Visiting
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Lawson’s Birding Tours - Birding Tour Details
Lawson’s Birding and Wildlife Tours: one of the original South African birding operators, offering various tours to wonderful birding destinations in Southern Africa. Our tours are lead by specialist bird and mammal guides with extensive knowledge and experience, ensuring that your holiday is one that you will never forget. Join us for great opportunities to see those South African ‘specials’ and ‘endemics’. We also offer tours with a mammal, butterfly, dragonfly or botany focus.
Touring with Lawson’s is very comfortable, in air-conditioned VW Microbuses, and includes personalized tour booklets and species-checklists. At the conclusion of a tour, you will receive a fully detailed Trip Report with the final Bird and Mammal Lists. With very favourable exchange rates, why not come and join us on one of our exciting birding tours such as:
Limpopo and Northern Kruger National Park; 1 – 14 December 2007.
Stunning destinations, awesome birding (raptors galore!).
Cape Peninsula, Garden Route and Addo Elephant National Park; 5 – 15 May 2008.
Birds, Oceans and Elephants.
We also have tours to the Cape regions and other areas and offer tailor-made tours, so don’t hesitate ~ contact us now, for further details.
+27 (0)13 741 2458
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Birding tours
Avian Adventures, Birding Africa, Birding Ecotours, Birdquest, Field Guides, Lawson's, Meet us in Africa, Naturetrek, Ornitholidays, Rockjumper, Sarus Bird Tours, Sunbird, Tropical Birding and Wildwings all operate tours to South Africa.
Guides
Birding Africa: the Africa Specialists can organise tours to all parts of South Africa, and act as local guides based from Cape. There are a large selection of birding tour companies and guides based in the region.
Lawson's have guides available for personal day or weekend bookings etc, where clients book their own trips.
Trip reports
The following trip reports are available for sale from the African Bird Club online shop.
Namibia and the Cape by Jon Hornbuckle, Nov 1994. 43 pages, logistics, site notes, 1 map, detailed itinerary and systematic list of species seen.
Kwazulu-Natal & Transvaal, South Africa by Mike Hunter, Oct 2000. 13 pages covering: daily itinerary, brief notes for each site and comprehensive species list covering 327 species.
Cape Town to the Richtersveld, South Africa by Paul Gascoigne & Helen Pooley, May 2001. 29 pages covering: detailed daily itinerary, accommodation information and comprehensive species list covering 168 species.
Western Cape & Namibia by Brian Gee. Nov 99 to Jan 2000. 69 pages covering: good general information, detailed site guide with maps and comprehensive species list.
Cape Province, South Africa by Gruff Dodd. 42 pages: covering trip planning, very detailed itinerary and systematic list of 239 species seen.
Eastern South Africa and Zimbabwe by Jon Hornbuckle, 1997. 35 pages, logistics, site notes, 5 maps, detailed itinerary including Wakkerstroom, Mkuzi, Umlalazi, Sani Pass, Hwange and Victoria Falls; with systematic list of 529 species seen.
Voyage Naturaliste au Cape Provinces d'Afrique du Sud Georges et Mireille Olioso. 50 pages en français: renseignements pratiques, documentation, itinéraire et principaux sites visités. Liste commenté des 246 espèces d'oiseax vus. Aussi mammifères et reptiles. Plans de plusieurs sites.
This report includes an 11 page itinerary plus checklist in English of the 246 birds and 33 mammals seen.
Logistics
Flights Approximately thirty airlines fly to South Africa with each of the major cities having an international airport, namely Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Flights are scheduled daily and there is a nominal airport departure tax that is usually included in the price of the ticket.
Travel Private travel by car is by far the best and most convenient way to travel around South Africa. The majority of the major car hire companies are represented and all routes are well mapped, which makes for easy, hassle-free travel. Public transport is restrictive in terms of birding, however long-haul coaches are ideal for trips between major cities.
Safety
Guidebooks, travel companies and websites provide much of the advice one needs, but key points warrant repetition here: (1) be aware of the risk of malaria and seek current advice, sleep in a sealed tent or under a net and take prophylaxis as recommended; (2) always ensure you have sufficient water and some method of purification (even if this comprises a pot and a campfire for boiling); (3) do not underestimate the danger of being in the sun for too long, ensure you use sun-block, drink plenty of water and wear a hat; (4) be aware of the risk of AIDS; (5) ensure that you take a reasonably-equipped first-aid pack with you including supplies of hypodermic and suturing needles. See the following 2 websites or your own country’s embassy for the latest safety and travel information: US Travel and UK FCO.
Last page update 3rd March 2008
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