9 Days Birding Naivasha, Nakuru and Maasai Mara in Kenya
This is one of the most popular safaris from our checklist of birding safaris in Kenya. This exceptional birding adventure goes to the fresh waters of Lake Naivasha which is a few hours from Nairobi city and occupies about 139 square kilometers, this birding destination is blessed with over 300 species of bird with the most popular being the saddle-billed stock, Great white pelicans, goliath heron, and the giant kingfishers among other regionally elusive and globally threatened species.
9 days birding adventure also goes to the alkaline lakes of Nakuru and Elementaita in the lookout to over 500 species of bird recorded, this area is endowed with an abundance of raptors and certainly the most common water birds and the Masai Mara Game Reserve for the glimpse about the savannah endemic species and other migrant bird species which accounts to a record number 500 species alongside series of wildlife actions. With minimal transfers around the Rift Valley, all of your daytime hours are for quality birding activity.
Lake Naivasha has a wide range of biodiversity based on its freshwater lake, vast open savanna grasslands and flourishing acacia woodlands presents a clear chance to record sizeable numbers of Kenya bird species in a relaxed way. In Lake Nakuru, besides thousands of flamingos, there are also numerous waterbird species. Masai Mara, which comes lastly this birding tour, offers excellent game viewing beyond being the exceptional bird-watching spot. As always you can rely on our skilled and experienced Kenya birding guides who will be you on this adventure safari to be worth companions in finding, sighting, and interpretation of the several bird species you will encounter on this birding safari in Kenya.
Tour highlights
Arrival and Transfer to the Hotel
Birding transfer to Hell’s Gate National Park
Whole Day Birding Crescent Island.
Kenya birding Lake Elementaita and Lake Nakuru.
Birding Masai Mara National Park
Birding Kiambethu Tea Plantation and transfer to the airport
Price Includes:
- All accommodation
- All meals from
- All transport and airport transfers
- Bottled water
- Services of the English speaking guides
- A comprehensive bird checklist
- The park entrance fees
- A Flying Doctors Evacuation cover.
Price Excludes:
- Airfare to Kenya
- Visa
- Travel & medical insurance
- Drinks at the table,
- Tips and expenditure of personal nature e.g. telephone, laundry
Itinary in details
- Day1Arrival and Transfer to the HotelArrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, transfer to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.
- Day2Birding transfer to Hell’s Gate National ParkAfter breakfast we leave Nairobi via the Nakuru road to the Rift valley. The Nairobi – Nakuru road is on a contour along the rim of the Rift valley and on a viewpoint we will be able to see our whole route for the next days. Our destination is Lake Naivasha: a fresh water lake in the Rift Valley. After lunch we drive to Hell’s Gate National Park. The first part is open grasslands bordered with steep rock cliffs in which the Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture nests. Possible sightings here are the Verreaux’s or Black Eagle, Common Ostrich, Black-shouldered Kite, White-fronted Bee-eater, Grassland and Long-billed Pipit, Northern and Schalow’s Wheatear, Lilac-breasted Roller among other. The narrow Ol Njorowa Gorge has a completely different habitat and hence very different birds: Yellow, Grey and African Pied Wagtail, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Purple Grenadier, Common Drongo, Superb Starling, Brimstone Canary, Common Waxbill, White-browed Robin-Chat.
- Day3Whole Day Birding Crescent Island.We start our day with a boat ride on Lake Naivasha on the lookout for a range of fish eaters: both the Long-tailed and Great Cormorant together with the Fish Eagle and the Pied, Malachite and Giant Kingfisher. To have the best sightings of the Kenya birds species found in Lake Naivasha, Crescent Island is the place of choice. It is a lagoon from where we should be able to see Red-capped Lark, Spectacled and Baglafecht Weaver, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Brimstone Canary and Red-billed Firefinch. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
- Day4, 5Kenya birding Lake Elementaita and Lake Nakuru.We transfer to the Lake Elementaita area where we have our accommodation for 2 nights in either the Sunbird Lodge or the Pelican Lodge. From both places you have easy access to the lake. You will also enjoy a wonderful panorama on lake and the surrounding hills. In the afternoon we will do a birding walk on the shore of Lake Elementaita. On day 5 your birding tour goes to Lake Nakuru, which is famous for its thousands of Lesser Flamingos – the Greater Flamingoes will be easily distinguishable by their height. The Great White and Pink-backed Pelican and Black-winged Stilt are also there. The lake has a low concentration of salt, so it supports fish that of course attract other water birds. It is a good place to look for Avocets, Storks, Ibises, Ducks, Cormorants, Herons, and Terns. In the wooded acacias there is a chance to see the White-browed Coucal, Broad-billed Roller, Arrow-marked Babbler and the Narina Trogon. We go with a picnic lunch, so that we can take a full day for birding and game viewing in the park.
- Day6-8Birding Masai Mara National ParkWe head to the famous Masai Mara National Reserve, which borders Serengeti in Tanzania. Masai Mara is the gem of birding and game viewing in Kenya with 450 species recorded. We will drive through Masai land, home to one of the most fascinating cultures in Africa. In the vast grasslands we expect to see Elephants; the large Cats: Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah; the herd animals: Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Thompson’s and Grant’s Gazelles; and specialties like the Hartebeest and the Topi. Expected Kenyan bird species are the highly conspicuous Common Ostrich, the small but still conspicuous Cardinal Quelea, Sooty Chat, Ground Hornbill, Open-billed Stork, Temminck’s Courser, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse and Denham’s Bustard. Lilac-breasted Rollers are common. If we find a kill, we may see six species of vultures all dining together: Egyptian, Hooded, Griffon, Nubian, White-backed and White-headed. It will be a double reward should a Hyena or a Jackal join in the scramble for the kill. In addition we will encounter numerous raptors such as Bateleur, Martial and Tawny Eagles, as well as Pale Chanting Goshawk, Augur Buzzards and Black-chested Snake Eagles. Along the Mara River we’ll watch for African Finfoot, Schalow’s and Ross’ Turaco, Woodland Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Barbet, Black-billed Weaver, Violet-backed Starling, and perhaps with luck, Pel’s Fishing Owl. Any tapping noise on the trees may be indicative of the relatively uncommon Woodpeckers (Golden-tailed, Green-backed and Fine-banded). opefully we will be lucky enough to see some of the more difficult to see mammals such as Bat-eared Fox, Hunting Dog, Serval and the delightful Banded Mongoose.
- Day9Birding Kiambethu Tea Plantation and transfer to the airportWe break our transfer back to the airport in the Limuru area where we visit the Kiambethu Tea Plantation. We enjoy a talk on tea (from the growing up to when it lands in your cup), weather allowing have lunch in the beautiful manicured garden and do a short bird walk in a stretch of indigenous forest. The garden is a great place for birding: we may spot Manikins, Grosbeak Weavers, Firefinches, Double-collared Sunbirds, Hartlaub’s Turacos – just to name a few of them. In the late afternoon we transfer back to the airport where we say goodbye.