Day 1 Our evening flight takes us from London, arriving in Johannesburg early on Day 2 where we transfer to a flight to Bloemfontein, and then transfer by road down to the Karoo Gariep Conservancy, a 12,000ha nature reserve along the banks of the Seekoei River in the Northern Cape.

Days 3/4 Our time in Karoo Gariep will be spent looking for some of the special wildlife of the Karoo: Blue Cranes gather in large numbers, while Blue and Karoo Bustard should be found as they stride across the plains. A variety of wildfowl and waders can be found at the wetlands, which are also home to a single introduced Hippo, and smaller fayre should include Karoo Prinia, Red-eared Warbler, Melodious Lark and Layard’s Tit-babbler. After dark, we take night drives, in search of some of the shy mammals of the area: Aardwolf, South African Porcupine, Bat-eared Fox, Cape Fox, South African Hedgehog and South African Springhare could all cross our paths.

Days 5/6 After some more early morning birding, we set off north towards the ‘diamond fields’ of Kimberley, crossing the Orange River, before arriving in the afternoon at Marrick Homestead. We take another two night drives during our time here, with Aardvark, Striped Polecat and Hewitt’s Red Rock Hare amongst the nocturnal possibilities, as well as a chance of finding Black-footed Cat, the world’s smallest wild cat species which has a good population in the area. Fingers firmly crossed! During the day, we explore the arid grassy plains surrounding the homestead: birding should bring us sightings of various larks, pipits, finches and buntings, while we keep our eyes peeled for Bradfield’s Swift overhead, with Double-banded and Burchell’s Coursers and Northern Black Korhaan also amongst our targets. 

Days 7/8 Saturday will be a travel day, passing huge Sociable Weaver communal nests in roadside trees, as we head west to the spectacular Augrabies Falls National Park, where the Orange River plunges dramatically into the gorge 145 metres below. Amongst the red rocks at the top of the falls, sure-footed Klipspringer and brightly coloured Augrabies Flat Lizard can be found, with Fox Kestrel and Alpine Swift overhead. Vervet Monkey and Chacma Baboon cause mischief around the rest camp, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra and Southern Giraffe browse amongst the scrublands of the National Park, Namaqua Sandgrouse fly in to drink at the water holes, and Orange River White-eye, Namaqua Warbler and Karoo Scrub Robin are amongst the evocatively-named species we will be paying attention to during our time here.

Days 9-11 Today sees us strike north, to the arid landscapes of the Kalahari. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park covers a massive 38,000 square kilometres of the southern Kalahari Desert in South Africa and Botswana. Our base here will be at the southern entrance to the park, at Twee Rivieren, where the dry beds of the Nossob and Auob rivers converge. What little water is present in this arid landscape is concentrated along the two riverbeds, with the grazing herds of Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Springbok,  Southern Giraffe, Common Eland and Red Hartebeest naturally gravitating towards these water holes. Where ever the grazers go, so the predators will follow… Cheetah, Leopard and Lion are all present in good numbers, and we can look forward to some memorable encounters with the big cats. Smaller predators include Black-backed Jackal, African Wildcat and Honey Badger, while this is one of the best places to spot the solitary Brown Hyena. 

Day 12 Bidding farewell to the desert, we head to Upington and fly back to Johannesburg to catch our evening flight home, arriving back in London early on Day 13.

Please note that the itinerary may be changed to suit the weather or other practicalities at the discretion of the leaders.

Accommodation will be in good quality lodges and guesthouses. All rooms will have hot water and private facilities.

Meals are a mixture of local and international cuisine: special diets can be catered for.

We will be travelling by mini-van: our group size is limited to a maximum of 7 people, to ensure the travelling is as comfortable as possible during some long drives. Our game drives and night drives will be in open-top four wheel drive vehicles, over bumpy ground.

Group flights

Group flights are with British Airways from London Heathrow to Johannesburg.

10th August depart London Heathrow 19.05, arrive Johannesburg 07.00 (11th)
22nd August depart Johannesburg 21.10, arrive London Heathrow 07.25 (23rd)

Time zone

South Africa is one hour ahead of UK time.

Entry requirements

If you hold a British passport you can travel to South Africa for up to 90 days without a visa. Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 30 days after the date you leave South Africa, and have at least two blank pages.

We will be travelling during the winter season: the days should be pleasantly warm, with temperatures around 20°, but nights and early mornings can be surprisingly cold, dropping to below freezing on occasions. Typically, there is no rain at this time of year.

You should consult your GP or travel clinic for current advice on travel health as soon as possible, at least 8 weeks before the trip. We do not visit any areas where there is risk of Malaria, but the ‘standard’ travel vaccinations to consider are tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, rabies and cholera. 

No strenuous walking is involved but you need to have a reasonable level of general fitness to be able to participate in the holiday. The tour visits several locations and we will be moving on every two or three days, with some long journeys in between, which can be tiring if you are not used to it. However, the trip is designed to be relatively comfortable so please discuss any concerns with us.