Hi Tweets -



Sorry to be so completely off-topic when it comes to Washington birds, but I'm looking for some help planning a trip to South Africa and there does not seem to be a current list-serve for the country. As well, I am having problems making contact with locals there through Birdpal so I'm hoping any of you Tweets who have been there might offer ideas. Feel free to forward this message (pasted below) to others.



Thanks,


Jim Flynn
Seattle, WA





Hi,



I am a member of Birdpal and my wife and I will be coming to South Africa in late September to spend a month birding and sightseeing. I was wondering if you might have a few moments to offer some advice. We are coming up with our itinerary so we can make lodging and other reservations soon. As usual there are so many place and things to see we need to be reasonable and rule out some spots. Our interests include birds, hiking, plants, butterflies and culture.



The following is our proposed itinerary:



Arrive Joburg on 9/21 at 10 PM.



>From Joburg ? fly or drive to Cape Town. (1-2 days) We want to do the west coast while the flowers are still blooming.



Arrive in Cape Town 9/22 or late 9/23?



Explore Cape Town. Drive Garden Coast a short ways for whales, gardens, birds, etc.? (4 days, 9/23 to 9/26-27)



Drive north to West Coast NP, Namaqualand, Tankwa Karoo NP, Ceres, Mountains, Stellenbosch, etc.? Prob. further north for larks, etc. Loop back to Cape Town. (7 days, approx. 9/26 to 10/3)



Fly to Durban? (1 day, around 10/4)



Do KZN coast: Mkhuze, St. Lucia, etc. (6 days, 10/5 to 10/10)



Bird the Drakensbergs.? (6 days, 10/10 to 10/15)



Back to Joburg to fly out on evening of 10/18.



As you can see, we have left a few days out between 10/15 and leaving Joburg 10/18. We can add them in somewhere else that warrants it.



The main area we have grudgingly cut out of our trip is Kruger Park. We have heard the south part is too busy (like Disneyland one person told us). Do you think this is really not an area we should skip? We could rearrange things to go there either at the start or end of the trip, or do the north end although that seems a long ways from Joburg. Info suggests that the game areas in Kwazulu Natal will be as nice as, or better than Kruger. Any thoughts?

The other place we have considered is Uppington and north towards the Kalahari. If it would offer good birding and scenery without the crowds of Kruger that would be something we would tack on to the west coast portion.



Thanks for any thoughts you have on the matter.



Good birding!



Jim Flynn


Jim Flynn
Seattle, WA





Hi,



I am a member of Birdpal and my wife and I will be coming to South Africa in late September to spend a month birding and sightseeing. I was wondering if you might have a few moments to offer some advice. We are coming up with our itinerary so we can make lodging and other reservations soon. As usual there are so many place and things to see we need to be reasonable and rule out some spots. Our interests include birds, hiking, plants, butterflies and culture.



The following is our proposed itinerary:



Arrive Joburg on 9/21 at 10 PM.



>From Joburg ? fly or drive to Cape Town. (1-2 days) We want to do the west coast while the flowers are still blooming.



Arrive in Cape Town 9/22 or late 9/23?



Explore Cape Town. Drive Garden Coast a short ways for whales, gardens, birds, etc.? (4 days, 9/23 to 9/26-27)



Drive north to West Coast NP, Namaqualand, Tankwa Karoo NP, Ceres, Mountains, Stellenbosch, etc.? Prob. further north for larks, etc. Loop back to Cape Town. (7 days, approx. 9/26 to 10/3)



Fly to Durban? (1 day, around 10/4)



Do KZN coast: Mkhuze, St. Lucia, etc. (6 days, 10/5 to 10/10)



Bird the Drakensbergs.? (6 days, 10/10 to 10/15)



Back to Joburg to fly out on evening of 10/18.



As you can see, we have left a few days out between 10/15 and leaving Joburg 10/18. We can add them in somewhere else that warrants it.



The main area we have grudgingly cut out of our trip is Kruger Park. We have heard the south part is too busy (like Disneyland one person told us). Do you think this is really not an area we should skip? We could rearrange things to go there either at the start or end of the trip, or do the north end although that seems a long ways from Joburg. Info suggests that the game areas in Kwazulu Natal will be as nice as, or better than Kruger. Any thoughts?

The other place we have considered is Uppington and north towards the Kalahari. If it would offer good birding and scenery without the crowds of Kruger that would be something we would tack on to the west coast portion.



Thanks for any thoughts you have on the matter.



Good birding!



Jim Flynn