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South Africa - Eastern (Small Group)

© Drakensberg Rockjumper by Adam Riley
South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) I 2026

09 Jan 2026 - 23 Jan 2026 (15 days)

ZAR89,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Tour price (Per person): ZAR89,950 * USD4,859 * GBP3,935 * EUR4,666 * AUD7,735

Single Supplement: ZAR7,500 * USD405 * GBP328 * EUR389 * AUD645

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension (Small Group) I 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) II 2026

30 Jan 2026 - 13 Feb 2026 (15 days)

ZAR89,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Tour price (Per person): ZAR89,950 * USD4,859 * GBP3,935 * EUR4,666 * AUD7,735

Single Supplement: ZAR7,500 * USD405 * GBP328 * EUR389 * AUD645

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension (Small Group) II 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) III 2026

20 Feb 2026 - 06 Mar 2026 (15 days)

ZAR89,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Tour price (Per person): ZAR89,950 * USD4,859 * GBP3,935 * EUR4,666 * AUD7,735

Single Supplement: ZAR7,500 * USD405 * GBP328 * EUR389 * AUD645

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension (Small Group) III 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) IV 2026

04 Sep 2026 - 18 Sep 2026 (15 days)

ZAR89,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk

Tour price (Per person): ZAR89,950 * USD4,859 * GBP3,935 * EUR4,666 * AUD7,735

Single Supplement: ZAR7,500 * USD405 * GBP328 * EUR389 * AUD645

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension (Small Group) IV 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) V 2026

09 Oct 2026 - 23 Oct 2026 (15 days)

ZAR89,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Julian Parsons

Tour price (Per person): ZAR89,950 * USD4,859 * GBP3,935 * EUR4,666 * AUD7,735

Single Supplement: ZAR7,500 * USD405 * GBP328 * EUR389 * AUD645

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension (Small Group) V 2026

The provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga on South Africa’s eastern seaboard boast some of the country’s finest birding as well as exceptional mammal viewing. An impressive 750+ bird species occur within the region, reflecting the incredible natural diversity of the area; and this, coupled with a modern infrastructure well suited to the needs of the modern traveller, makes birding here an absolute delight. From the classic African savanna of the world-renowned Kruger National Park and the teeming Zululand game reserves to the endemic-rich mist-belt forests of the Natal Midlands and the lofty peaks of the magnificent Drakensberg, this tour of eastern South Africa offers the very best of southern African birding and game viewing!

Please note: these prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.

Top Birds

Blue, Wattled & Grey Crowned Cranes; Denham’s Bustard; Blue Korhaan; Southern Bald Ibis; Drakensberg Rockjumper; Gurney’s Sugarbird; Bush Blackcap; Ground, Bennett's & Olive Woodpeckers; Knysna, Purple-crested & Livingstone’s Turacos; Chorister Robin-Chat; Drakensberg & Karoo Prinias; Grey Tit; Karoo & Olive Thrushes; Fairy Flycatcher; Layard's & Chestnut-vented Warblers; Cape Parrot; Narina Trogon; Gorgeous & Olive Bushshrikes; Spotted & Orange Ground Thrushes; Cape & Sentinel Rock Thrushes; Rudd’s Apalis; Woodward’s & Cape Batises; Grey Waxbill; Brown & Bearded Scrub Robins; Buff-streaked & Sickle-winged Chats; Pink-throated Twinspot; Neergaard’s, Scarlet-chested & Southern Double-collared Sunbirds; Green Malkoha; Half-collared & Giant Kingfishers; Little & White-fronted Bee-eaters; Southern Boubou; Cape & Forest Canaries; Cape, Spectacled & Southern Brown-throated Weavers; Yellow-breasted Pipit.

Top Mammals

Lion; Leopard; African Elephant; African Buffalo; Black & White Rhinoceroses; Meerkat, African Wild Dog; Black Wildebeest; Nyala; Cheetah; Southern Giraffe; Greater Kudu; Plains Zebra; Common Warthog; Common Eland; Sloggett’s Vlei Rat; Common Hippopotamus.

