Our top five birding safaris.

Posted by Leon on Mon January 25, 2021 in Featured Safaris.

For this week's blog post we're going to feature our five favorite Lawson's original birding safaris. Which is actually a tall order, as all of our safaris are outstanding. But this selection brings together five tours that cover a number of different countries, areas and habitats, offering birders exposure to an incredible range of species. Take a look!

1: Birds & Wildlife of Kenya:

Kenya has a bird list of over 1000 species. Plus some of Africa's most impressive large mammal biomass. It's a no-brainer... We like this birding safari for exposure to the incredible avifauna and large mammal biomass of East Africa (offering something different to that of Southern Africa). April 2021 / 22.

2: Western South Africa Endemics:

South Africa is incredibly rich in endemic birds - in fact, it's the richest on the entire continent in this respect! There are a total of 69 endemic and near-endemic species, and this birding safari will give you a shot at almost all of those found in the western part of the country... November 2021 /22.

3: Eastern South Africa Endemics:

Continue on directly after the western leg with the eastern leg to wrap up on South Africa's endemics and near-endemics (plus a whole lot more!)... Nov. / Dec. 2021 / 22.

4: Essential Namibia Birding:

Namibia is unique in every way! From its birds to its wildlife and landscapes (especially its landscapes!) - this tour showcases some of the best of central / northern Namibia, covering most of the main birding spots. We just love Namibia! Nov. / Dec. 2021 / 22.

5: Botswana: Water & Wilderness:

This birding safari offers something unique with a house-boat experience on the Okavango River to kick off the tour, plus a number of other boat-based birding excursions. Plus it covers more than just Botswana, including parts of eastern Namibia and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Sound awesome, right? It sure is...

Birds & Wildlife of Kenya Western SA Endemics Eastern SA Endemics Botswana: Water & Wilderness. Essential Namibia Birding

Further Reading

African Skimmer at sunset.
Birding by Boat in Southern Africa. Fri April 14, 2023

It's always more fun on the water... birding, that is. In Southern Africa birding is usually done by foot or car - car being the most used method generally, especially in national parks where there are certain creatures that can make you very glad that your medical cover is up to date. In open savanna habitat the car has certain advantages - it acts a bit like a mobile hide (or 'blind'...

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Group on a custom safari in South Africa
The art of the custom safari Thu February 4, 2021

Let’s face it, going on a safari in a big group is just not the way to do it. Small group tours are the hallmark of every good birding and wildlife tour operator out there, but if you really want exclusivity and flexibility, a custom safari is the way to go. And here at Lawson’s we are specialists in the art of the custom safari…

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Birding in Kenya.
Kenya Safari Photo Trip Report; May 2026. Mon July 20, 2026

In May 2026 we ran our Birds & Wildlife of Kenya small group safari, which was once again just terrific. The itinerary worked very well indeed, giving a good overview of Kenya without being too rushed and trying to include too much - road travel in East Africa is generally very slow, so getting from A to B takes time, and many itineraries simply include too may locations. The accommodations were very...

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