4WD Tours
4–5 hours
Recommended by 96% of travellers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
£41
per adult
The Naturalist Collection
The Naturalist Collection
5
SafarisEco ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife ToursDay Trips
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Batis Birding Safaris is a Namibian owned tour company and part of The Naturalist Collection. We offer guided Desert Day Tours from Swakopmund as well as guided and self-drive tours throughout Namibia and guided tours to Angola, Madagascar, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Our Desert Day Tours specialise in day excursions to the Namib Desert including the well sought after "Living Desert" tour. Our tours are Eco Tours and are designed to have minimal impact on the environment.
We offer half day and full day activities around Swakopmund. We collect and drop off guests at their overnight accommodations for these activities and provide home baked snacks and refreshing beverages. We welcome children along for the adventure. Our tours are conducted in English and information is shared in an interactive way. Booking in advance is essential to avoid disappointment!
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5.0
150 reviews
Excellent
137
Very good
8
Average
1
Poor
2
Terrible
2
JAM
Ljubljana, Slovenia11 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
For our latest trip to Africa, we wanted to focus not only on animals but also on plants. While searching for a safari tour that would accommodate our wishes, we found this family-owned company. We made arrangements with Berenike (she was always super kind, prompt in answering, and extremely efficient!), who helped to organize our two-week tour in September, guided by Steve Braine. We started in Windhoek and first headed south to Aus and Luderitz – desert flowering was downright spectacular, and Steve was awesome, finding and identifying various species of plants. Also, the Luderitz peninsula was incredible (albeit a bit windy 😊), and the boat tour was a nice opportunity to observe penguins and sea lions. Following the incredible south, we slowly made our way north, visited Sossusvlei, passing some incredible sights (in addition to Deadvlei) along the way. We spent a couple of days in Swakopmund, where we joined their Living Desert Tour (Arnold was amazing, finding us a couple of sidewinders, a chameleon, and several other lizards). Then, we went along the Skeleton Coast (made an obligatory stop to see welwitschias) and into Damaraland – in addition to a new set of incredible plants (especially pachypodium in flower), we enjoyed the company of elephants, giraffes, a myriad of birds, and smaller mammals. Toward the end of the journey, we visited Etosha, with its incredible wildlife (big and small) – we were especially thrilled to see honey badgers! Before the end, we also spent a night at Waterberg Plateau, where we focused on birds and butterflies.
This brief account merely scratches the surface of the flora and fauna we encountered, an experience made possible by Steve's unparalleled expertise. He is enthusiastic about the whole ecology of Namibia, such as (but not limited to) plants, butterflies, bugs, scorpions, birds, and mammals. Not to mention that he has the eyes of an eagle. You can probably find other good tour guides, but we are convinced that no one can match his spectrum of knowledge. In addition, he was a perfect companion, very thoughtful on our specific needs and requests. Our discussions with him were truly memorable, and we find ourselves missing those conversations
We wholeheartedly endorse The Naturalist Collection team and Steve for their exceptional attention to detail, impeccable logistical planning, and unwavering friendliness. Their efforts transformed our journey into a captivating odyssey, crafting memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. Our trip was nothing short of extraordinary, thanks to their expertise, and we cannot recommend them highly enough!
Jernej and Maja
This brief account merely scratches the surface of the flora and fauna we encountered, an experience made possible by Steve's unparalleled expertise. He is enthusiastic about the whole ecology of Namibia, such as (but not limited to) plants, butterflies, bugs, scorpions, birds, and mammals. Not to mention that he has the eyes of an eagle. You can probably find other good tour guides, but we are convinced that no one can match his spectrum of knowledge. In addition, he was a perfect companion, very thoughtful on our specific needs and requests. Our discussions with him were truly memorable, and we find ourselves missing those conversations
We wholeheartedly endorse The Naturalist Collection team and Steve for their exceptional attention to detail, impeccable logistical planning, and unwavering friendliness. Their efforts transformed our journey into a captivating odyssey, crafting memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. Our trip was nothing short of extraordinary, thanks to their expertise, and we cannot recommend them highly enough!
