Wonders of the Emerald Season

Robert Courtney
5 days ago
5 min read

Wonders of the Emerald Season

Many of our African destinations, including Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and northern stretches of South Africa (from the Limpopo River and Kruger National Park to northern KwaZulu-Natal), experience their wet season from December to April. This is the Emerald Season, a wonderful time to visit for the slower pace of safari, verdant scenery, lush forests, fewer visitors (though our focus is always on locations where crowds of people don't gather), and exceptional game viewing. It is also the best season for birdwatching, when migratory species add colour, noise, and excitement to the already abundant endemic species. Drawing on our roots (after all, Briggate Travel started with tours and specialist itineraries to Papua New Guinea), we have a curated selection of itineraries featuring the best birdwatching and wildlife destinations on the planet for you to enjoy. Elsewhere in the world, we offer exciting itineraries focused on peak birding locations and seasons to Papua New Guinea, Guyana and Costa Rica.

Emerald Season Specials

Delta Dawn to Desert Dusk:

The Ultimate Botswana Birding Safari

The contrasting landscapes and habitats of the Okavango Delta, with its meandering waterways, and the Kalahari Desert, with its seasonally flooded Salt Pans, make for a near-unrivalled African birding experience. Spend days in the Okavango panhandle, gently gliding past Papyrus in full bloom, watching birds like the African Fish Eagle swoop over the water. Travel from the delta to the Kalahari, where, during the bird-rich Emerald season, the Salt Pans are flooded, making this the ideal habitat for Flamingos and Great-billed Storks. Witness other desert-adapted species, like lions, hunt on open terrain.

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Ultimate Zimbabwean Birding Odyssey

Time your journey for the peak flow of Victoria Falls, hitting the absolute zenith of the birding season. Your adventure spans four legendary habitats: seek out the elusive African Finfoot in the riverine woodlands of the Zambezi River and track formidable raptors and giant Kori Bustards across the sweeping plains of Hwange. Visit Miombo woodlands, a photographer’s paradise, before culminating in the Eastern Highlands. Here, in a lush microclimate, you will unlock Zimbabwe’s crown jewel of birding, ticking off coveted endemics like Swynnerton’s Robin and Livingstone’s Turaco. Raw wilderness meets absolute avian spectacle.

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Malawi - A Birding Destination Like No Other

(Fully Guided)

Malawi, a country smaller than England, is home to around 650 bird species — a place where the Southern and East African zones overlap, giving it more than seventy species found nowhere south of the Zambezi. Our journey is built for the Emerald Season, when the migrants are in, and the country is at its most scenic. Over sixteen nights, you will move through a wide array of habitats: the miombo woodlands of Dzalanyama, the high montane grasslands of Nyika Plateau, the forested shores of Lake Malawi, and the floodplains of the Shire River in Liwonde. It is a route designed to find the birds — and to feel the rare, generous spirit of Malawi along the way.

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A Kruger & Limpopo Birding Pilgrimage

An extraordinary trans-frontier pilgrimage across Africa’s finest avian kingdoms with a curated expedition which bridges South Africa and Botswana. You will be guided through an astonishing mosaic of ecosystems, from dramatic mountain peaks to untamed river systems. Unlock a pristine haven for range-restricted endemics, tracking the legendary Cape Parrot and the vibrant Narina Trogon. Venture deep into northern Kruger’s iconic Pafuri region, a remote riverine wonderland boasting over 450 species, before crossing into Botswana’s rugged Central Tuli Block along the Limpopo River.

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St Helena

South Atlantic Remote Sanctuary

There’s remote, and then there is St Helena… Positioned far out in the South Atlantic, discover one of Earth’s remotest islands, often referred to as 'Africa's Galapagos'. Now accessible with flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg, this tiny subtropical sanctuary boasts a globally vital natural environment and an astounding endemic biodiversity of bird and marine life. Scan the soaring volcanic cliffs and pristine ocean swells for rare pelagic seabirds across beautiful and contrasting landscapes. Beyond the feathers, immerse yourself in the warm hospitality of the 4,400 ‘Saints’, a community deeply connected to ‘people and planet’ and the spectacular marine life. Rich in history—as the final exile of Napoleon—St Helena offers an untamed, off-the-beaten-track breath of fresh air for the dedicated wildlife enthusiast.

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The Great Zambian Flyaway

This expedition flows through three of Africa’s finest wilderness kingdoms, offering the definitive avian and big-game spectacle. Begin in the untamed south of Kafue National Park, a pristine Miombo woodland haven where you will seek out Zambia’s only true endemic bird, the Chaplin’s Barbet. Transitioning north into Central Kafue, the landscape expands into a monumental aquatic world of sweeping floodplains where, amidst giant hippo pods and painted dogs, you will find a dazzling array of waterbirds, from African Skimmers to majestic cranes. The ultimate crescendo awaits as you fly over the Great Rift Valley into the alluvial Eden of South Luangwa, the home of the walking safari. Immersed in a riverside setting, you will encounter the continent's highest concentration of leopards, endemic giraffes, and a kaleidoscope of over 450 bird species, capturing the very soul of wild Africa.

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Guyana Birding & Wilderness Expedition

Embark on the ultimate avian pilgrimage to Guyana, a pristine paradise boasting over 800 bird species. Your journey begins in Georgetown, exploring historic botanical gardens teeming with vibrant parrots and siskins, before a flight reveals the colossal majesty of Kaieteur Falls. Deep in the interior, you’ll settle into secluded, remote lodges along the Iwokrama River, where specialist birding guides reveal the rainforest’s best-kept bird and wildlife secrets. Summit Turtle Mountain for sweeping canopy views and traverse the legendary Atta rainforest canopy walkway. Here, the sheer abundance of birdlife is staggering; you’ll seek out spectacular Guianan cotingas, the elusive Harpy Eagle, and the iconic Guianan Cock-ofthe-rock in their undisturbed natural habitat.

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Costa Rica Unbound

The Ultimate Avian Expedition

Unveil the avian wonders of Costa Rica on a breathtaking 12-night expedition, tailored for independent and passionate birdwatchers. Chase your bucket-list sightings across some 900 different bird species at your own pace, with local ornithology experts on hand to guide you to secret nesting spots. Scale the misty heights of San Gerardo de Dota’s cloud forests, a prime sanctuary for the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal. Descend into the lush Turrialba Valley, a paradise boasting over 450 bird species set against a dramatic volcanic backdrop. In Sarapiquí, witness the rainforest come alive on thrilling night walks to spot elusive nocturnal species, and explore the legendary La Selva Biological Station by foot and boat. Finally, seek out exotic plumage around the majestic Arenal Volcano. Your ultimate birding pilgrimage awaits

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Birding Spectacular in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is home to an unrivalled array of bird fauna, characterised by cassowaries, megapodes, pigeons, parrots, kingfishers, and owlet-nightjars, as well as the iconic birds of paradise and bowerbirds. Of the nearly 800 species of birds recorded in PNG, more than 350 are found nowhere else on Earth. This itinerary takes in the Highlands, the Sepik River, and the Bismarck Archipelago, some of the most significant birding locations on the planet. The itinerary is designed for a slower pace, to explore some of the more interesting birding locations at your leisure with specialist local guides to explore both the flora, fauna and cultures of these mysterious lands.