Booking 

Please contact me via email or WhatsApp or just give me a call and we can make a booking for your Cape Town birding tour. Booking in advance is recommended to avoid disappointment.

 

Deposit

No deposit required for Cape Town birding day tours, full payment accepted on the day.

 

Payment methods on tour day

  • Cash payments : Can be made in person  ( Only ZAR )
  • Credit card payment : Credit card payments can be made in person with my mobile Point- Of-Sale device

 

Ethical birding

  • I do not make use of playback to attract birds
  • I do not use a laser pointer to target bird location

 

eBird for listing

I have joined the eBird listing service and will be using the Application for listing on all my birding tours. I will be more than happy to share your birding days list with you at the end of the day ,so you can focus on enjoying the bird sightings.

 

What does a Cape Town birding tour look like

My Cape Town birding tours typically involve visiting up to five destinations, combining both car and walking bird watching. The tours include walks in locations such as botanical gardens, national parks, beaches and scrubland. This is not a bird hide tour ( although we do visit some hides), its about getting out into nature and experiencing different birding habitats and the different bird species that occupy these habitats.

 

Duration of full day birding tours

Please have a look at the itinerary for each tour as their durations are all different due to the distances travelled and traffic. My tours are private, which means if you want to cut the day shorter, it is possible, but it won’t change the cost of the tour.

 

Weather

Cape Town is well known for having four seasons in one day, we are located at the most southern tip of Africa which means the weather is constantly changing. Wind does not affect my day trips as I plan the day accordingly.

 

Transport

My tours only run from Cape Town . I use a Toyota Hilux for my birding tours, it provides ample space, comfort, safety and air conditioning for those hot summer days.

I do pickups in the Northern suburbs , the Southern suburbs, the Cape Town CBD and the Atlantic seaboard. If you are not located in any of these areas, such as the southern peninsula from Hout Bay around to Muizenberg, then I will set a meeting place half way between where I am located and your accommodation.

 

National park entrance fees

National park entrance fees are included in the tour fees. If you wish to visit a Park or Reserve not included in the tour itinerary , clients will have to cover the cost of the entrance ticket.

 

Food

I provide a picnic lunch – sandwiches, fruit and nuts .This saves time and means we don’t have to sit at a restaurant and wait for our food. If you are vegan, vegetarian or have food allergies , please let me know, its probably better if you then provide your own lunch. In this case I will deduct R150 from the price of the tour.

Sandwich options :  Chicken mayonnaise / Tuna mayonnaise / Cheese, Tomato, Salad

 

Drinks

I provide bottled water for the full day tours, its important to stay hydrated in the summer heat in Cape Town, so we will have plenty of water available, any other drinks are at the clients own cost.

 

Equipment

I have an extra pair of binoculars  that clients are welcome to use if they don’t have their own equipment. I am not a photographer,  I am a birding guide and only carry binoculars but will spend all my energy lining up your birds and spotting the different species so you can get the shot of the day. As this is a private tour you can spend as much time as you wish taking photographs, no rush.

 

Who can attend

As mentioned in my tour philosophy on the About page, I provide an all-round experience with birds being the priority but not the basis on which the success or enjoyment of the experience is dependent. Novices, experienced birders and nature lovers are all most welcome.

 

Fitness

Moderate fitness is required for our birding walks, but there is no rush and birding requires patience and a good sense of humor rather than physical strength.

 

Clothing and sunscreen

Make sure you bring along a hat and sunscreen is a good idea, long sleeves can protect your arms if you prefer . Please wear comfortable walking shoes,  enclosed shoes are preferable for birding so you don’t break that big toe,  while looking up at the birds flying overhead.

 

Group size

All my birding day tours are private and that means group sizes are small , minimum of 1 person and maximum of 3 clients per tour , better birding is done in small groups to ensure stealth.

 

Please review my business

We live in an age where the majority of people judge a business on the reviews that they receive online, I therefore want to sincerely ask all clients to leave a quick review of their birding experience with Hermans birding tours. All reviews, whether good or bad, play an important part in the growth and improvement of my business.  Here is the link to leave a Google review .