Don’t know about inexpensive places, but I spent 11 days in Kenya and was blown away by the birds. I never really considered myself a “birder” but you can’t help it once you start paying attention. We would stop as much to see a new bird as any big game. And yes, having a guide that really knows birds only increases your appreciation. I met a few guides who were really just drivers, and while they had great eyes, they didn’t know squat about the big game animals, much less birds. The average tourist wouldn’t know what they were missing with those guys, but they’d be missing a lot.
