November is a big month for bird-lovers and the Madikwe Collection has two unusual weekend offers planned specifically for those who love wildlife of the feathered variety. On the weekends of 14 to 16 November and 28 to 30 November 2008, twitchers can enjoy a unique, tailor-made birding experience in the spectacular Madikwe Game Reserve, with accommodation at one of the group’s outstanding participating lodges.
“These weekend packages have been designed specifically for birding enthusiasts and will provide a unique opportunity to spend an entire weekend spotting some of the beautiful and rare birds that Madikwe Game Reserve has to offer,” says Kate Naughton, Madikwe Collection PR and Marketing Director. The Reserve is home to over 370 different species of birds, and guests can look forward to the possibility of spotting some of the rarer birds, including the greater and lesser flamingo, the yellow form of the crimson-breasted shrike and the blue-cheeked beeeater, to name a few.
In addition to meeting other bird lovers, birding weekend guests will have the opportunity to learn more about their favourite subject from ornithological experts, one of whom will accompany each of the ‘bird’ drives included in the weekend package. “November is a beautiful time for bird-viewing at Madikwe, as many of the migratory species start returning to the Reserve,” says Naughton.
The second of the two weekends also coincides with Birding Big Day 2008, which falls on Sunday 29 November. This national day encourages teams and individuals to raise sponsorship by seeing how many different bird species they can count during a 24-hour period, between midnight and midnight, within a 50 km radius.
The purpose of Birding Big Day is to raise funds for bird conservation and is a great opportunity for bird enthusiasts to get together and have fun in the name of a good cause. As Naughton explains, “On that particular weekend, bird viewing vehicles will each be allocated a specific area of the reserve so guests can see how many species they can spot. A prize will be offered both weekends to the vehicle that spots the most species.”
Both birding weekends have been designed as fully inclusive packages and, in addition to accommodation, include two ‘bird’ drives a day with expert and knowledgeable bird guides, all meals including breakfast, lunch/high tea, dinner and local drinks.
The Madikwe Collection includes the following stunning accommodation establishments in Portfolio''s Country Places Collection:
And the following in Portfolio''s Retreats Collection:
For more info, or to book, contact Portfolio Online Reservations at res@portfoliocollection.com