chat Nata Maans Booysen The route south to Nata is often referred to as the ‘game drive route', as there is always the chance of seeing wildlife of some sort along the way. North of Pandamatenga, Elephants are common, and Buffalo, Sable Antelope and Giraffe can be seen. Nata is on the main Nata-Francistown road. This is on the main tourist routes to the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and Caprivi Strip in Namibia.
Elephant Sands
Overnight at the Elephant Sands Hotelwww.escapetothewild.co.za 3 Day 2: Nata to Katima Mulilo via Kusane
The Nata Bird Sanctuary is the only protected reserve in Botswana . The bird list for the sanctuary is reported to number 165 bird species. The sanctuary is of international importance due to its population of 250 000 Lesser and Greater Flamingos , which visit the sanctuary every year during the winter to breed, after the rainy season when the water sources are full. During the summer after the first rains, the Nata Sanctuary can be a surprisingly rewarding stop for keen birders. This community project is on the northern edge of the pans, and gets Great White Pelicans from time to time along with 200 other species that have been recorded here.
Nata Bird Sanctuary
Bradfield’s Hornbill Burchell’s Sandgrouse Dusky Lark Southern Ground Hornbill
Red-necked Falcon African Golden Oriole Racket-tailed Roller Brown Firefinch Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Katima Mulilo is a town situated in the Caprivi strip and is the capital of the Zambezi Region , Namibia's far north-eastern extension into central Southern Africa. The nearest Namibian town to Katima Mulilo is Rundu , about 500 km Protea Zambezi River Lodge away.
Overnight at the Protea Zambezi River Lodgewww.escapetothewild.co.za 4 Day 3 & 4 : Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo - Zambezi River The wide, slow-flowing Zambezi River is edged with tall, lush trees, tropical birds and monkeys, with lolling hippos and crocs reminding everyone who's in charge of the waters. Elephants are frequent visitors on the river banks for a drink and a bath, and birders only have to take a short walk along the river's banks to tick-off a wide variety of bird species.
Katima Mulilo
Zambezi River Boat Jetty
White-backed Night Heron Schalow’s Turaco White-breasted Cuckooshrike Coppery-tailed Coucal
African Finfoot Yellow-throated Leaflove Pel’s Fishing Owl Western Banded Snake Eagle Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at the Protea Zambezi River Lodge www.escapetothewild.co.za 5 Day 5 & 6 : Katima Mulilo to Popa Falls
Popa Falls Near the little town of Divundu, some 200 kilometres east of Rundu, lies one of the highlights of the western Caprivi, the Popa Falls. They are actually rapids rather than waterfalls. Here the Okavango River breaks through a 4 metre high dark quartzite rock reef in its riverbed, which stretches over more than a kilometre in width. The rapids are particularly impressive in the dry season at lower water levels. The Popa Falls are surrounded by enchantingly beautiful riparian habitats.
Popa Falls Okavango River
Hartlaub’s Babbler African Hobby Dickenson’s Kestrel Greater Swamp Warbler
Chirping Cisticola Long-toed Lapwing White-crowned Lapwing Rock Pratincole
African Skimmer Rufous Bellied Heron Lesser Jacana Shelley’s Sunbird Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at Hotel
www.escapetothewild.co.za 6 Day 7 & 8 : Popa Falls / Rundu
Rundu is the capital of the Kavango-East Region , northern Namibia , on the border with Angola on the banks of the Kavango River about 1 000 metres (3 300 feet) above sea level . Rundu, a sultry tropical outpost on the bluffs above the Okavango River is a major centre of activity for Namibia’s growing Angolan community. Although the town has little of specific interest for tourists, it is a fine place to break up the journey between the Caprivi Strip and Etosha.
