Reviews & Testimonials

Brian arranged for his co-guide, Eric Hermann to guide us around on the West Coast in February. Before our outing with Eric, our life list number was on 731. All birders will know that it’s quite difficult to add any lifer to that number. However, Eric managed the impossible and showed us not one, but three, lifers in one day! We had a lovely day with Eric and enjoyed his company and benefited hugely from his extensive knowledge.

Ian was very pleasant and has a decent amount of experience, sufficient to know much more than we do. We enjoyed our time with him, as well as his knowledge of the area and its birds.

Hi Brian and Dalene! Thanks for this link, and for all your help with our recent trip. We had a wonderful time with Wilfred and will certainly provide very positive feedback soon! It was wonderful to be able join you for dinner on our night in Langebaan! And thanks again so much for driving around on an “owl hunt” with us afterwards! I’m also attaching a link to our eBird trip report, in case you would like to take a look. This is still a work in progress, with more photos and recordings to be added. But at least it is a start! https://ebird.org/tripreport/322678 Once again, thank you for a fantastic time birding in the Cape Town area, and we will hope to get back again sometime soon to explore more of South Africa’s wonderful birds! Take care and all the best, Marjorie

Highly recommend Brian's Birding Tours I enthusiastically recommend Brian’s Birding Tours for birders who to travel to beautiful Cape Town. The operation is named for Mr. Brian Vanderwalt, who as I learned has four-plus decades of birding experience, and who presently serves as Honorary President of the Tygerberg Bird Club. I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Vanderwalt himself serve as my guide for the following day tours: * Regional habitats, including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, wetlands, and farmlands. * East Coast, including Rooi-els and Betty's Bay. * West Coast National Park. These were remarkably productive tours, but thanks to Mr. Vanderwalt, they were also fun and fascinating. Curious birders will learn much about bird behavior and unique regional ecologies, and curious travelers will learn much about the complex history of South Africa. Mr. Vanderwalt is an endlessly interesting guide, but of greater importance, at least to me, he an amiable, accommodating, and genuinely fun person with whom to spend one’s valuable time. FIVE ENTHUSIASTIC STARS!!!

The two of us spent ten days with birding guide Brian van der Walt and his assistant Ian, traveling north from Cape Town via Vanrhynsdorp to Springbok via the N7, and then north of Upington, before returning via Brandvlei and Calvinia on the R27. The goal was to explore the bird life of the Northern Cape, and in particular to see how many larks, chats and pipets (those elusive lbjs) that could be identified. Over our time together we saw a lot of beautiful countryside at its best after the winter rains. We identified 180 species of which 72 were lifers. This included 11 larks and 6 chats. Brian had rented a comfortable 9-seater van which provided plenty of room and good viewing visibility, and our accommodations each night were interesting and well selected. Our guides were keen to make our stay memorable and in that they succeeded on many levels. The birdlife, the history of the region, the culture, the flora, the geology – all were explained and initiated lively discussions. Brian and Ian are knowledgeable and sociable people who made a great birding trip into an outstanding one. Thank you for a memorable ten days together.

Western Cape Round Trip - Hi Brian, I would like to thank you so much for leading such an excellent trip to the Western Cape. It was a lovely experience. I hope to return again in the not-too-distant future. I did succeed in taking some very good photos which will appear on my screen at home and be a continuing reminder of some great birding. In particular, photos on the pelagic trip came out particularly well despite the danger of falling overboard. Keep well. Best wishes, Peter.

Dear Brian, I must thank you again for the wonderful day you gave me - over-generous into the bargain?! I chalked up fifteen lifers around Cape Town, eleven in your company having seen the others on the previous days. Most of what I hoped for materialized. And of course, numerous non-lifers were much enjoyed too. Again, huge thanks - so glad that Birding Pals passed me your details. I hope your business thrives. All the best. John (Boys).

Thank you so much for a wonderful eight days in Western, South Africa. It is a beautiful country. I saw a lot, learned a lot from you and truly appreciate all your efforts to make the trip interesting. Morning coffee and rusks were essential! Please thank Dalene for her bakery and all her unseen contributions to the town. It was nice having dinner with her, too. Best regards, John French.

Dear Brian, Traude and I are back in the UK, tired but feeling exhilarated after a quite wonderful visit to your own homeland. What a beautiful country! Thank you for the lovely time we had in your company. Without you, and your knowledge of the sites to visit and your indispensable help in identifying species, our thousands of miles of travel would have been largely in vain, as we could never have known where to go, nor how to get there. From both of us, a sincere thank you. Iain and Traude.