Habitats Covered

Dune and mist-belt forest, acacia savanna, high elevation and coastal grasslands, mountains, wetlands

Expected Climate

Subtropical with chances for occasional rain, warm to hot in Kruger and Zululand, cooler in highlands, can be cold in winter

Max Group Size

5 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

MODERATE TO CHALLENGING: This tour requires a good level of fitness, stamina, and overall health. It’s best suited for experienced birders who are comfortable with a more active itinerary. Please note that it may not be ideal for avid photographers, new birders, or those with mobility or health concerns.

Moderate. Suitable for all birding / wildlife interest levels and most mobility capabilities. Can be a little tiring due to travel distances.

Accommodation

Good to comfortable.

Ease of Birding

Undemanding, most species provide good visuals. A small number of scarce/rare species.

Number of Species Expected

320 - 380 (400 - 450 with extension)

Other Attractions

Kruger National Park, Sani Pass and Drakensberg Mountains, dramatic scenery, Zulu culture, Indian Ocean, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Photographic Opportunities

Good to very good. Some hides, mostly for mammal photography.

What our clients say about us

Daniel Danckwerts
TT - South Africa Rallid Quest 2019

There are not enough superlatives to describe Daniel Danckwerts! He is a superstar of a guide and I am glad I had the opportunity to tour with him, because he will be in great demand when the word gets out how amazing this tour was! Although he is one of your junior guides, he conducts himself with poise and confidence in excess of his years. His passion for birding, culture and history is unsurpassed and his laugh is absolutely infectious.  He knew all the hotspots for the notoriously difficult species on this tour and even when the birds weren't cooperating, he devised innovative means to ensure the group would have the best opportunity to see these very, very elusive birds. We learned a few lessons on this inaugural tour about patience and stamina.... it is certainly not for the faint-hearted because it requires a lot of hard work but the rewards certainly exceeded the effort.  Where else do you have the opportunity to see mythic flufftails and crakes all in one place? I will absolutely travel with Daniel again!

André Bernon
K

Andre, our guide, has such an infectious nature, which had a huge positive effect on our stay. His incredible knowledge of birds was indeed humbling. A birder's paradise and a guide passionate about birds and nature - what more could one ask for?

Keith Valentine
JT & LT - Birds & Wine

We are writing to say thank you for all you did for us on our recent Birds and Wine tour with you and Alvaro. We really enjoyed meeting you and spending two weeks touring with you around South Africa. The itinerary that you put together with Alvaro was great and all the arrangements worked out to give us a wonderful tour. Your knowledge of the birds and patience spent helping us find and see all the birds really helped us to enjoy our experience and increase our knowledge. We spent much of our time in the Manyoni Reserve in the vehicle with you and it was always exciting finding the wildlife and hearing your analysis of the situation. We also truly appreciated your selection of wineries to visit, the wines we tasted, and the wines you selected to take with us to Zebra Hills Lodge. Your knowledge of the wine and wineries greatly added to our pleasure on the tour. We live in the Northern California wine region and the opportunity to compare South Africa’s wine with the product we know was very enlightening for us. Both the wineries we visited and the wines we tasted convinced us that we were in an excellent wine producing region of the world.

Julian Parsons
DT, South Africa

Our short custom tour with two day trips out of Cape Town was really excellent. Our guide Julian was knowledgeable and engaging and generally a great fit for our small family of three. We found almost all our main target species and Julian was always quick to set up the scope to ensure we all got great views of the more distant birds. As a family with a range of interests including not only birds, but also mammals and plants, we really appreciated that Julian found the right balance between trying hard to find some of the more difficult birds and allowing some extra time for studying plants, especially at Kirstenbosch. Thanks Julian, for a great couple of days! Thanks also to Daniel and Laverne for your help with planning and logistics!

Gregory de Klerk
CS - South Africa

We‘ve had a fantastic time in Cape Town so far, please express our gratitude to Greg again as well for the great time we had with him.

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