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This was one of the best five of the 53 guided birding tours I have taken! Paul Josop is not only a truly excellent local guide who knows African birds and their calls phenomenally well, but is also extremely pleasant to deal with, polite, supportive of all levels of participant birding skills and very thoughtful. Paul also has an infectious sense of humor: We all laughed a lot on this tour! He loves to teach participants the finer points of the biology of the animals and plants encountered on a tour; he also managed group dynamics very well. It is clear that Paul enjoys guiding and he is very focused on getting all of the tour participants onto every bird species we encountered: He is living proof of my dictum that ""A good local guide is a thing of joy"". Our two local guide/drivers, Roger in Tanzania and Edson in Kenya, were also excellent: They dealt very well with severely pot-holed African roads and erratic African drivers and traffic; they also pointed out very many birds and big game as we bounced through the national parks, reserves and paved roads, all filled with aggressive opposing traffic! They have my highest recommendation. However, I do urge the local tour operator, Tanzania Birding and Beyond, to have their Land Cruiser passenger seats rebuilt - they were singularly uncomfortable on our long drives. This Rockjumper tour has my highest recommendation for all levels of participants' birding skills.
Paul was raised by his grandmother in the Northern Cape, more specifically the windswept Namaqualand region near the town of Springbok. He fondly remembers overturning rocks in search of scorpions, snakes and spiders, and this is where his love and passion for the natural world began!
Paul’s interest for fauna and then flora grew when he moved back to Cape Town and started exploring the Table Mountain National Park. Hikes on Lions Head, Table Mountain and through Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens introduced Paul to the rich diversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom, birdlife, and other animal life. At high school Paul spent time in the Cederberg mountains learning about the geology, the San people that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago, the animal and plant life that is unique to the area and encountered his first Cape Rockjumper! This experience solidified his destiny to pursue a career in nature.
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Paul then moved to Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, and went on to study a two-year program in nature guiding & conservation, both terrestrial and marine. This is where he met like-minded people, was introduced to an entire new ecosystem and climate, and his excitement for birding took off! Time on this course allowed him to explore all the game reserves in the area, identify many different species of trees, wildflowers, birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles. With the prospect of becoming a professional field guide, and teaching people about our natural heritage, Paul also furthered himself with trails guiding qualifications and specialized in the birding field.
After qualifying, Paul went on to further his learning - completing the &Beyond ranger course at Phinda Private Game Reserve, and working at some of their lodges. He continued his career guiding for a tour operating company on the Elephant Coast, leading overland tours around KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland and the Kruger National Park. Paul then decided to head back into the bush, full-time, and guided for a private game reserve in Zululand before finally moving to the Sabi Sand Game Reserve (any field guide’s dream!).
Paul started working along the Sabi River, learning about the Southern Sabi Sand environment, getting introduced to the remarkable lives of Leopards, witnessing extraordinary game sightings, connecting with many of the Lowveld bird species and getting a better understanding of the Greater Kruger ecosystem. It is during this time that his photography of wildlife, especially birds, came to fruition. In 2018 he progressed to Singita, Sabi Sand, a leading conservation and ecotourism company with key focuses on biodiversity, sustainability and community upliftment. This opportunity also allowed him to travel to other properties in the Kruger National Park, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Tanzania was an incredible highlight for Paul, as it encapsulated the great migration and introduced him to the vibrant and magnificent bird life of the region!
It has been a long-term aspiration for Paul to work at Rockjumper, the market leading bird tour company, and to finally be guiding worldwide in his specialist field of interest! Paul looks forward to sharing many exciting adventures alongside fellow nature loving enthusiasts.
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CH - Kenya & Tanzania 2024GK - Kenya & Tanzania 2024
The guide , Paul Josop was excellent and his identification and spotting skills were unparalleled. He repeated the bird names frequently when asked and was very enthusiastic about everything he pointed out to the group. He always took care of the group and was very patient and enjoyable to be around. He has excellent knowledge of the areas we visited. The two drivers that helped in Tanzania and Kenya were both knowledgeable and friendly and assisted Paul well. We saw very abundant wildlife in all the parks we visited and exceeded expectations in most areas . The accommodations were also very good . Food was excellent throughout.
GK, Kenya & Tanzania 2024I would like to say the trip was outstanding A few small issues but nothing major. The guide , Paul Josop, who in my opinion as a professional naturalist myself who has done similar type trip leading in the USA and elsewhere for over 40 years, I would say he’s one of the best I’ve seen! I don’t feel there was any way he could be improved upon because his amazing ability to spot birds and animals of all types and identify on the move was second to none . His knowledge of the area and enthusiasm was contagious! I consider myself very skilled but his abilities for the East Africa region were off the charts! Also his ability to always be friendly , handling any personality differences in the group were first class and he always was concerned about the clients and what their needs and wants were above all else. He literally made the trip unforgettable for all of us , and we agreed, and I don’t think I would personally want to go with another guide after this trip with him. He truly deserves it and as much work as you can provide him. Your clients will appreciate it! Please feel free to call me if you would like to discuss any more details concerning the trip. Thank you and to Paul for a memorable and life-changing trip!
CS, Kenya & Tanzania 2024Paul Josop is a top notch and amazing tour leader - at all times he was knowledgeable, patient, attentive and engaging. We loved the trip and feel that much of its success was because of Paul's excellent guiding skills. We feel very fortunate to have experienced all that we did.
