The Guide's Tale Blog. - Page 5

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…

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!

When I moved into Herfsakker Retirement Village seven years ago my family imagined I would be ‘traditional’ and sit on my stoep (porch) drinking coffee. That is what is supposed to happen, I believe, to people in their latter years when they are no longer working. Not so in my case though as birding has long been both my profession and my hobby. I spent a lot of time atlasing and travelling around Mpumalanga seeking birds in places I had never ever visited before, and I loved it. Then came the registration of the Turning Kruger Green project and that was the best three years of my life I feel. However that is now behind me and I do find I am slowing down in my old age.
This is where my stoep comes into play...

NOTE: This lodge suffered severe fire damage in September 2021, and is currently closed.

Every now and then we're going to look at our choice of best safari lodges in Africa. This month's is: Ta Shebube Polentswa Lodge, Botswana.

The small safari lodge concept is done better in Africa than anywhere else, and we are fortunate to have visited a fair few on our tours and travels. This month’s featured safari lodge is Polentswa, situated deep in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, on the Botswana side of the Nossob River, in one of the remotest parts of Southern Africa.

If 2020 gave us anything, it was time – time to learn and take on new hobbies and pursuits. And birding became one of the new ‘cool’ things to get into. It’s one of the Covid-19 winners, along with virtual safaris and multi-national drug conglomerates. All over the world, laypeople became birders overnight, as it’s something that one can do in the back garden, helping to pass the time and keep the grey matter stimulated during the dark days of hard lockdown, when the golf course and bridge club were well out of bounds.