14 days 13 Nights Best of Birdwatching Safari
per person
15 days 14 Nights Best of Birdwatching Safari Embark on an unforgettable avian adventure with our meticulously crafted 14-night/15-day birding safari through Kenya’s most diverse habitats. Starting in Nairobi, the pulsating heart of Kenya’s birdlife, participants will witness an astonishing array of species amidst the urban green spaces and surrounding reserves. Moving on to Thika, enthusiasts will delve into lush forests and riverine habitats, home to endemic species like the Hinde’s Babbler and the stunning African Crowned Eagle. As the journey ascends towards the majestic Mount Kenya, a treasure trove of highland birds awaits, including the colorful Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird and the elusive Mountain Bongo.
Continuing the expedition, adventurers will venture to the serene shores of Lake Baringo, where the calls of Fish Eagles resonate across the water, accompanied by sightings of the iconic Goliath Heron. The journey then leads to the mystical Kakamega Forest, an ancient remnant of equatorial rainforest, teeming with endemic birdlife such as the Turaco and the rare Turner’s Eremomela. From here, the tour descends to the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, where a mosaic of wetlands hosts an impressive diversity of waterfowl, including the prehistoric-looking Shoebill. The adventure culminates in the legendary Masai Mara, where the iconic plains teem with raptors, ostriches, and an unforgettable spectacle of millions of migrating birds, providing a fitting finale to this unparalleled birding odyssey
Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival / Nairobi
- Day 2: Nairobi Thika
- Day Three: Mount Kenya
- Day 4: Mount Kenya – Lake Baringo/Lake Bogoria
- Day five: Lake Baringo
- Day 6: Lake Baringo – Kakamega Forest
- Day 7 – Kakamega Forest
- Day 8: Kakamega Forest, Lake Victoria
- Day 9: Lake Victoria–Lake Nakuru
- Day 10: Lake Nakuru – Lake Naivasha
- Day Eleven: Lake Naivasha
- On day 12 Drive from Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara
- Day 13 and 14: Masai Mara
Full Travel Itinerary
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Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi
When you arrive at Jomo Kenyatta Airport, you will be met by one of our representatives and then transferred to Nairobi Safari Club Hotel, where you will rest in your suite. Nairobi Safari Club, originally a private club for members only, is the perfect spot to be. Afternoon guided visit to the National Museum Bird Gallery, followed by a short bird walk in the Nairobi National Museum Botanic Garden. We anticipate witnessing species such as the Variable Sunbird, Bronze Sunbird, and Collard Sunbird, as well as the African Goshawk and Palm Swift Baglafetch Weaver. Lunch, dinner, and overnight stay at the Nairobi Safari Club Hotel or a similar facility.
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Day 2: Nairobi Thika
Today we leave in the morning and go north of "the city in the sky" to Thika. Blue Post Inn, with its twin waterfalls Chania and Thika Falls, offers rewarding bird viewing opportunities for birders. We have the possibility to encounter a few coastal species that migrate into the main land via the River Tana. We might be lucky to see the Trumpeter Hornbill, Brown Hooded Kingfisher, Zanzibar Sombre Green-bull, and African Golden Weaver. Before lunch at the Blue Post Inn Hotel, we saw a Great Egret, an Ayres Hawk Eagle, a Green Sand Piper, an African Green Pigeon, an Eastern Bronze Naped Pigeon, a Purple Crested Turaco, a Green-Headed Sunbird, and a Black Cuckoo Shrike. Later in the afternoon, we leave Thika and hike up until Mount Kenya's slopes, Naro Moru, where highland forest gives way to valley grassland. The Eastern double-collared sunbird, Alpine swift, Black Chested snake eagle, Narina Trogon, Scaly throated honeyguide, Mountain Wagtail, White-headed wood hoopoe, African Black Duck, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, and Yellow-bellied waxbill are among the area's unique birds. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Naro Moru River Lodge.
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Day Three: Mount Kenya
We will spend the entire day birding at this Mountain Lodge with montane forest. Rare species that can be spotted include the Green Ibis, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Harrier Hawk, Rufous Sparrow Hawk, and Ayre's Hawk Eagle. Black stork, Red-fronted Parrots, Green Ibis, Common Snipe, Mountain Buzzard, Bronze-naped Pigeon Mountain White-eye, Abbots Starling, Sharpe's Starling, Mountain Oriole, and Thick-billed Seedeater. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Serena Mountain Lodge.
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Day 4: Mount Kenya - Lake Baringo/Lake Bogoria.
We leave in the morning for Lake Baringo, stopping at the Nyahururu Waterfalls where we may see Chestnut-Winged Starlings, Slender-billed Starlings, Rock Martins, and Grey Cuckoo Shrikes. Proceed by road into the Great Rift Valley and Lake Bogoria National Park. The Reserve's herd of the uncommon Greater Kudu makes it unique, plus there are other animals to see. The south coast of Lake Bogoria is covered in acacia-ficus woodland, whereas the north shore is a papyrus marsh. Lesser and Greater Flamingo Congregation, Steppe eagle, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-necked Grebe, and Black-headed Plover are among the bird’s endemic to this area. Dinner and overnight will be held at Lake Baringo Country Club.
