Since its formation, Rockjumper Birding Tours has been supporting the conservation of the birds that bring us many delightful hours of sheer bird-watching pleasure. In order to co-ordinate and effectively implement our conservation efforts, we launched the Rockjumper Bird Conservation Fund (RBCF) in 2008. A minimum of US$50 from each Rockjumper tour sign-up goes directly into the RBCF. Organizations that we have actively supported over the years include the African Bird Club, BirdLife International, Oriental Bird Club, Tucson Audubon Society, Massachusetts Audubon Society, BirdLife South Africa, Birds of Korea, American Birding Association, Ornithological Society of the Middle East, Born Free USA, World Migratory Bird Day and the Neotropical Bird Club.

Within South Africa, we have also donated to the SOS Mtunzini Conservancy, the Middelpunt Wetland Trust, Fynbos Endemic Birds Survey and KwaZulu-Natal Crane Foundation, and been involved in the training of local guides. Other projects we have also sponsored include work on the highly threatened White-throated (Hodgson’s) Bush Chat in Mongolia, the monitoring of a Northern Brown Kiwi at Wainui in the Bay of Plenty and the protection of the severely threatened Indian Bustard. Adam Riley, Rockjumper’s founder, has recently won an Owl award for his conservation efforts from BirdLife SA.

We currently have a referral discount whereby, if you refer a friend to one of our classic set-departure tours (minimum of 14 days in length) and the booking is made directly with Rockjumper, you will qualify for a US$400 discount. The discount can only be redeemed if the full tour price is charged and is valid only on our classic set-departure tours. The discount cannot be redeemed if other discounts are given on the same tour. Furthermore, the discount will be issued to you as soon as you contact our office, which must be within 1 month after the person that you referred registers for their first tour. If the person you referred cancels their booking, then the discount you received in relation to this referral will no longer be valid. To find out more regarding the terms and conditions of our referral discount please click here.

Rockjumper caters to a wide range of birdwatchers and the tour variety reflects this.

Our offerings have been carefully designed to typically try and find a wide variety of different species. Particular attention is also usually given to the region’s endemics and specialities. We also focus on other unique wildlife when opportunities present themselves. Tigers are often one of the top sightings on our Northern India tours; while seeing species like Cheetah, Leopard, Lion etc. are all favourites when on our Kenya & Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls tours. On Madagascar, we take in as many different species of lemur as we can find and time spent with these beautiful creatures is an undoubted highlight. We also enjoy a myriad of other wildlife, from chameleons and frogs to snakes and other interesting insects such as the odd Giraffe-necked Weevil.

Our mega tours are aimed at listers and are focused on maximising time in the field, in order to see as many different species as possible. The itineraries are often fast paced and attract hardcore birders. On the other end of the spectrum, a number of our tours also hold interest for those that are more general wildlife enthusiasts or those that have other interests such as history/culture and plants. Tours, like our Northern India offering, take in a variety of historical sites including the Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. On our Southern Peru tour, we take the time to visit Machu Picchu. In South Africa, we offer a Birds & Wildflowers tour of Western South Africa, as well as a Birds, Wine & Big Game tour; and in Egypt, we offer a fabulous birds & antiquities tour.

To sum it up, our tours are frequented by an extremely wide variety of birders, from keen listers to those who enjoy looking at birds, and everyone in between. You DO NOT need to be an expert birder to come on our tours. Our leaders are extremely patient and there is a large teaching component on our tours as well. Birders on our tours tend to come from a large variety of countries as well, with the USA, UK and Australia well represented.

We also get regular travellers, though, from South Africa, all across Europe, Malaysia, China and Japan. Everyone is welcome and we are continually finding more and more people from the less well-represented countries coming on our tours. It is wonderful to see how birding has taken hold across the world and continues to grow from strength to strength.

Our Budget tours arise from the demand for lower priced birding tours. We have been able to reduce tour rates by offering shorter tours which only concentrate on the essential birding highlights of each region, slightly larger group sizes, and utilising more economical hotels and lodges. These tours are guided by professional bird tour leaders; either full-time Rockjumper guides or premier local birding experts. Our Budget tours are also typically not full board, allowing, where possible, a flexibility of choices for lunches and dinners to suit your taste and budget.

Our general wildlife tours are operated by Rockjumper Wildlife Tours. Our anthropological/cultural trips are set up through Tau Anthropological Safaris; while our pioneering travel tours are run by Out of Bounds.

ORYX – Worldwide Photographic Expeditions is a professional photographic safari company specialising in exceptional wildlife, landscape and cultural photographic tours to some of the Earth’s wildest and most scenic destinations, passionately prepared by photographers for photographers. These tours are geared towards small groups with a serious focus on capturing memorable images of specific highlight species. Time will often be spent in incomparable natural areas with a focus on top quality accommodations and properties offering only the very best experience. The guides are all multi award winning photographers who genuinely love sharing their passion for photography, while ensuring that you return home with an incredible portfolio of images.

Our Wildlife tours have been specifically crafted around the world’s most incredible wildlife experiences. They include an expert wildlife guide and feature iconic mammals of the world, such as Gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda, Tigers and Snow Leopards in India, Jaguars in Brazil and the fabulous Wildebeest migration and other big game and predators in Tanzania, to mention just a few. Besides these headline species, the tours take in a wide assortment of mammals and other wildlife as we enjoy a variety of activities such as night drives, boat trips and walking safaris in order to maximise our wildlife experience. All aspects of wildlife are enjoyed on these trips as they offer a holistic experience.

Our Anthropological tours are geared around exceptional cultural experiences, offering the discerning client the very best in intelligent Human History Tourism, following the journey of the development of our species from its earliest known vectors. We will explore, and even become part of, the daily lives of some of the most exciting and wildest living Tribes of people on earth, and gain an insight into how these ancient cultures have managed to persist into the modern world of the 21st century. These tours will be undertaken with expert guides, with varied specialisations, such as Archaeology, Anthropology, Southern African wildlife, Primatology and extensive guiding experience.

Out of Bounds specialises in exploratory, off-the-beaten-path locations and complex multi-country itineraries to some of the most exotic and least-known regions in the world. Working closely with the most knowledgeable and reliable ground partners in each country we visit, our tours are meticulously crafted with an eye towards guiding travellers deeper than ever before within areas of the world that are often overlooked but teeming with mysteries, adventures and surprises that will assure a rewarding and eye-opening experience.

Some of the tours on the Out of Bounds portfolio include a truly original and all-encompassing trek overland across Iran; an exploration to the furthest regions of western, central and southern China; little-known and seldom-visited regions of Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia; Northeast Brazil’s hidden islands and national parks; a nine-country sweep across Southern Africa’s most beautiful, exciting and wildlife-rich regions; a far-ranging tour throughout northern and southern Algeria, and a pioneering adventure tour to all seven of the once-forbidden Seven Sisters states of Northeast India, and many more!

We also work closely with our agents in the various countries we travel to and if there are potential issues, we discuss this with them in depth. If there was any direct cause for concern, we would assess the situation in full before making any necessary decisions. Our first choice, should the situation allow, would be to rearrange the itinerary to ensure the trip goes ahead. Should a destination become entirely unsafe for travel, then we will cancel the trip and you will receive a full refund.

It is, however, commonplace for world news to sensationalise what is sometimes going in within a particular country. It is also important to understand that conflict is sometimes regional and that our tour might not be going to the area that is deemed to be unsafe. As mentioned before, the safety of our guests and Rockjumper Leaders are of the utmost importance to us and all decisions on whether to cancel a trip or go ahead will be taken very seriously and with everyone’s safety at the core.