Dear Brian, It was a pleasure meeting you and spending such quality time with your well-earned skills and knowledge. Hank has been talking about nothing else but birding. It was a terrific day. Again thank you for your hospitality and we both wish you the very best. Warm and Kind Regards, John & Hank Gerber.

Hi Brian, Thank you for your email. We had a wonderful time in SA a bit too short, to be honest. We enjoyed your hospitality and knowledge and are promoting your activities in the Netherlands since you only had a few Dutch customers. Whenever you’re in Holland let me know and I’ll gladly show you some Dutch lifers! Kind regards, Bart van Liebergen.

Hi Brian, We just got back last night. Once I get my bird list together I’ll share it with you. We enjoyed our birding with you immensely. Regards, Rich & Lorraine Smith.

Dear Brian, We are now back in UK, and missing those SA birds!! Thank you very much indeed for those two terrific days birding in and around Cape Town and on the coast. We all had a wonderful time with you, and really appreciated your expertise and guiding care and patience. So many fabulous species! Huge thanks again for your time – we were so lucky you were available, given our late booking! Hoping our paths cross again. All best, Stephen Lacey.

Hi Brian, Just also wanted to say thank you for a great couple of days birding with you. Both Robert and I had a great time and appreciated your time, patience and enthusiasm. Thanks to you, I managed to get a couple of good shots! Well, I was happy with them! All the best, Julie & Robert Lacey.

Hello Brian, We are now back in Australia after a wonderful time in Southern Africa. We thoroughly enjoyed our days spent with you birding in and around Cape Town. We were also very happy with the accommodation you organised for us. Braeside B&B was great and we couldn't have asked for friendlier or more helpful hosts. Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge with us and making our trip to South Africa so memorable. If you ever come to Australia on a birding trip, please look us up. Fond regards, Felicity and Martin Woodward.

Aloha Brian, Just a quick note to let you know we sent your contact info to our American Express travel agent Vikki Hamm. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with you. If you ever get the urge to bird Hawaii, we hope you’ll accept our hospitality and spend some time in our home. Stay well, Jane & Howard Mayo.

Hi Brian, Thanks for the pictures. And we saw the spotted eagle owl. That was excellent. We had a wonderful time with you. I am looking forward to getting home and sorting everything out. We leave tomorrow early. Hopefully, spring is on the way. Cheers, Nancy & Mike Sorenson.

Thanks for the email and the photos Brian. Yes, I did truly enjoy it. You be well and hope to see you again soon! Cheers, Akil.

Hi Brian, Good to chat to you today, hope you are doing ok. Further to our conversation and just to reiterate, the clients were extremely happy with your guiding, driving, discussions and your humour (as I was too). My view is that you are a sound birder, know your birds extremely well and do an absolutely fantastic job with regard to all the above points. I personally thoroughly enjoyed the tour and your company and thank you very much for all your hard work, enthusiasm and commitment in making my first visit to South Africa such a resounding success. Best regards, Dave, Oriole Birding.

Hi Brian, I just wanted to say thanks very much for a great tour. After all those years of wondering if a Birding tour would suit us, you made it work. Our concern was that we enjoy birds but are not super knowledgeable and intense, but you adjusted to our style and made it very interesting and enjoyable. Once again, thank you!

Hi Brian, I must firstly thank you for a fantastic time I had with your outfit. It was indeed a birder's birding experience with passion! Classic birding by sight and ear, and the sixth sense: the Protea Seedeater and the Rock-jumpers were sixth sense; the guy with the scope couldn't find them until you showed him where! Will come again to SA.

Brian, Thanks for a couple of great days bird watching. We really enjoyed those two days and appreciated your skill and help. Overall I saw about 280 bird species in the 2 weeks in South Africa, of which 118 were life ticks. I also had close up views of leopard and great white shark, which were memorable. Once again thanks and best wishes, Mark.

Hi Brian, Hope all is well, we have just arrived back to HK the day before, fighting off the jetlag and getting back to work! Will just like to write to you to thank you for your warm hospitality and your expert guiding, it was very exciting birding with you, thanks for showing many of our target species! Will no doubt love to visit SA again sometime in the future! Thanks again, and hopefully will be able to bird with you again in the near future. P.S We got 236 total species in the end.

