Themba offers a variety of options for the casual birder / ecotourists to the serious twitcher. All tours are on a "Hop On Hop Off" basis using your own vehicle where required. All trips can be tailor-made to your needs and wish list

Option A:

2-3 hour guided birding walk around St Lucia Village Cost R100 per person

Ideal for casual or beginner birders just wanting a taste of the wonderful bird life the area has to offer – we will look out for Trumpeter Hornbills, the Narina Trogon and the much sought after Woodward’s Batis

Option B

Half day tour – Cost: R120.00 per person

Includes walks through iGwalagwala forest and down to the St Lucia estuary. This tour option can also include the Iphiva Trail (amongst the best birding spots in South Africa) and a visit to the Croc Farm.

Specials include Green Twinspots, Livingstone’s Turaco, Woodward’s Batis, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Caspian, Swift and Lesser Crested Terns, Mangrove Kingfisher (winter months)  Green Malkoha and Southern Banded Snake Eagle as well as various small mammals

Option C

Full day R600.00P/Group

There are various options one can choose for a full day’s birding and sightseeing in the area. We can either explore iGwalagwala forest via estuarine system. Or we may also have to drive to Iphiva camp site & Croc Centre to explore the Imvubu trail where specials includes Saddle Billed Stork; Croaking Cisticolas, Palmnut Vulture, Senegal Lapwing, Narina Trogon & Wattle-eyed flycatcher. Other wild life that we may encounter includes Hippos, Crocodiles, Waterbuck, Buffalo. Bushbuck and many more

From here we drive to Futululu park and explore the pan for many water fowl such as Pygmy Goose, Lesser Jacanas and White backed Ducks. The forest areas provide sightings of Narina Trogons, Southern banded Snake Eagle and Woodward’s Batis.

The alternative option is to drive into the park area and explore Mission rocks, Mfabeni swamp, Catalina bay, Lake Bhangazi and Cape Vidal – the specials in this area include Southern banded Snake Eagle, Swamp Nightjar, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Crab Plover (summer) as well as Rhino, Buffalo and other exciting mammals. Cape Vidal also offers a wonderful opportunity for snorkelling or cooling off in the Indian Ocean.

Other more exciting day trips include Lower Mkhuze (Pels Fishing Owl, Africa Broadbills, Pink-throated Twinspots)  or a trip to the Tembe-Ndumo complex, the only place in South Africa where you can find Plain-backed Sunbird and many other legendary Zululand species such as Rosy-throated Longclaw, Neergards Sunbird and Rudd’s Apalis.