Jernej and Maja
Written 5 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pkh1961
London, UK179 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
An unmissable tour! Jenny make the booking process really easy and we were collected on time by Arnold our guide. There were just 4 of us in the group and the vehicle was was spacious and comfortable.
Arnold was engaging, highly knowledgeable and had some great stories to tell. Amongst the animals Arnold found for us were a Namaqua Chameleon, a Palmato Gecko, a Shovel-nosed Lizard and several sidewinders. Arnold also explained Namibia's weather pattern and how and why the dunes are formed, this was fascinating and really gave our trip some perspective. Cold drinks and delicious cookies were included!
Arnold was engaging, highly knowledgeable and had some great stories to tell. Amongst the animals Arnold found for us were a Namaqua Chameleon, a Palmato Gecko, a Shovel-nosed Lizard and several sidewinders. Arnold also explained Namibia's weather pattern and how and why the dunes are formed, this was fascinating and really gave our trip some perspective. Cold drinks and delicious cookies were included!
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Passenger819439
4 contributions
We had an amazing tour with Arnold and saw most of the "Little 5".
Would recommend without hesitation! Thanks for the great experience, Arnold!
Would recommend without hesitation! Thanks for the great experience, Arnold!
Written 9 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hambone5981
Washington DC, DC3 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
My small group (2 couples) just returned from an 11-day tour across Namibia with the Naturalist Collection guides. They came highly recommended from our Kruger guide, and the recommendation was truly enlightened. Our guide (Sean) and his team customized our trip to the group's preferences, provided absolutely all transportation, booked all lodgings, made arrangements for all of our food, accompanied us on our adventures, and provided an overall amazing experience. Given the length of our trip, we booked most of our experiences nearly a year in advance, but the team was able to accommodate some last-minute bookings like sand boarding. This was a general interest group rather than anything specific like birding or herping, and the team hit the mark perfectly. Sean was also able to get us into places before any groups or crowds descended, so we were always thankful to avoid the large bus tours. Sean is an excellent photographer and was even able to put us in the best spots for great shots. We enjoyed the tour so much that we are very likely to return to Namibia and explore additional parts of the country with the Naturalist team.
Written 14 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris B
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
We had an amazing two week tour across Namibia.
- Trip focused on reptiles, birds and mammals, as well exploring some of the most beautiful landscapes in Namibia. We found most of our target species and at times, got incredibly close to them.
- After listening to our trip objectives, BBS proposed an itinerary for us and then worked to customize it further to align with everything we wanted to see and do
- Our guide, Sean, is incredibly knowledgeable across a wide range of fields - reptiles, birds, plants, mammals, geology, etc. His tracking skills helped find a lot of the target species. Sean also has an easy going personality and got along really well with our kids - ages 12 and 15 - answering endless questions at times. This was a huge plus, as a detached or less friendly guide would have been a real negative on the trip.
- BBS designed the tour to really minimize crowds. For most of the trip we were on our own - out tracking reptiles and mammals - and away from the other tourists.
- The accommodations BBS set up were great - clean, comfortable, good food and not over the top/high-end luxury. Smaller desert lodges with small guest cabins/units in beautiful settings. We saw lots of wildlife around many of the locations.
- Trip highlights included two species of adders, sand snakes, desert chameleon, tortoise, multiple species of geckos, lizards and agamas. Birds - bustards, hornbills, eagles, vultures, sand grouse, korhaans, lovebirds, flamingos, larks, drongos, sunbirds, shrikes and bushshrikes. Mammals - oryx, koodoo, bat-eared fox, cape fur seals, elephants, giraffe, zebra, mongoose, klipsringers.
- Trip focused on reptiles, birds and mammals, as well exploring some of the most beautiful landscapes in Namibia. We found most of our target species and at times, got incredibly close to them.
- After listening to our trip objectives, BBS proposed an itinerary for us and then worked to customize it further to align with everything we wanted to see and do
- Our guide, Sean, is incredibly knowledgeable across a wide range of fields - reptiles, birds, plants, mammals, geology, etc. His tracking skills helped find a lot of the target species. Sean also has an easy going personality and got along really well with our kids - ages 12 and 15 - answering endless questions at times. This was a huge plus, as a detached or less friendly guide would have been a real negative on the trip.