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Day five: Lake Baringo
Full day at Baringo, which is well renowned among dedicated ornithologists as a birding mecca, with over 500 species documented. Explore this location by doing field birding near Lake Baringo, its surroundings, the Cliffs, and the woods. Rare species such as the Cape Eagle Owl, White-faced Scops Owl, Jackson's Hornbill, Hemprich's Hornbill, Brown-Tailed Rock Chat, Northern Red Bishop, Northern Masked Weaver, and White Billed Buffalo Weaver, Olivaceous Warbler, Northern Brownbul, Jackson's golden backed weaver, Little weaver, Brown Tailed Rock Chat, Goliath heron, Northern Shoveller, Verreaux's eagle owl, Bristle crowned starling, Senegal Thicknee, Pygmy falcon, Blue-cheecked bee- Dinner and overnight will be held at Lake Baringo Country Club.
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Day 6: Lake Baringo – Kakamega Forest
Today we leave Lake Baringo and travel to an isolated remnant of the tropical rain forest that once stretched across Africa from west to east. It has a superb representation of bird, animal, and plant species, including a variety of primates. The Kakamega Forest runs through Eldoret. The aviauna of the Kakamega Forest is diverse and unique. Two globally threatened species live here: Chapin's Flycatcher and Turner's Eremomela. The aviauna is unique not only nationally, but also continentally; the forest is home to enormous populations of black and white colobus and red-tailed monkeys, among others. Dinner and overnight stay at Rondo Retreat Centre.
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Day 7 - Kakamega Forest
A full day of bird watching in the easternmost extension of the huge tropical rain forest that stretches from West Africa. Turner's Eremomela, Black-billed Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Cameroon Sombre Green Bull, Little Grey Green Bull, Yellow Bellied Wattle Eye, Purple-throated Cuckoo, Hairy Breasted Barbet, Grey-breasted Illadopsis, African Grey Parrot, Square-tailed Drongo, and Chapin's Flycatcher are among the unique and abundant bird species found in this forest. Lunch, dinner, and overnight stay will take place at Rondo Retreat Center.
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Day 8: Kakamega Forest, Lake Victoria
We leave this morning after breakfast and proceed southwards to the shores of Lake Victoria; our bird walk will center on the Dunga beach. Swamp is one of Kenya's most consistent habitats for the endangered and threatened papyrus yellow warbler. Papyrus gonolek, Swamp flycatcher, Marsh Tachgra, Jackson's golden-backed weaver, Red-chested sunbird, Sedge warbler, Carruthers' Cisticola, Southern red bishop, Northern brown-throated weaver, Greater swamp warbler. Lunch, dinner, and Tonight's overnight destination will be the Imperial Hotel.
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Day 9: Lake Victoria–Lake Nakuru
We travel this morning for Lake Nakuru National Park, which is a shimmering flamingo pink due to the thousands of lovely birds that line its beaches. Nakuru National Park contains a tiny, strongly alkaline lake surrounded by acacia bush and grassland. The lake was first designated as a bird sanctuary and is known for its bird life, with thousands of Lesser and Greater flamingos calling it home, as well as hundreds of other species unique to the area such as the White-winged Black Tern, Hilderbrants Francolin, African fish eagle, Steppe eagle, Grey crested Helmet Shrike, Red-capped lark, and Spotted Crake. There is also an abundance of wildlife here. Lake Nakuru National Park has been designated as one of Kenya's rhino sanctuaries. Lunch, dinner, and an overnight stay tonight will be at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
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Day 10: Lake Nakuru – Lake Naivasha
Take a morning bird walk or boat trip (optional) to Lake Naivasha, Kenya's only freshwater rift valley lake. It is remarkable in that it maintains its freshness by a mix of subterranean outflow and salt sedimentation. The lake has a diverse waterbird ecology, with over 80 species routinely documented. Depending on the water level, it is an important habitat for Red Knobbed Coots, African Spoonbills, African Jacanas, and Little Grebes. All meals will be served at the Lake Naivasha Country Club (BLD) or a similar facility.
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Day Eleven: Lake Naivasha
Full day in the Lake Naivasha Region, including bird walks across the Club grounds and a visit to the Elsa Mere field study center. Notable birds in this area include the Gadwall, Spotted Red Shank, Black Tailed Godwit, Great White Egret, Black Headed Gull, Purple Swamp Hen, and Mottled Swift. Dinner and overnight stay will take place at Lake Naivasha Country Club or a similar establishment.
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On day 12 Drive from Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara
Drive from Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara, passing through wheat and barley fields. The Masai Mara Game Reserve is widely recognized as the world's most stunning natural theatre. The Masai Mara, located in the middle of Africa's Great Plains, has 1,672 square kilometers of untouched nature. It has the highest animal and bird population on the continent. Dinner and overnight stay will take place in Sarova Mara Camp or a similar location
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Day 13 and 14: Masai Mara
Two full days in the Masai, the wide grasslands are a stronghold for the threatened, migratory Corncrake and the near-threatened Jackson's widowbird. The reserve's jungle and woodlands also support some rare bird species; over 450 bird species have been reported in the Mara, including 12 kinds of cisticola and birds of prey. Many palaerctic migrants’ winter in the area, including Caspian plovers and white storks. Rock Cisticola, Rufous Bellied Heron, Denham's Bustard, Black Coucal, Red Tailed Chat, Pale Wren Warbler, Tabora Cisticola, Yellow Bellied Hyliota, Green-capped Eremomela, and Magpie Shrike are some of the other indigenous and rare birds found in the Mara. All meals, dinners, and overnight stays will be at Sarova Mara Camp.
End of safari
Tour Includes;
- Gorilla permit
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Transport in 4×4
- Guides & Park fees
- International flight ticket
- Tourist Insurance
- Beverages
- Tips
14 days 13 Nights