Hi Brian, Just a quick e-mail to say thanks for a great couple of days birding. I really enjoyed it. So it's Northern Cape the next time we come back! Once again, thanks for the great birding and company. Best wishes, Gordon

Hi Brian, Re: Habitat trip around Cape Town - 72 species. Arrived home today and we agreed on the journey that we must contact you, but you beat us to it. Thanks for the email but especially for a lovely day. The trouble is that we were convincing ourselves that we did not need to 'do' South Africa again, however, we enjoyed your tour and the Kalahari sounds good. So, you may find us back in touch again. From a very wet Norfolk, Rick Adams.

Brian Vanderwalt took four of us around the Western Cape for seven days, found all the birds, drove 1500km, organised some wonderful and unique accommodation in the various habitats and at all times generated a happy, good-humoured time for all. He is a birding legend and this is an experience that no serious birder should miss. Very best wishes, Mary, Keith, Glenn, and Lucy.

Hi Brian, Yesterday returned to a freezing cold UK after 2 weeks in sunny Cape Town. Just a short note to say thank you for the 2 days of brilliant birding we did with you last week in the Cape area. Not only did we see the normal brilliant selection of birds in some stunning habitat, but you also managed a couple of lifers for us and a trip to a winery! We will be returning! Very best wishes, Jan and Kathy Haeck.

The tour was excellent and Brian worked very hard to find all the top birds, with great success. I was really not in the same league as the other 5 who were experienced and expert birders. But I was in no way made to feel uncomfortable - quite the opposite, and I got lots of help from Brian and them all. I felt it was good value for money, and we were extremely lucky to have Brian as a guide. Best wishes, Diana.

Brian, Thanks again for a fabulous day birding the Cape. I look forward to the next time I am down your way.

Hi Brian, This is just to say THANKS for a great trip! Worked out ideally from our perspective. By the way, I ended up with 17 lifers, which is a great 2-day trip total. More importantly, we got such great views of almost every new bird AND we got to see a beautiful part of the country! We will recommend you to others. Cheers, Bruce Nygaard.

Hi Brian, We thought it was a great trip. I felt like we had a good amount of time at each of the stops. A little hiking/walking around every now and then for the legs was good. Now we know about the awesome Tankwa Padstal! The guesthouse was just right. Good food there and decent accommodation. Thanks again. I do hope we can do another guided tour with you some day. And we will definitely recommend you to others!

Dear Brian, Just a quick note to thank you for your patience, skills, and excellent company this week. It has been a great introduction to African birds, and a real stimulus to think about coming back for a more serious look with you at some of the areas you talked about. All the very best, Mike

Dear Brian, We want to thank you very, very much for such a great birding--and cultural--experience in your beautiful country. We are in awe of the landscape in South Africa, and the birding is great too. Staying at bed and breakfast places gave the trip a much richer experience for us than a "plastic" hotel. Honeywood Farm and "The Little House on the Prairie" stand out in our memory as especially wonderful. Many thanks again from both of us.

Dear Ione and Brian, Thank you so much for such a wonderful time. We enjoyed meeting you and birding with you. Again, thank you very much.

Hello Brian, I enjoyed every moment of my time with you. I have many photos & treasured memories. Best wishes from a clear (although slightly smoggy), & chilly (0 deg Celsius!) Salt Lake City.

Hi Brian, I thoroughly enjoyed your guiding us on our Cape area tour in Oct 2013. You have so much enthusiasm and passion for finding the birds. While you were driving, I was watching you from the back seat. Your head was constantly going back and forth in bird search and you were always in the moment for birding. I particularly liked our search for the rock jumper even though we weren't successful. I also got a great thrill from our Karoo excursion. The best to you, Terry Sadler.

Dear Brian, Thank you so much! Great birding! Enjoyed your perspectives on history, plants, and more in-depth info on birds and their behaviors (“Clapper” for example). I loved the fact that you gave us all personal attention. You are very comprehensive in your approach & not just checking off a list. You gave personality to the experience! You were the best “guide” and your enthusiasm & positive attitude made it all even better.

Thanks for a great tour, Brian. Although we had some challenges we don’t normally face, and you handled them beautifully. Looking forward to birding with you again.

Hello Brian, About a month back home now and I'm just finishing working up my African images. Phew. It was great meeting you and many, many thanks for giving Margaret and me such a wonderful overview of South African habitats and birds - it was such a good time that it has taken us a while to get back to "normality"! Every view and sighting was special and we got to see lots of nice scenery too. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens was truly amazing in its setting and outlook - one of the many highlights of our adventures.

Thank you, Brian, for an excellent birding trip. You are a very sharp birder and a pretty nice guy! Suzanne & Dominic, José & Alain, Quebec, Canada.