Rundu
Souza’s Shrike Sharp-tailed Starling Rufous-bellied Tit Rosy-throated L ongclaw
Greater Painted-snipe Lesser Moorhen Baillon’s Crake Lesser Jacana
Senegal Coucal Yellow-billed Oxpecker Meyer’s Parrot Wood Pipit Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at the Kaisosi River Lodge
www.escapetothewild.co.za 7 Day 9 : Rundu to Etosha
ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK is the gateway to northern Namibia and Ovamboland. It is Namibia’s prime wildlife location and home to a large variety of mammals and birds. Etosha means the ‘ great white area ‘ which refers to the large dried pan in the middle of the Etosha National Park. Etosha is any photographer’s dream, located in the a seasonally moist environment, albeit surrounded by magnificent dunes and golden grass plains and mopane vegetation which accounts for impressive biodiversity. Here, you’ll find four of the Big Five mammals (Buffalo is the only one not found in the park). Visitors can look forward to seeing Zebra, the rare Black-faced Impala, Oryx, Cheetah, Giraffe, Eland and Hyena. In terms of birdlife, it’s truly amazing to see how many birds thrive here. During the rainy season, one million Flamingo’s use Etosha as a breeding ground. Falcons, Harriers and the Egyptian Vulture are some wonderful birds to introduce yourself to.
Etosha
Bateleur Kori Bustard Black-faced Babbler Grey-headed Parrot
Grey Kestrel Burchell’s Courser Pink-billed Lark Carp’s Tit Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at the Sachsenheim Guest Farm
www.escapetothewild.co.za 8 Day 10, 11 & 12 : Kunene River Lodge
Kunene River Lodge is a Birder's dream! With the discovery of the first two Cinderella Waxbill nests in the wild, we usually achieve high success rates with sighting this elusive species . There are many other species of great interest to be found in the area including the rare Grey Kestrel which is resident nearby. Or what better way to start the day than to steer silently along the river at dawn with a knowledgeable guide pointing out - who knows what? Kunene River Lodge
Luapula Cisticola Grey Kestrel White-browed Coucal Chestnut Weaver
Bare-cheeked Babbler White-tailed Shrike Ruppell’s Parrot Pririt Batis
Violet Wood Hoopoe Cinderella Waxbill Rufous-tailed Palm-thrush Angola Cave-chat
Swamp Boubou Rosy-faced Lovebird Red-necked Spurfowl Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Himba Lady Overnightwww.escapetothewild.co.za at Hotel 9 Day 13 : Kunene River Lodge to Kamanjab
Early morning departure for Kamanjab +- 340 km through the Brandberg Mountain Range. Brandberg Mountain is located in former Damaraland , now Erongo , in the north-western Namib Desert , near the coast and covers an area of approximately 650 km². With its highest point, the Königstein (German for 'King's Stone') , standing at 2 573 m (8 442 ft) above sea level and located on the flat Namib gravel plains, on a clear day 'The Brandberg' can be seen from a great distance. There are various routes to the summit, the easiest (also steepest) being up the Ga'aseb river valley, but other routes include the Hungurob and Tsisab river valleys. The nearest settlement is Uis , roughly 30 km from the mountain.
Brandberg Mountains
White-throated Canary Ludwig’s Bustard Mountain Wheatear Pale-winged Starling
Monteiro’s Hornbill Ruppell’s Korhaan Rockrunner Hartlaub’s Spurfowl
Herero Chat White-throated Canary Damara Hornbill Double-banded Courser Bird Photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at the Alpec Lodge www.escapetothewild.co.za 10 Day 14 : Kumanjab to Walvis Bay
Early morning departure to Walvis Bay. Walvis Bay meaning "Whale Bay", is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. The town covers a total area of 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi. The bay is a safe haven for sea vessels because of its natural deepwater harbour, protected by the Pelican Point sand spit , being the only natural harbour of any size along the country's coast. Being rich in plankton and marine life , these waters also drew large numbers of southern right whales , attracting whalers and fishing vessels. Walvis Bay is a Ramsar site and regarded as one of the most important coastal wetlands in Southern Africa.
