Namibian Tours

We offer birding tours to all parts of Namibia with emphasis on the endemic and near-endemic species.

Besides the birding, Namibia also offers good wildlife and excellent photographic opportunities. From the arid Namib dune field with the only endemic Dune Lark to varied bushveld habitats, the tour works its way to the Etosha National Park with an abundance of game and birdlife.

A special northeast trip to the Caprivi woodlands and wetlands offers the opportunity to see many special species as well as wildlife.

11-Day Tour Namibia Endemic and Near-Endemic

We designed the following departures to include the only true endemic species to Namibia, the Dune Lark, as well as all the other special near-endemics found within the country such as Gray's Lark, Benguella Long-billed Lark, Rüppell's Korhaan, Rüppell's Parrot, White-tailed Shrike, Rockrunner, Hartlaub's Francolin and Monteiro's Hornbill.

These set departure safaris are merely suggested itineraries and therefore can be tailor-made to suit your specific needs.

Monday 23 July– Thursday 2 August 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)
Monday 06 August – Thursday 16 August 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)
Monday 15 October – Tuesday 25 October 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)

Group size limit: 9 + 1 leader
Accommodation: Hotels/Lodges/Guest farms with en suite facilities
Tour Category: Easy

11-day/10-Night Tour that will cover the following areas:

Spreetshoogte, Southern Namib Desert, Walvis Bay, Damaraland, Etosha National Park and Waterberg Plateau Park

Highlights:
Burchell's Sandgrouse, Herero Chat, Rüppell's Korhaan, Ludwig's Bustard, Dune Lark, Gray's Lark, Monteiro's Hornbill, Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Carp's Tit, Giant Eagle Owl, Hartlaub's Francolin (Spurfowl), Violet Wood-hoopoe, Rockrunner, Rüppell's Parrot, Bare-cheeked Babbler, White-tailed Shrike and Bradfield's Hornbill.

Photographic opportunities:
Excellent – birds, wildlife and landscapes

11-Day Tour Namibia North East – Kavango & Caprivi

The northeast tour has been designed for those birders which may have previously visited Namibia and not travelled to the Northeast where there are different habitats that support various species not found anywhere else within Namibia, especially the wetland species where Wattled Crane, Spur-winged Goose, African Pygmy Goose, White-backed Night Heron and Slaty Egret.

These set departure safaris are merely suggested itineraries and therefore can be tailor-made to suit your specific needs.

Wednesday 11 April – Saturday 21 April 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)
Monday 03 December – Thursday 13 December 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)

Group size limit: 9 + 1 leader
Accommodation: Hotels/Lodges/Guest farms with en suite facilities
Tour Category: Easy

11-day/10-night tour that will cover the following areas:

Waterberg Plateau Park, Grootfontein area, Rundu area, Kavango River, Mahangu Game Park, Kwando River, Katima Mulilo

Highlights:
Rockrunner, Hartlaub's Francolin (Spurfowl), Violet Wood-hoopoe, Rüppell's Parrot, White-tailed Shrike, Bradfield's Hornbill, Black-faced Babbler, Rufous-bellied Tit, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Racket-tailed Roller, Pel's Fishing owl, Western-banked Snake-Eagle, White-backed Night Heron, Narina Trogon, Arnott's Chat, and Böhm's Spinetail.

Photographic opportunities:
Excellent – birds, wildlife and landscapes

Full Namibia 20-Day Tour

The 20-day tour has been designed to provide for all your birding needs within Namibia with a tally of approximately 415 species including all the near-endemics and endemic of the country: These set departure safaris are merely suggested itineraries and therefore can be tailor-made to suit your specific needs.

Highlights:
Herero Chat, Rüppell's Korhaan, Dune Lark, Gray's Lark, Monteiro's Hornbill, Carp's Tit, Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Benguella Long-billed Lark, Rockrunner, Hartlaub's Francolin (Spurfowl), Violet Wood-hoopoe, Rüppell's Parrot, White-tailed Shrike, Bradfield's Hornbill, Black-faced Babbler, Rufous-bellied Tit, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Racket-tailed Roller, Pel's Fishing owl, Western-banked Snake-Eagle, White-backed Night Heron, Narina Trogon, Arnott's Chat and Böhm's Spinetail

Photographic opportunities:
Excellent – birds, wildlife and landscapes

20-day/19-night tour that will cover the following areas:

Windhoek area, Spreetshoogte, Southern Namib Desert, Walvis Bay, Damaraland, Etosha National Park, Grootfontein area, Rundu area, Kavango River, Mahangu Game Park, Kwando River, Katima Mulilo, Waterberg Plateau Park.

Wednesday 11 April – Saturday 21 April 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)
Monday 03 December – Thursday 13 December 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)

Group size limit: 9 + 1 leader
Accommodation: Hotels/Lodges/Guest farms with en suite facilities
Tour Category: Easy

Angola Tours

Angola has only recently been opened to birders, and only few birding outlets operate within the country presently, this being due to bad roads and poor infrastructure, however, conditions are improving constantly.

Batis Birding offers the birder a full Angola itinerary to search for some of the most wanted species on the African continent.

Due to the present paucity of good accommodation establishments in the rural areas, Batis Birding offers good, basic, wild camping throughout the safari in Angola, yet, having said this, the large diversity and amount of endemics to be seen will make this safari well worth it.

14-Day Tour Angola

Our 14-day tour has been designed to cover most of the major habitats to look for Angola's endemics as well as range restricted birds.