Dear Brian, What a fantastic holiday with you. You are amazing—"Rock Jumper at 50 yds, left" at 50 mph, etc.! You gave so much time and put so much effort into making it such fun and happy time, besides all the birding. I have some photos that I’m really pleased with and a lot that are a good record. I do hope all is well with you over Christmas and that you get a well-deserved break. Look forward to Kalahari!!! All the very best and thank you.

Hi Brian, Many thanks for your email and the picture. After a manic return to home, I finally get a chance to write to you and thank you for an amazing trip. It was a pleasure to spend the day with you and the knowledge you showed was amazing. If we are ever in South Africa again or Namibia, then we will contact you to see what we could work out. Once again, many thanks.

Hi Brian, First of all, thank you so much for another superb trip! Your efforts on our behalf are greatly appreciated. All the best, Ashley.

Dear Ashley and Brian, Kathy, Adrian, and I finally arrived back in the UK yesterday morning after our overnight flight from Jo'burg. We just wanted to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks for providing us with birding holiday memories that will live with us forever. You did a truly great job! Again, very many thanks to you both and Brian, you haven't seen the last of us either! Warmest regards, Jan Haeck & Kathy.

Hi Brian, Many thanks for the photos. Yes, we have both returned safely to a distinctly chilly England after a great time in SA, especially with you! We both very much enjoyed our time with you; in fact, it was by far the best part of our whole trip to South Africa. Best wishes

Thanks Brian, I enjoyed our afternoon, will recommend your services to other birders if they are coming to ZA!

Brian, This is just a note to say again how much I enjoyed the trip to the Betty’s Bay & Tankwa Karoo earlier this week. We leave later today for the Garden Route, returning via Prince Albert and the southern Karoo.

Brian, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed my trip to the Cape & Tanqua Karoo with you. You managed to find almost every single bird I was looking for, and your company made the whole thing even more enjoyable.

Hi Brian, Thanks for a very enjoyable Tygerberg Bird Club outing on Saturday and also your informative list on Tygerberg & Cape Bird Nets. I really like the way that you describe the birds when we are looking at them. Cathy Jenkins.

Dear Brian, I wanted to thank you so much for persisting in your search for the blue crane. It was a great find! And thanks again for all your attention to us.

Dear Brian, A month in South Africa is definitely not enough time. We really appreciate your part in making it such a wonderful tour.

Brian, We all thought your trip was great. It was exciting to see so many species, and I loved your ability to find little spots that produced. Thank you for Karoo Species.

Hi Brian, I want to thank you for a very special and very exclusive experience with birding in the Cape Town area. You were very professional all the way, so I just want to tell you that I was very satisfied.

Hi Brian, Hope I find you well. Just a short e-mail to express my deep appreciation for all your efforts during our Birding trip. The total of 217 of which for me 185 were new birds is a testament to your knowledge, skill, and dedication. Regards from a slightly chilly (but warmed by the memories) Leicester, UK.

Hi Brian, Thanks for the pictures, they are great! I really had a great time on Sunday. I made the total and we had 103 species, quite close to your estimate of 105. Perhaps Steve has a couple more species in his notebook that I did not have time to note. Thanks again for everything. I will strongly recommend your services if I know of people planning to bird in South Africa. Cheers

I have been back for about 2 weeks now and am just getting to the point that I have the time to write to you about my adventures in South Africa. It was the greatest time of my life. Brian is an amazing guide and knows so much about so many different things. I had an amazing time and I think that Brian and I got along really well. He is without a doubt one of the best guides that I have ever been with. If and when I come back to South Africa, I can guarantee that I will be using your services. Thanks again for everything!!

Thank you for a wonderful day's birding with the Ehlers couple in the Tanqua. It was an absolute privilege to see how your patience and persistence pay off in the field. I believe far too many birders are in too much of a hurry and hence "depend" on call back tapes. My tape recorder packed up years ago and I am not intending to replace it. Once again, many thanks.

A BIG thank you for such a wonderful time in the Tanqua, for all the trouble you went to get us there....and ESPECIALLY for that amazing sighting of the Cinnamon Breasted-warbler! What a treat. Again, I say what a fabulous driver you are! Many thanks again, Brian.

I cannot begin to thank you enough for the unbelievably special time we spent with you in the Tanqua. I just LOVED every minute of it and am so chuffed to have added so many lifies to my list. Thank you for going the extra mile and just for making our birding trip such a wonderful experience. I so look forward to our next trip. Many Thanks, Brian.

Hi Brian, Many thanks for the photos and especially the excellent birding experience. For you to find 6 out of 6 birds requested was exceptional. I look forward to birding with you again.