GMS, Ghana - Mega Birding Tour I 2025Paul, our guides was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and knew the birds, even though it was his first time in Ghana. He always made sure we all saw the bird and managed the trip very well. It was a real joy birding with him.
RS, Ghana - Mega Birding Tour I 2025Paul and our local guide were excellent guides. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable of the birds and their locations.
RW, South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) II 2025The trip was an excellent trip with an excellent guide. He kept everybody going with his enthusiasm and knowledge. Accommodations were wonderful.
SA, Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game (Small Group) 2026Paul brought in his wealth of experience. He worked well with Ashoka to make sure nothing was lost in translation. One member sustained an injury on day 1, probably because he declined the extra help offered on a slightly slippery walk. Paul and Ashoka took charge of the situation immediately, made sure the rest of the group was comfortable while getting help. It was incredible that the injured person managed to complete the trip with a walker. Ashoka is a highly experienced local guide. He went out of the way to accommodate our birding and non-birding (request to try local food) requests. Both Paul and Ashoka were always calm and very pleasant, paying individual attention to every person and ensured we had a memorable experience.
DB, Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game (Small Group) 2026Another great tour. Between the leader, Paul Josop, and the local leader, Ashoka, it was a great team that got all the endemic and lots more. It was a fun trip and Paul handled the group dynamics very well. Fantastic trip!!
DB, India - Southern: Endemics of the Western Ghats (Small Group) 2026The tour structure and arrangements were first class. Leaders were very good and quite knowledgable. I thought Paul was energetic a d really on the birds. Would gladly travel with him again. It was great fun and we got nearly every endemic on the trip. Great fun!!
KS, Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game (Small Group) 2026An excellent tour! Paul Josop lived up to our expectations for a Rockjumper guide - excellent knowledge of the birds; conscientious about getting everyone on the birds; on top of all the arrangements for meals, lodging and transportation; worked well with the local guide; and shared his excitement and good humor throughout the trip. The WhatsApp group that he set up was brilliant. He shared photos with us, as did other participants, and it was an easy way for us all to keep in touch. We would love to travel with Paul again. Our local guide, Ashoka, was outstanding also. Thank you to all.
GS, India - Southern: Endemics of the Western Ghats (Small Group) 2026An excellent tour! Paul Josop lived up to our expectations for a Rockjumper guide - excellent knowledge of the birds; conscientious about getting everyone on the birds; on top of all the arrangements for meals, lodging and transportation; worked well with the local guide; and shared his excitement and good humor throughout the trip. The WhatsApp group that he set up was brilliant. He shared photos with us, as did other participants, and it was an easy way for us all to keep in touch. We would love to travel with Paul again.
GM, Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game (Small Group) 2026The birding tour in Sri Lanka was exceptional, coming after a wonderful tour in Western Ghats in India. The tour participants in Sri Lanka, and the people of Sri Lanka, the beauty of the country, and the people's concern for the land and its wildlife were all highlights of the trip. Paul Joseph continued his superb tour-leading from India to Sri Lanka. His bird finding, identification skills and handling of the many facets of tour leader, such as working well with local guides and others who assist with the tour, such as drivers, other local birders, etc. and doing these alongside his caring and pleasant personality. The Sri Lankan guides and all others who assisted were a real joy. I felt lucky to have participated with all the other tour participants on the India and Sri Lanka tours. A heartfelt thanks all. Lastly, the the staff, the whole team at Rockjumper, were exemplary, as they always are. Thanks for all the assistance you provided to me.
GM, India - Southern: Endemics of the Western Ghats (Small Group) 2026I had a wonderful time on this tour. The group had great chemistry, the accommodations and food were excellent and we visited many beautiful places. This and much more made for a very pleasurable experience. I hadn't been with Paul before on a tour; I'll certainly be checking on his tours now. Put simply, he was excellent. In addition to his obvious birding skills, he handled all phases very efficiently, and he made sure everyone could/would see as many birds (and mammals, etc) as they could, and his outgoing, pleasant personality all added up to a very rewarding and memorable experience. The guides and many other people of India really added to our trip. They were very friendly and helpful. That added a lot to our trip. Lastly, but not least, THANK YOU to all the Rockjumper staff. They helped me with all my questions and requests. They always do this. (Side note; this was my 11th nd 12th tours with Rockjumper) Again , THANKS to all at Rockjumper.
This was probably the best Rockjumper tour I have ever been on. I cannot praise our leader, Paul, highly enough. His enthusiasm for the birds was contagious and he made birding fun which is what its supposed to be. This was his first tour to this area and even though he got several lifers, I thought he was brilliant. Incredible at spotting and although my eyes are not what they used to be I came back with many wonderful photos and memories. We were Americans and one Canadian and we keep our records on eBird. Paul didnt have to do it, but he provided several eBird lists for each day of the tour and shared them with us. This made the trip for me. We dispensed with the checklist summaries that often take up so much time at the end of the day on other trips. Instead we got all the information we needed via eBird. My wife suffered a fall on the first day which took her to the emergency room. Paul was superb at providing first aid and taking care of her injuries as a "first responder" and continued to offer aid and comfort during the rest of the tour. He was also our driver and even though he had not been to all the places, he did a great job finding birding locations and maximizing our birding opportunities. Paul made a personal connections with everybody on the tour without playing favorites. It was a long tour but he kept the camaraderie going the whole time. Rockjumper is lucky to have him.