Reviews
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Caprivi Birding Tour 2024
Thank you for organizing such a brilliant tour! I loved every place which we stayed in - each was unique in its own way.
Tim was an amazing tour guide! His knowledge of the birds and the environment was tremendous. He went out of his way to find the birds on our lists, and as a result I found 128 new birds, some of which were specials for even experienced bird watchers, such as the yellow morph of the Crimson Breasted Shrike; the African Broadbill; Ross’s Turaco; Pale-throated Greenbul; Rufous-bellied Tit …. I’m still going through my notes, but it far exceeded my expectations.
Tim not only had good knowledge, but I appreciated his kindness and patience with us beginners (and with us seniors, needing our afternoon naps and forgetting things)
It was great to have met Steve and have him join us. I’m amazed at his ability to identify a bird without his binoculars when it is just a spec in the sky! I love his sense of humour and his vast knowledge of the flora, geology and entomology.
Our group got on very well, which made the whole experience very relaxed.
Alison G
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Caprivi Birding Tour 2024
Thank you so much. Our hopes were exceeded. I couldn't have imagined seeing so many unusual and beautiful birds. I guess that was to some extent the benefit of having the listers with us, contrary to my apprehensions. We really enjoyed meeting the couple, and hope we have made new friends.
Steve and Tim were so knowledgeable about the birds and the veld. They went to lengths to find Mike's birds on his list. Tim had so many interesting details about the birds and other related things. He was helpful and patient with my shortfall in bird watching, and helped me with the common birds that were insignificant to the more experienced birders. I've been out of the bush for the best of 20 years, so I'm very rusty. I refer specifically to Tim because Steve insisted, he was on holiday just like us, and Tim was the tour leader. He looked after all our needs and beyond.
And the Carmine Bee-eaters were absolutely exquisite. More beautiful than I could even imagine! Especially when we saw them as the sun set and made the pinks glow like fire in the dying sun of the day. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for the really great accommodation. The food was good and we liked the rooms a lot. Our comment in some was "We would love to stay here for a week", particularly Kazile, Roy's Camp and Mahangu. Who knows? Perhaps we will.
Also, the vehicle is comfortable and I really liked that it is air-conditioned. The weather was pretty hot.
Thank you for a most amazing experience.
Kit W.
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Caprivi Birding 2023
Dear Berenike & Sean,
Got back to Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon late, tired but elated.
I speak on behalf of the group when I say to both of you from the organisational perspective and from the actual birding perspective what a fabulous trip we had. Nothing was too much trouble and the days rolled through seamlessly.
Sean, your birding passion and knowledge so vast and immense that I said to the best of the team one actually became lazy about looking at a bird when you were not present and trying to identify it, but to get for myself 20 lifers through, Sean, your knowledge of their preferred habitat was fantastic.
You are doing a fantastic job at Batis Birding. Keep it up and we wish you all the very best for the rest of the year and the festive season. Hopefully you can have a break and may your business go from strength to strength in 2024.
Last but not least, and certainly a trip that Sean brought up relating to the I do not know whether it was 5 nights or 5 days, starting in Walvis, please just send me an itinerary you have used for one of your trips. We would only do it in a year's time or early 2025.
Kind Regards,
Mark & The Team
Desert Day Tour
We had the most incredible experience with The Naturalist collections 'Desert Day Tours' and their extremely knowledgeable and professional guides. This was, without doubt, the absolute highlight of our Namibian holiday. If you do nothing else do this, and we're looking forward to going on one of their many highly recommended birding safaris. The Braine's are masters at sharing their vast knowledge with their clients. I could not possibly recommend this more highly. You will NOT be disappointed.
Steve Gildenhuys
Our Africa Trip
We wish to thank you so very much for your assistance and contribution to the success of our trip to Africa this past month. All of the connections and arrangements you provided went swimmingly. The Caprivi Adventures driver was excellent in handling the passage from Vic Falls to Katima Mulilo with no issues along the way. Lunch at the café in Katima Mulilo was much welcome!
All of the lodgings were well prepared for us, coordinated effectively and we had a great time fishing and sunset sailings on the Okavango River at Hakusembe. We enjoyed the accommodations at the Gondwana lodges, the variety of menu items at the various locations, and were very comfortable at the various locations you recommended. Canyon Village was quite interesting as to character and construction, and our timing worked out well for limiting crowds at Sossusvlei and the Fish River Canyon.