Hi Brian, Thanks for correcting the bird IDs—don't want too many embarrassing errors! Having sorted out the IDs, I thought you might like to see a few of the images that I like best (I know what these are!). Of course, good photo opportunities are made when the guide places you in the right position for the shot to be taken, and we thank you very much for doing just that on so many occasions.

Brian, I can only say that I thoroughly enjoyed the two days of very successful birding. Your local knowledge was very impressive, and I will certainly show my appreciation at least by booking with you again next time I am birding in Cape Town (probably in about 6-8 months). P.S. I spotted the House Crows at the airport.

Dear Brian, Thank you again for the days guiding you gave us at the Cape and the West Coast. We enjoyed it greatly and you found us so many species and gave us great views. Thanks also for the travel hints you gave us about Bushmanland and the Kalahari.

Hi Brian, Hope this e-mail finds you well. Herewith my trip report that I have also posted on other birding sites, thanks for all your efforts. An idea to visit Cape Town and get to grips with some Cape endemics during a week’s hard birding was hatched last year between me and my brother Lee. We maximized our time by utilizing the services of a local bird guide. As it transpired, I don’t think we could have picked a better bird guide.

Hi Brian, We had a fantastic time with you in the Western Cape and look forward to coming down again and doing the Garden Route or the Kalahari next time. Love to come back as we really enjoyed it so much. Thanks again and good birding. Cheers, Mike

When my wife and I first went birding with Brian, on two days in October 2005, we vowed that one day we would return to South Africa and go with him on a longer trip. This March we did just that. The trip was all we hoped it would be and more. Brian once again showed himself a five-star birder and a great companion. We are already looking towards another trip in 2009!

I was among the 6 clients who Brian Vanderwalt took to the Tanqua Karoo last week and I really want to recommend Brian as a Master of the Tanqua! We could not have had better guiding! Thanks, Brian, it was all I hoped it would be!

Tanqua Karoo Tour - What I really wanted to say was a huge "thank you" for such an amazing birding trip! I have been on quite a few and have never seen anyone with such a natural gift and dedication for finding birds as you have. Hopefully, I will be coming back in April for another Pelagic and to track down the 3 elusive warblers and Cape Rockjumper. .

We had two days out from Cape Town, birding with Brian. The first was around False Bay and Betty’s Bay, while the second took us up to the West Coast National Park. Both trips were brilliant, and it is difficult to pick on anything, but Cape Rockjumper, Verreaux’s Eagle, Blue Crane, Southern Black Korhaan, and Black Harrier have to be amongst the many highlights. We were both sad to have to say goodbye to him, and hope that one day soon we will be able to return to South Africa. If so, the first person we shall contact will be Brian!

Comments on my Cape Town bird guide Brian Vanderwalt: he arrived on time, was flexible as to itinerary, charged reasonable rates, and had a great attitude. Most importantly, he was a real guide. He knew where to find the birds, knew about their nesting and migratory patterns, habitat requirements, and which species were endangered and why. He is a great spotter, noticing many birds I would have missed. In short, a superb birding experience. I'd recommend this guy to any birder or bird lover. Best, Casey.

Also thanks again for your time and expertise in Cape Town. I managed to notch up about 170 species in all—not bad for a business trip... 17 'firsts'.

I have to tell you that Brian is a very good guide, a prepared birdwatcher, and a very nice person. I had a wonderful time with him. I hope to meet you again someday.

I have to tell you that Brian is a very good guide, a prepared birdwatcher, and a very nice person. I had a wonderful time with him. I hope to meet you again someday.

Having birded around the world, I found Brian to be an excellent birder and birding guide. He knows where the birds are, whether it be a remote location in the Karoo, a retention pond, or in a neighborhood. In a few very enjoyable days, we saw about 80% of the 225 birds in the Cape Town area, including many of the endemic species, sure to please any "lister". He also has broad knowledge of the natural world to fill in the down times, making birding with Brian a well-rounded experience. Not only a good birder, he's a good companion as well.

Thank you very much for your pleasant company during the weekend of 28-29 February 2004. I think we had a very efficient birding trip, and I will certainly recommend you to the Tour Committee. According to my recordings, we observed 127 species altogether (you got a few more - I know that), and more than half of those were new to me. Excellent!

Thank you for the excellent guidance and memorable birding experiences during our Cape Town excursion. We appreciate your patience and expertise in helping us discover the unique avian species in the region. Your knowledge and passion made the trip truly special. I will be sure to recommend you to fellow birders visiting the area. Looking forward to future birding adventures. Anonymous.