- BBS designed the tour to really minimize crowds. For most of the trip we were on our own - out tracking reptiles and mammals - and away from the other tourists.
- The accommodations BBS set up were great - clean, comfortable, good food and not over the top/high-end luxury. Smaller desert lodges with small guest cabins/units in beautiful settings. We saw lots of wildlife around many of the locations.
- Trip highlights included two species of adders, sand snakes, desert chameleon, tortoise, multiple species of geckos, lizards and agamas. Birds - bustards, hornbills, eagles, vultures, sand grouse, korhaans, lovebirds, flamingos, larks, drongos, sunbirds, shrikes and bushshrikes. Mammals - oryx, koodoo, bat-eared fox, cape fur seals, elephants, giraffe, zebra, mongoose, klipsringers.
Written 30 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trek53523805149
1 contribution
Excellent information, Rudolph our guide knew geology, environment, animals and was very warm. We appreciate his knowledge of the desert and wildlife..
Written 16 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ann
Hillcrest, South Africa19 contributions
We specially wanted to see dune larks and Dayne took us to a beautiful spot on the Kuiseb Dunes where we were able to watch and photograph them scurrying about. The cherry on the top was that he took us home via Walvis Lagoon where he pointed out a vast nember of birds and located a Hudsonian godwit, blown over from America, which had been spotted there the day before. Three lifers for me in one day.
Written 10 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
g1obetrotter
Sydney, Australia83 contributions
I had an amazing morning in the sand dunes with Arnold. He gave us an introduction to Namibia’s geography and taught us about the animals living in the dunes. It was a relaxed tour, and at every animal sighting he gave ample time for everyone to observe the animal and take all their photos. When we first arrived, he let us climb a dune while he searched the surrounding area for animals. We saw a chameleon, horned viper, side winder snake, sand diving lizard and webfooted gecko. The way that Arnold could spot evidence of a buried gecko or tracks from a snake on a sand dune while we drove past was very impressive.I learnt a lot and had lots of fun! Highly recommended!
Written 6 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John
Martinsburg, WV2 contributions
Oct 2022
This was one of the highlights of our group's tour of Namibia. Our tour guide, Arnold, was excellent. Using a map drawn in the desert sand he gave an exceptionally clear explanation of Namibia's climate and geography. He also give interesting details about each animal and insect he located.
Written 30 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sarahv70
Hemel Hempstead, UK669 contributions
We did two experiences, firstly a night walk with Sean. What he doesn't know about local reptiles and inverts/arachnids is probably not worth knowing. His eyesight was incredible and he spotted the tiniest of creatures without any effort. Absolutely fascinating to listen to we found 3 types of gecko and also dancing spiders. It was special just walking around the desert area at night. Highly recommended.
Our day tour didn't get off to a brilliant start as we were forgotten at pick up! A call to their office sorted it.
However, Arnold was quickly forgiven with his passion for the environment and the care he takes to make as little damage as possible to the environment we went out in. We soon found a web footed gecko, a sand diving lizard as well as 3 sidewinders, including a beautiful baby. I'd do this again in a heartbeat.
Our day tour didn't get off to a brilliant start as we were forgotten at pick up! A call to their office sorted it.
However, Arnold was quickly forgiven with his passion for the environment and the care he takes to make as little damage as possible to the environment we went out in. We soon found a web footed gecko, a sand diving lizard as well as 3 sidewinders, including a beautiful baby. I'd do this again in a heartbeat.
Written 14 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Else H
Zaandam, The Netherlands64 contributions
wat is verschil tussen Batis Birding Safaris en living desert adventures?
Michael A
Nassau, New Providence Island1,899 contributions
I am planning a visit to Namibia from 18 to 25 September, 2015, and would like to know the tours you have available and their costs. I'm interested in seeing the Big 5 and highlights of Namibia that can be seen in only a week.