South Africa - Wildlife & Cricket: One Day Internationals

In February 2020, the England cricket team will be playing a series of One Day International (ODI) matches in South Africa. As well as being a sporting powerhouse, South Africa is also one of our planet’s most exciting wildlife destinations. This tour will allow those who love cricket and nature to combine their passions; we will take in two ODI’s, one at the iconic Wanders Stadium in Johannesburg and the other at Newlands in Cape Town, alongside some of the many wildlife highlights of the Western Cape, north-eastern highlands and spectacular Kruger National Park.

We will fly overnight to Cape Town before driving north to Langebaan, a small town on the edge of the West Coast National Park. We will stay here for two nights, making excursions into the park in search of special birds such as Black Harrier, Southern Black Korhaan, Grey-winged Francolin and Common Ostrich. There’s an excellent diversity of mammals here too; Cape Grey Mongoose, Springbok and Cape Mountain Zebra are likely, while Dusky and Heaviside’s Dolphins are occasionally seen offshore. West Coast is also possibly the best place in the world to see the elegant Caracal, although they remain elusive.

On the 3rd of February we will return to Cape Town, where we will stay in a guesthouse near the Newlands stadium. Sitting in the shadow of the mighty Table Mountain, this is often described as the most beautiful cricket ground in the world. If time allows, we may stop in at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, where several endemic birds are easily found.

We will enjoy the ODI at Newlands, before travelling a short distance south the next morning to Simon’s Town. During a 3-night stay we will thoroughly explore the local area, including the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, the Cape of Good Hope, the Strandfontein Wetlands and Rooi Els – a small coastal village where we will search for Cape Rockjumper.

We must then fly north to Johannesburg for our second ODI at the Wanderers Stadium. We will stay close to the ground, and there should be time for a wildlife excursion in the afternoon. On the 9th, we will watch the match before returning to our guesthouse to rest, or perhaps to have a drink while discussing the ups and downs of the game.

The following morning, we will move on to the Mount Sheba Nature Reserve, where we will stay for a further night. The Mount Sheba Hotel is a lovely old-style building, surrounded by wonderful indigenous montane forest. On relaxed walks, we will search for exciting birds like Narina Trogon, Chorister Robin-chat, Orange Ground-thrush and Knysna Turaco, as well as troops of Samango Monkeys.

The next day, we will begin what should be the wildlife highlight of the tour: a 4-night stay in the renowned Kruger National Park. Splitting our time between two separate camps, we will seek out some of the park’s most impressive mammals, including Lion, Leopard, African Bush Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Black and White Rhinoceros. Many classic species of African game are common, and we will also have a chance of finding more elusive creatures such as Cheetah and African Wild Dog. The birdlife is no less astonishing; some of the many extraordinary species we could encounter are Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Martial Eagle, Ostrich, Saddle-billed Stork and Lappet-faced Vulture, alongside smaller birds such as bee-eaters, barbets and rollers. In February, much of the most riotously colourful and ornately plumed avifauna – including bishops and paradise-whydahs – will still be sporting its breeding finery. There will also be the opportunity to join night drives with park rangers, which often find such nocturnal treats as African Civet, Large and Small-spotted Genets, Spotted Eagle-owl, nightjars, and big cats on the hunt.

Finally, we must return to Johannesburg for an evening flight back to London. For those who are passionate about wildlife and cricket, this tour will hopefully have made lasting memories.