31 Jan 2025 - 03 Feb 2025 (4 days)
ZAR20,950 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Daniel Danckwerts
Tour price (Per person): ZAR20,950 * USD1,121 * GBP895 * EUR1,079 * AUD1,800
Single Supplement: ZAR1,150 * USD62 * GBP49 * EUR59 * AUD99
Embark on a thrilling birding expedition to the famed Sani Pass, the highest mountain pass anywhere in South Africa where the rugged beauty of the Drakensberg Range meets the high Lesotho Plateau. With a blend of modern convenience and untamed wilderness, this journey promises unforgettable encounters with several of South Africa’s most sought-after near-endemic species. Top among these are the Drakensberg Rockjumper and Gurney’s Sugarbirds, each belonging to endemic bird families. Other notable targets will include the little-known Mountain Pipit, Sentinel Rock-thrush, endangered Cape Parrot, Orange Ground Thrush, Bush Blackcap, Barratt’s Warbler, Cape and Bearded Vultures, and Drakensberg Siskin. Join us for a short tour that will leave a lasting impression on both novice and seasoned birdwatchers alike!
Blue Crane, Denham's Bustard, Southern Bald Ibis, Cape & Bearded Vultures, Black Harrier, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Gurney's Sugarbird, Bush Blackcap, Ground Woodpecker, African Rock Pipit, Cape Longclaw, Knysna Turaco, Cape Parrot, Olive Bushshrike, Bokmakierie, Layard's Warbler, Orange Ground Thrush, Cape & Sentinel Rock Thrushes, Buff-streaked Chat, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Drakensberg Siskin, Forest Canary.
Grey Rhebok, Common Eland, Springhare, Slogget's Ice Rat.
mist-belt forests, high-elevation grasslands, mountains, wetlands.
Subtropical conditions with chances for rain. Cool in the highlands.
6 with 1 Rockjumper tour leader
Relaxed.
Excellent
Easy
150+
Sani Pass into Lesotho, excellent scenery
Good but time limited
The tour was fantastic. Julian Parsons is an excellent guide. Outstanding with both birds and people. Several times he was required to troubleshoot problems and issues and did so without distracting from the trip in any way. Our driver was also fantastic. Two flat tires, but he quickly changed out to the spare and arranged to have both fixed, after hours! He was very personable and incredibly safe driver. We always arrived on time (or early) without incident, including when we had the flat tires.
Having been a guide myself in Australia from time to time, I genuinely appreciated the time and effort Greg dedicated to preparing for each day of the tour; where possible, there was an alternative site or activity if ever bird sightings or weather did not go exactly to plan. Greg acted with great professionalism throughout the tour and looked after himself well so he could look after us while on the road and in the bush... For me, the bottom line is: Greg is an excellent birder and a bloody good guide, and, an absolute gem of a bloke. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my time on the tour.
Greg de Klerk was an excellent guide who made sure I saw as many birds as possible and set a reasonable pace. He was easy to talk to and very informative, I was very impressed with his knowledge.
Great tour with amazing birds to see. Greg and Ward did a terrific job of finding the birds and making sure we saw everything. Kruger National Park was spectacular and we had unbelievable views of the animals. Loved the safari vehicle through the park and would recommend using it on future tours. The van was good as we all had window seats. Unfortunately there were issues with opening a couple of the windows along with electrical issues with the refrigerator and charging units at each seat but the guides adjusted to the situation as needed to make the experience a good one. The trip had a lot of time inside the van and sighting/seeing birds from the van. I would have liked more walking maybe on the roads when possible but I understand we were trying to see as many birds as possible. Overall a remarkable trip lead by professional, experienced guides and a great group of birders made this trip memorable.
This was my first pelagic tour, and I loved every minute of it. The guides were excellent - informative, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and patient. Couldn't have asked for better, thank you.
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