17 Days Birding and Wildlife Safari Kenya
17 Days Birding and Wildlife Safari Kenya offers Kenya birding in a nutshell, from the soda-surfaced layers of Rift valleys lakes flocked by flamingos to alpine Mount Kenya and the flourishing western lowland forests at Kakamega. All these offer great birding experience doubled with bird-rich savannas, Tsavo’s semi-arid environment also favors avian life, Sokoke’s coastal forests, and the majestic conservation parks that make Kenya the world’s top mammal watching destination in Africa.
This is not surprising when you consider visiting Kenya you will probably encounter more bird and mammal species than any other African safari. Most days we are required to kick start by around 6 am and will stay out for about 12 hours, in order to have a chance of the best times for the finest birds and mammals that this trip offers. Where possible we will use the afternoon moments to rest up or visit the local communities. Some days will be fully spent in the fields.
Sometimes we shall nights outs depending on our safari guide’s recommendation in the lookout for nightjars and owls, and this is done before dinner or and only last for not more than an hour. Kenya is a decent-sized country with a well-developed road network connecting different birding destinations.
You will find it adventurous, time-saving, and relaxing to have your picnic-parked lunch under the shade of the tree. Almost all the birding in Kenya is done on easily accessible areas on clear roads and most of the time is spent in the car with a little walking and hiking with exception of Sokoke, Kakamega forest, and Mount Kenya where a 2 hours walk will be done. The climate in Kenya is variable, so come prepared with rain gears and sunglasses.
Tour highlights
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to the Hotel
Days 2-3: Birding Nairobi National Park
Days 4-5: Birding Transfer to Mount Kenya
Day 6: Birding Mount Kenya and Transfer to Aberdare Mountains
Day 7: Birding Abadares and Transfer to Lake Nakuru
Day 8: Birding Lake Nakuru Transfer to Naivasha
Day 9: Birding Lake Naivasha and Transfer to Lake Baringo
Day 10: Birding Lake Baringo and Transfer to Kakamega forest
Days 11-12: Birding Whole Day Kakamega Forest
Day 13: Lake Victoria to Masai Mara
Days 14-15: Birding Masai Mara Game Reserve
Day 16: Birding transfer to Nairobi
Day 17: Departure Day
Price Includes:
- Services of English-speaking local guides.
- All accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 16
- All meals
- Drinking water
- Tropical Birding tour leader with telescope and audio playback gear
- All airport transfers
- All ground transport in a suitable safari pop-top vehicle
- Park entrance fees
- 2 boat trips – one on Naivasha and one on Baringo
Price Excludes:
- Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters at hotels
- International flights
- Additional drinks apart from those included such as alcoholic beverages
- Travel insurance
- Excursions not included in the tour itinerary
- Extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items
Itinary in details
- Day1Arrival and Transfer to the HotelWe arrive in Nairobi and are transferred to our hotel for a three-night stay in the city, which boasts the largest bird list of any city on earth!
- Day2-3Birding Nairobi National ParkWe visit Nairobi NP before beginning our exploration of the Great Rift Valley lakes. Highlights may include Von der Decken’s Hornbill and the multicolored Red-and-yellow Barbet, or our first flamingos among many wintering Palearctic shorebirds on Lake Magadi.
- Day4-5Birding Transfer to Mount KenyaHeading for the country’s highest summit, our journey to Mt. Kenya could yield Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Rueppell’s Robin-Chat, Mountain Yellow Warbler, and Yellow-crowned Canary. The lodge’s waterhole attracts many mammals including African Buffalo. We’ll spend the early mornings searching for White-starred Robin, Abyssinian Crimson-wing, African Crowned Eagle, African Emerald Cuckoo, and Moustached Green Tinkerbird. A shaded riverside trail may reveal Crowned Hornbill, Mountain Wagtail, and up to eight species of sunbirds, including the stunning Tacazze Sunbird. Two nights will be spent just outside the park.