Sunday 7 October – Saturday 20 October 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)

Group size limit: 9 + 1 leader
Accommodation: Combination of camping (7 nights), Hotels (4 nights) and self-catering Bungalows (2 nights)
Tour Category: Moderate

14-day/13-night tour that will cover the following areas:

Uige, Calandula, N'Dalando, Kumbira Forest, Kissama National Park, Lobito, Tundavala, Lubango

Highlights:
Braun's Bush-Shrike, White-headed Robin Chat, Gabela Akalat, Gabela Bush-Shrike, Gabela Helmet Shrike, Monteiro's Bush-Shrike, Pulitzer's Longbill, Perrin's Bush-Shrike, Red-crested Turaco, Gabon Coucal, Falkenstein's Greenbul, Yellow-throated Nicator, Ludwig's Double-collared Sunbird, Blue Malkoha, Black and White Mannikin, and Red-headed Bluebill.

Photographic opportunities:
Great bird photography

Important:
Please note that if Batis Birding cannot provide you with a rooming partner although you choose to share, the single supplement will become applicable. We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that a rooming partner is found if you do wish to share.

The rate is based upon 6 participants, if the tour has more participants (more than 6 participants) the tour price will be reduced.

The tour price is subject to major foreign exchange fluctuations and unforeseen increases in tour related costs and may have to be adjusted as a result. We may be forced to change or alter the itinerary at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Batis Birding will however attempt to adhere as close to the original program as possible.

20-Day Tour Angola

Our 20-day overland tour has been designed to cover a wide range of habitats and all the endemic and specials of the country.

Monday 17 September – Saturday 6 October 2012 (click to see detailed itinerary)

Group size limit: 8 +2 Batis leaders
Accommodation: Mainly camping but also Hotels (3 nights) and self-catering Bungalows (2 nights)
Tour Category: Moderate

20-day/19-night tour that will cover the following areas:

Ruacana, Lubango, Tundavala, Lobito, Kissama, Kumbira Forest, N'Dalando, Camabatela, Uige, Luanda

Highlights:
Swierstra's Francolin, Bocage's Robin(Akalat), Striped Pipit, Perrin's Bush-Shrike, Grey Kestrel, Angola Cave Chat, Yellow-billed Barbet, Gabela Akalat, Gabela Bush-Shrike, Monteiro's Bush-Shrike, Gabela Helmet Shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Pulitzer's Longbill, Red-crested Turaco, White-headed Robin Chat, Braun's Bush-Shrike, Dusky Twinspot, Red-headed Bluebill, African Broadbill, Dusky Tit, Blue Malkoha, White-fronted Wattle-eye and Pale-Olive Greenbul.

Photographic opportunities:
Great bird photography

Important:
Please note that if Batis Birding cannot provide you with a rooming partner although you choose to share, the single supplement will become applicable. We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that a rooming partner is found if you do wish to share.

The rate is based upon 8 participants, if the tour does not have sufficient registration (less than 8 participants) the tour price will have to be adjusted.

The tour price is subject to major foreign exchange fluctuations and unforeseen increases in tour related costs and may have to be adjusted as a result.

We may be forced to change or alter the itinerary at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Batis Birding will however attempt to adhere as close to the original program as possible.

Australia: Kangaroos and Cockatoos

Tour Leader John Lötter and local guides Hennie Ferreira and Anton Booysen from Queensland Australia will lead you on adventurous birding and bird photographic safaris in the Land Down Under with camping safaris in the Outback on request.

Australia is about the size of Africa and impossible to bird the whole country in one trip. We have designed a couple of safari options for Queensland, one of Australia's top birding destinations with more than a 100 endemic birds and mammals found nowhere else.

New Zealand: Kiwi and Takahe

Tour Leader John Lötter who lived in New Zealand (2003 – 2006) and local guides Hennie Feireira and Anton Booysen from Queensland, Australia will lead you on a unique birding and bird photographic safari to the North and South Islands of New-Zealand.

Although New-Zealand does not have the numbers, it certainly has the uniqueness; flightless birds that in the absence of mammals substitute the niches of mammals like moles, mice and hare, some living under rocks, others like the elusive Kiwi in burrows under the ground.

Join us on a pelagic between North Island and the Tiri-tiri Matangi bird sanctuary and a pelagic between Wellington and Picton on our way to the South Island.

Eastern Zimbabwe and Central Mozambique: Robberts Prinia, Angola Pitta and Green-headed Oriole

Zimbabwe is quickly busy recovering from the devastating dictatorship of Zano PF-but this has not influenced the Zimbabwe people who I personally recon as one some of Africa's friendliest people.

The spectacular Eastern Highlands-already part of the great African Rift is home to endemic and near endemic birds like Robberts's Warbler, Chirinda Apalis and many other localized species such as Sweinerton's Robin and Zambezi Indogobird.

The Eastern Highlands are a feast to the eye with spectacular views, botanical gardens, a world class golf course and tee plantations where Lesser Seadcracker and Anchieta's Tchagra are amongst the many superb birds that can be found here.

Mozambique is one of my personal favourite African destinations, with wonderful people, ample seafood, white beaches with Palm trees and tropical reefs with colourful fish to be explored with snorkelling gear. I actually wrote and just published a book about my 2007 safari and the accompanying adventure when our vehicle broke down and we survived for 20 days with the help of local people.

We will focus on Mnt. Gorongoza home to the Green-headed Oriole, the Southern Zambezi mouth region for the illusive Angola Pitta. The area north of Beira is best for East-coast Akalat, Locust Finch and Black-headed Apalis.

On our way to Maputo we will explore the last remnants of once pristine Miombo woodland for Olive-headed Weaver.

Tours to other countries

Tours to the following countries can be designed according to your personal preferences and needs. Please contact the Batis Office to arrange this for your and to supply you with a quotation.