NAMIBIA BIRDING & WILDLIFE TOUR

To the uninitiated, what perhaps comes to mind when the country of Namibia is mentioned is barrenness. Much of the land is dry, the dune-filled Namib Desert stretches inland for miles, and the mountains rise starkly above the coastal plain. But to those in the know, Namibia is a must-visit country with stunning scenary, varied landscapes, special birds, and superb wildlife. It's a fascinating country with geography that ranges from the photogenic Namib Desert to arid mountains to dry savanna to superb game parks to the lush Zambezi region of the north. The government supports strong environmental and anti-poaching laws, game animals wander freely even outside park boundaries, and everywhere we visit offers much desired localized specialty birds mostly shared with southern Angola or western South Africa. For these reasons it's a pleasure touring and birding this off-the-beaten-path country. Our standard birding and wildlife tour covers the central highlands, lowlands, Damaraland, and interior north as far as Etosha National Park.

Our tour begins immediately upon arrival at the airport in Windhoek. Birding there and at the sewage ponds is followed by an afternoon game and birding drive in nearby Daan Viljoen National Park. The tour proceeds across the arid central plateau with birding above and down Spreetshoogte Pass. After an overnight at Namibgrens, the tour continues with a transfer to the lowlands followed by birding on the fringes of the Namib desert and along the foothills of the Naukluft Mountains. We'll enjoy a spectacular sunrise over the Namib dunes before birding our way to Walvis Bay. We have a full day there birding the dry Kuiseb riverbed south of Walvis Bay and the Walvis Bay saltworks and lagoons. We then head north, stopping to bird around Swakopmund before continuing north into Damaraland. After seeking out the specialty birds of this arid region, we'll transfer inland to the town of Omaruru with a stop for birding around the very scenic canyonlands of Spitzkoppe. We then head north for 3 days of simply superb game and birding safaris within fabulous Etosha National Park before circling back south to one of Namibia's premier birding sites at Waterberg Plateau. A final day is spent birding there before returning to Windhoek for the end of the tour.

Tour Considerations

PACE - The pace of this tour is generally easy but we'll be birding early when birds and animals are most active.

DIFFICULTY - The tour is physically easy as virtually all birding and game viewing is done along roadsides or from vehicles.

CLIMATE - Namibia has a dry climate and rainfall is quite limited except in the far north. The coastal region is cool and dry throughout the year. The central plateau is pleasantly warm during the day and cool at night during austral summer. Winter months are June to August when temperatures can drop to freezing except along the coast. Winter dry season is May to October. Wet season is from November to April. Afternoon thunderstorms mainly occur from January to March, and when they do the desert turns green.

BIRD AND MAMMAL ACTIVITY - Birds are most active and are breeding from November to April. In addition, those are the months when Palearctic migrants are present. Mammals congregate more around waterholes during the dry season from May to October, especially from July to September, and those months are the peak season for general tourists.

PHOTOGRAPHY - Namibia is a great country for photographing birds and wildlife. The open habitat makes bird photography easy, and opportunities for photographing wildlife are outstanding.

• Photos from Past Tours
• Travel Information

BIRDING LOCALES
FOR THIS TOUR

• Brandberg White Lady Lodge
• Daan Viljoen Game Park
• Naukluft Mountains
• Omaruru
• Sossusvlei & Namib Desert
• Spitzkoppe
• Spreetshoogte Pass
• Swakopmund
• Walvis Bay
• Waterberg Plateau
• Windhoek & Avis Dam