Day-by-day Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo Intl. Airport (IATA code JNB), and transfer to our hotel in Boksburg, a few minutes drive from the airport. The hotel has an airport shuttle service. 5:00 pm, meet your tour leader and other tour participants at the hotel restaurant for introductions, orientation, and dinner. Overnight at the Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport (free shuttle). 

Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel. Then visit a local reserve in the morning to target Amur Falcon and Red-footed Falcon. In the afternoon, depending on time, will look for Ovambo Sparrowhawk, and Verreaux’s and Ayres’s Eagle. Dinner and overnight at the Holiday Inn Johannesburg Aiport hotel.

Day 3

Breakfast and checkout. Drive to Swadini, and visit the Taita Falcon spot in the afternoon. Then we’ll bird the Blyde river canyon looking for resident Peregrine Falcons and other raptors, including Crowned Eagle and Cape Vulture. Dinner and overnight at the Raptors Lodge.

Day 4

Breakfast and checkout. Another stop at the Taita Falcon spot, then fast-forward to Magoesbaskloof, to target Long-crested and Crowned Eagle in the afternoon. Also Bat Hawk—the only truly nocturnal hawk in the world. Dinner and overnight in the Magoebaskloof Hotel Tzaneen.

Day 5

Breakfast at the hotel, then checkout. Another visit to the Magoebaskloof forests looking for African Goshawk, Black Sparrowhawk, Crowned Eagle, and Jackal Buzzard, among others. We may see Lizard Buzzard as well. In the afternoon, we will enter Kruger National Park in the north end, and check-in at Punda Maria rest camp. Northern Kruger is good for several raptor species, notably Dickinson’s Kestrel. Dinner and overnight at the Punda María Rest Camp.

Day 6

After breakfast, we will leave the rest camp and drive to Pafuri, looking for Dickinson’s Kestrel on the way, and back. Other raptors likely to be seen today (and tomorrow) include Martial, Tawny, Wahlberg’s, Lesser-spotted, and Steppe Eagles; African Hawk-Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Gabar Goshawk, Lizard Buzzard, and Bateleur. Dinner and overnight in Punda Maria.

Day 7

Early breakfast and same plan as yesterday. We are giving Dickinson's Kestrel a second chance to show itlsef! Dinner and overnight in Punda Maria.

Day 8

Early breakfast and checkout. Leave the rest camp as soon as the gate is open. Today we will drive south into central Kruger. Vegetation will become sparser, especially in the afternoon, in the central plains of the park, where we will spend the night. Raptors likely to be seen today include the same eagle species as yesterday plus Black-chested Snake Eagle. Our contacts with the African megafauna should become more frequent as we drive south. We should see lions, wildebeest, zebras, elephants, and giraffes, also a rhino or two, and, with a bit of luck, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs. Check-in at the Letaba Rest Camp. Night drive (5-8 pm) in the park trucks to see mammals and owls. 8:30 pm, dinner. Overnight at Letaba Rest Camp.

Day 9

Breakfast and checkout. Drive through southern Kruger looking for big game and raptors. Our chances for leopard, rhino, and wild dogs should be better today. We should see many raptors including several species of eagles and Secretarybird. Drive to Skukuza in the afternoon stoping for raptors and African megafauna. Dinner and overnight at Skukuza Rest Camp.

Day 10

Mostly a driving day stopping for raptors along the way to Newcastle where the largest Amur Falcon roost in Africa is kown. It will take us the best part of the day to get there, but we'll stop for birds and to eat lunch on the way. After checking in at the hotel, we'll walk a short distance to the Amur Falcon roost where anywhere 7,000 and 20,000 birds can be seen coming to roost. Dinner and overight at the Newcastle Inn.

Day 11

Early start and breakfast. Drive to Joburg's airport in the AM to catch our flight to Upington (11.00 am - 12.30 pm, free carry-on up to 7 Kg plus 1 free checked bag up to 20 kg / 44 lbs). Drop off our vehicles upon arrving at the airport. Fly to Upington. Lunch upon arrival. Drive in the PM to Twee Rivieren Rest Camp in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Dinner and overnight at Twee Rivieren.

Day 12-13

Super-early starts and breakfasts will allow us to explore the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park at its finest. This is a very scenic drive with red dunes dotted with sparse vegetation, huge weaver nests, and great visibility. We will target wildlife mostly driving along the dry riverbeds, and dunes in the Kgalagadi looking for Greater Kestrel, and Pygmy, Lanner and Red-necked Falcons. Also likely to be seen here are Pale Chanting Goshawk, Bateleur, Tawny Eagle, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Gabar Goshawk and Secretarybird. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards are more visible here, due to the scant vegetation. Other mammals of interest include giraffe, springbok and oryx, the cute suricate or meerkat, and the not-so-quite yellow mongoose. Bat-eared fox and black-backed jackals are always welcome and fun to watch. Lunches will usually be back at the rest camp. PM drives to look for more raptors, other birds and African wildlife. Dinner and overnight in Twee Rivieren Rest Camp.

Day 14

Another morning outing in the Kalahari. Check-out and drive back to Upington to catch our flight to Johannesburg (1.00-2.25 pm, free carry-on up to 7 Kg plus 1 free checked bag up to 20 kg / 44 lbs) where the tour ends. International evening flights depart from Johannesburg, but we suggest you book a flight for the next day. Extra nights in Johannesburg available upon request.