It was certainly hot for us in most places, considering our typical temperatures in Alaska, and Tahoe City, CA for Jack and Dorie, but we did manage to enjoy rain showers and/or thunderstorms at nearly each place we stopped on our journey (including at Joe’s Beer House, our last evening in Namibia)!
BTW, the vehicle we rented from Namibia Car Rental that was delivered to us worked out well, and I’m pleased to recommend them to others that are interested in having vehicles delivered to a location, rather than starting and ending in Windhoek.
In all, a very successful and enjoyable trip, and we thank you for all the help in getting the adventure set up. Please think of us if you happen to make a trip sometime to Alaska!
Sincerely yours,
Tom Lovas and Mary Anderson
Amazing two weeks in Namibia
Review of Living Desert Eco Dune Tour
For our latest trip to Africa, we wanted to focus not only on animals but also on plants. While searching for a safari tour that would accommodate our wishes, we found this family-owned company. We made arrangements with Berenike (she was always super kind, prompt in answering, and extremely efficient!), who helped to organize our two-week tour in September, guided by Steve Braine. We started in Windhoek and first headed south to Aus and Luderitz – desert flowering was downright spectacular, and Steve was awesome, finding and identifying various species of plants. Also, the Luderitz peninsula was incredible (albeit a bit windy ), and the boat tour was a nice opportunity to observe penguins and sea lions. Following the incredible south, we slowly made our way north, visited Sossusvlei, passing some incredible sights (in addition to Deadvlei) along the way. We spent a couple of days in Swakopmund, where we joined their Living Desert Tour (Arnold was amazing, finding us a couple of sidewinders, a chameleon, and several other lizards). Then, we went along the Skeleton Coast (made an obligatory stop to see welwitschias) and into Damaraland – in addition to a new set of incredible plants (especially pachypodium in flower), we enjoyed the company of elephants, giraffes, a myriad of birds, and smaller mammals. Toward the end of the journey, we visited Etosha, with its incredible wildlife (big and small) – we were especially thrilled to see honey badgers! Before the end, we also spent a night at Waterberg Plateau, where we focused on birds and butterflies.
This brief account merely scratches the surface of the flora and fauna we encountered, an experience made possible by Steve's unparalleled expertise. He is enthusiastic about the whole ecology of Namibia, such as (but not limited to) plants, butterflies, bugs, scorpions, birds, and mammals. Not to mention that he has the eyes of an eagle. You can probably find other good tour guides, but we are convinced that no one can match his spectrum of knowledge. In addition, he was a perfect companion, very thoughtful on our specific needs and requests. Our discussions with him were truly memorable, and we find ourselves missing those conversations.
We wholeheartedly endorse The Naturalist Collection team and Steve for their exceptional attention to detail, impeccable logistical planning, and unwavering friendliness. Their efforts transformed our journey into a captivating odyssey, crafting memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. Our trip was nothing short of extraordinary, thanks to their expertise, and we cannot recommend them highly enough!
Jernej and Maja
Madagascar
We have just returned from a 19 day trip to Madagascar organised and crafted by the Batis Birding Team. The service and hours they put into crafting this very exciting and adventurous program was amazing. They carefully researched various wildlife(lemurs, Sifaka's etc) and birding options to give us the best possible exposure. And did they deliver, from organising flights, convenient stop-over accommodation in Johannesburg to all arrangements with a really reliable and fantastic ground operator in Madagascar. The Batis Birding Teams attention to detail and continual updating of the group was incredible and highly appreciated. Thanks Team Batis Birding.
Russell V
Not just Birding but Everything Namibia
From my first contact, Berenike Behrens was instrumental in planning an 18-day guided Namibia safari, working out the itinerary I proposed, finding the best accommodations throughout, and often being able to confirm the specific units I requested. Our guide, Sean Braine, met us on our arrival at Hosea Kutako Airport and presented us with a detailed trip portfolio, including bird and mammal checklists. He pointed out mammals, birds, and plants while driving to the Kalahari. On our first night in the Namib, he used a UV light to reveal a tiny scorpion between the bricks of a walkway at our lodge. He found a Namib web-footed gecko at Sossusvlei and showed us the endemic dune lark. He located desert-adapted elephant and black rhino in Damaraland and showed us isolated rock engravings. He found Cinderella waxbills at Kunene River Lodge. In addition to a number of black rhinoceros, several with calves, he found a white rhinoceros in Etosha where we also saw a cheetah, an African wildcat, and honey badgers. I doubt that we could have found a driver/guide more familiar with Namibia and its wildlife than Sean Braine.
afriCATracks
