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.

Tour Facts

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

CB, South Africa 2017

Greg handled all personalities with poise, humor and attentiveness and constantly checked to see if everyone was happy. If someone had a problem, he immediately worked on a solution. It is obvious he loves his job, and he went out of his way to find birds for us, even in the most difficult weather conditions. His knowledge of the area was superior. He took excellent care of us and made us feel very welcome!

CA - South Africa 2021

I am still absorbing the wonderful trip that I took to South Africa. It was amazing. the guides, Glen Valentine and Riaan Botha were absolutely wonderful. They not only knew their birds and mammals, but they both had wonderful people skills. from the moment they showed up until they departed, I felt safe. They took good care of us, seeing to our basic needs, preparing us for the day's birds and itinerary.

RB - South Africa 2024

Both Greg and Wade were amazing. Greg has a fantastic knowledge of the area and it's wildlife. He was always willing to add information and facts regarding the wildlife we observed. He managed the tour expertly and his enthusiasm was contagious. And Wade is flat out the best bird/wildlife finder that I have ever been around. Truly extraordinary. The trip was beyond my expectations.

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.

AC & MJ, South Africa 2019

Thanks to Rynart Bezuidenhout and Daniel Danckwerts for an unforgettable tour. Their effort to give us the very best experience was sublime. Not only was our ambition to see the wanted birds, animals and nature much more than fulfilled – our competent, friendly and openminded guides also managed to give a perspective into the life and culture in South Africa of today. This we appreciate a lot.

South Africa - Eastern III 2025 - February 2025

South Africa - Flock to Marion - Sani Pass post-tour extension 2025 - January 2025

South Africa - Flock to Marion - Sani Pass pre-tour extension 2025 - January 2025

South Africa - (F2M ext) Andersson 2025 - January 2025

South Africa - Flock to Marion - Eastern pre-tour extension I 2025 - January 2025

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour II 2024 - November 2024

South Africa - Kruger Extension I 2024 - November 2024

South Africa - Bates 2024 - November 2024

South Africa - Joseph & friends (ESA) 2024 - November 2024

South Africa - Wilkens & Lenssen 2024 - November 2024

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour I 2024 - November 2024

South Africa - Cape Extension V 2024 - October 2024

South Africa - Ann 2024 - October 2024

South Africa - Eastern V 2024 - October 2024

South Africa - Cape Extension IV 2024 - October 2024

South Africa - Eastern IV 2024 - September 2024

South Africa - West 2024 - September 2024

South Africa - Allen (Cisticola Ref) 2024 - August 2024

South Africa (Cape & Kruger) - Kidwell - June 2024

South Africa - Kovich 2024 - June 2024

Your details
Title
Name*
First Last
Email*
Phone
Your country
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Tour of Interest
Tour of Interest
Your Enquiry*
Contact permission

We would love to send you Newsletters (twice yearly).via Type a message, Promotions/Discounts (weekly), Blog Articles/Image of the Month (monthly) and other content that we think you would find interesting. If you are happy with this then please select your preferences below. If you would like to unsubscribe from previous subscriptions, or leave our mailing list entirely, then please do so by visiting the Preference Centre link at the bottom of these emails.
*
- Yes, I would like to receive this content of interest and to better filter the content sent to me, I am a :
- Hardcore (target focussed with a strong desire to see as many species as possible on each trip)
- Middle of the road (target focussed but more relaxed by nature and do not expect to see everything)
- Relaxed (enjoy birds but am happy seeing whatever we see)
- Photographer
- No thanks, I don't want to hear about any of these offers or content
CAPTCHA
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) IV 2025

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) V 2025

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) I 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) II 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) III 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) V 2026

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) I 2027

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) II 2027

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) III 2027

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) IV 2027

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) V 2027

South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) VI 2027