Bank Cormorant Orange River White-eye Great White Pelican Cheastnut-banded Plover
Tractrac Chat Namaqua Sandgrouse Stark’s Lark Grey’s Lark
Curlew Sandpiper White-fronted Plover Pectoral & Ringed Sandpiper African Black Oystercatcher Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at Hotel www.escapetothewild.co.za 11 Day 15 : Walvisbay - Swakopmund
Swakopmund (German for "Mouth of the Swakop ") is a city on the coast of western Namibia , 352 km (219 mi) west of the Namibian capital Windhoek via the B2 main road. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. The town has 44 725 inhabitants and covers 196 square kilometres (76 sq mi). The city is situated in the Namib Desert and is the fourth largest population centre in Namibia. Swakopmund is a beach resort and an example of German colonial architecture . It was founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South West Africa , and a small part of its population is still German-speaking today.
Dune Lark Damara Tern Southern Pochard Hottentot Teal
Kelp Gull Dusky Sunbird Grey-backed Cisticola Red Knot Bird Photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at Hotel www.escapetothewild.co.za 12 Day 16 : Walvis Bay to Gobabis
Gobabis is a city in eastern Namibia . It is the regional capital of the Omaheke Region , and the district capital of the Gobabis electoral constituency . Gobabis is situated 200 km (120 mi) down the B6 motorway from Windhoek to Botswana . The town is 113 km (70 mi) from the Buitepos border post with Botswana, and serves as an important link to South Africa on the tarred Trans-Kalahari Highway .
Gobabis
Karoo Chat Sabota Lark Double-banded Sandgrouse
Fawn-coloured Lark Orange River Francolin Pearl-spotted Owlet Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
Overnight at Hotel www.escapetothewild.co.za 13 Day 17 : Gobabis to Kang
Kang is a village in the Kgalagadi District of Botswana . It is situated in the Kalahari Desert and lies on the Trans-Kalahari Highway between Ghanzi in the north and Sekoma in the south .
Greater Kestrel Crimson-breasted Shrike Chat Flycatcher
Red-necked Falcon Acacia Pied Barbet Southern Pied Babbler Bird photos courtesy of Maans Booysen
“Look into nature, and then you will understand it better”. Albert Einstein
Kalahari Rest Lodge
Overnight at the Kalahari Rest Lodge www.escapetothewild.co.za 14 Day 18 : Kang to Johannesburg
Departure We conclude this tour having spent 18 enjoyable days viewing Birds and increasing our life lists. We thank our local community Tour Leader for sharing his knowledge with us.
Kalahari Guest Lodge
“Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird”. Sir David Attenborough
We sincerely hope we have enriched your trip with a unique Escape to the Wild….
www.escapetothewild.co.za 15 Important Info
This price includes
Accommodation All meals 2 litres water per day All Guiding fees Tolls Fuel Park Entrance fees Transportation will be in a Air-conditioned vehicle Tour price quoted is per person sharing Single supplement can be arranged at an additional cost (+- 25% additional)
This price excludes
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks All / any Airfares Visas Internet, laundry, phone calls, room service etc. Personal travel / medical insurance (we highly recommend you take Travel insurance in case of any emergency). Gratuities (tips)
Important Information
Due to unforeseen circumstances we may be forced to alter our itinerary at short or no notice however we will try our best to stick to the original tour programme. Please note that currency conversion is calculated in real-time, therefore could be subject to slight change. Tours exclude all/any airfares. We are able to consider date changes. Terms & conditions apply.
Travel Tips
Please keep all your valuables safe, secure and insured. Ensure you have packed a torch and extra batteries Mosquito repellent and Sunscreen protection Ensure you travel with all your medication including a Prescription’s from your Doctor. Binoculars, Camera’s etc. Comfortable walking / hiking shoes that cover your entire foot. It can be cooler in the early mornings and evenings therefore ensure you have a warm jacket, scarf, etc.
www.escapetothewild.co.za 16