- Day6Birding Mount Kenya and Transfer to Aberdare MountainsIn the morning, we bird the Solio Plains, where we hope to find Temminck’s Courser, Jackson’s Widowbird, Black-bellied Bustard, and various other grassland species. In the afternoon, we head for the Aberdares Mountains, where we overnight.
- Day7Birding Abadares and Transfer to Lake NakuruToday we explore the alpine moorland above the treeline, perhaps encountering Jackson’s Francolins as we climb up into the highest accessible Lobelia-covered plains in Kenya. Our targets here include Alpine Chat and, with luck, we’ll find the specialized and beautiful Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird. In the afternoon we drop down into the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru where we overnight.
- Day8Birding Lake Nakuru Transfer to NaivashaWe will awaken to vast flocks of flamingos, pelicans, and other waterbirds. The surrounding woodland holds Narina Trogon, Red-throated Wryneck, Arrow-marked Babbler, and African Firefinch. After lunch we venture to Naivasha, another of the Rift Valley gems.
- Day9Birding Lake Naivasha and Transfer to Lake BaringoWe will spend the early morning at Lake Naivasha, sifting through vast flocks of waterbirds, and birding productive lakeside woodland. Later we drive to Lake Baringo, rich in arid-zone birds, where we search for Hunter’s Sunbird, Heuglin’s Courser, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, and Northern White-faced Scops-Owl. At dusk, we should see Slender-tailed Nightjars gliding along the hippo-covered shore. We overnight at Lake Baringo.
- Day10Birding Lake Baringo and Transfer to Kakamega forestToday exemplifies birding in Kenya. We begin in the sub-desert and end up in the most eastern tract of the lowland equatorial rainforest in Africa. First, we visit the cliffs near Baringo, scanning for Fan-tailed Raven, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Mocking Cliff-Chat, and Bristle-crowned Starling. Later we explore the Kerio Valley, where we search rocky, scrubby hillsides for Green-backed Eremomela, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Brown Parrot, White-crested Turaco, Pearl-spotted Owlet, and Black-headed Gonolek. Late in the day, we arrive at Kakamega for a three-night stay.
- Day11-12Birding Whole Day Kakamega ForestKakamega is full of birds and is justly famous as one of Kenya’s birding meccas. Many of Kenya’s fantastic forest birds are available only here. These include dapper Equatorial Akalats, comical Great Blue Turacos, and sensational Blue-headed Bee-eaters among other beauties like White-chinned and Banded Prinias, Jameson’s, and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eyes, Bocage’s and Luehder’s Bushshrikes, Black-billed and Vieillot’s Weavers, Gray-headed Negrofinch, Red-headed Malimbe, and Red-headed Bluebill.
- Day13Lake Victoria to Masai MaraToday we head to Lake Victoria, searching for swamp specialties such as Blue-headed Coucal, Swamp Flycatcher, and the striking Papyrus Gonolek. Rice paddies may produce African Openbill, Southern Red Bishop, and Zebra Waxbill. In the afternoon, we head south to the Masai Mara National Reserve for a three-night stay.
- Day14-15Birding Masai Mara Game ReserveThe Mara, the northern portion of the magnificent Serengeti system, offers spectacular vistas over flat-topped acacia and grassy plains riddled with ungulates and other animals. We’ll spend the days in the western part of the reserve looking for East Africa’s famous Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, African Elephants, gazelles, and other wildlife. However, birding does not take a back seat, and we should be rewarded with views of many large raptors and vultures that gather at the kills, as well as storks, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground-Hornbill, and other species that suffer from disturbance outside these large protected areas. Other highlights may include Rufous-bellied Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Temminck’s Courser, Sooty Chat, and Schalow’s Turaco.
- Day16Birding transfer to NairobiToday we return to Nairobi for a final night, searching for the endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw and other grassland specialties en route.
- Day17Departure DayToday we fly out on our international departures or join the Eastern Extension.