Kenya and Tanzania a are two of Africa’s best birding destinations. They have one of the largest species lists of any African country: over 1,100, of which over 800 species are resident, and nearly 200 are regular migrants. A fair number of endemic and near-endemic species can easily be seen on any birding trip. In Kenya, the European migrants are present from September to April, and in Tanzania, migrants are present from November to April.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Google Map)
Killimanjaro International Airport (Google Map)
Welcome and pick at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transfer to your accommodation for overnight rest (B&B).
East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city, Nairobi is Kenya’s beating heart, an exciting, maddening concrete jungle that jarringly counterpoints the untrammelled natural beauty to be found elsewhere in the country.
On this day, you will have an early morning drive across the equator, towards the rift valley’s most famous lake: Nakuru.
Lake Nakuru is a great birding destination with more than 500 species recorded. The soda lake is a birding hotspot and supports a lot of birdlife, including large flocks of pelicans. Unfortunately, flamingos are no longer the drawcard here as unfavorable conditions have driven many of them to other Rift Valley lakes. Nakuru is also one of the best places in Kenya to see the striking, long-tailed widowbird. There is a good variety of raptors including Verreaux’s and long-crested eagle.
At the end of this day, you will head to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
After breakfast in your hotel, you will be transferred to Lake Naivasha for an unforgettable boat safari.
The lake and its surroundings are rich in natural bounty, and the fertile soils and water supply have made this one of Kenya’s prime agricultural regions. Much of the lake is surrounded by forests that abound with birdlife, and this brings Naivasha as a world-class birding destination.
On thelake you can get close to Cormorants drying their wings, Pink Backed Pelicans, Herons, colourful Kingfishers and Fish Eagles. Other birds seen around the lake include the Goliath Heron, Jacana, Great White Egret, White Fronted Bee-eater and the Saddle- billed Stork.
At the end of this experience, you will head to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
You will have an early morning drive to Maasai Mara National Reserve, for an incredible two full days game drive at this park.
Mara holds on as one of the few places left on earth where wildlife still lives comparatively undisturbed, in the numbers that once roamed the plains and forests of Africa.
With more than 500 bird species recorded, Masai Mara is a great place to mark off a lot of Kenya’s savannah species from your bird list. The park is particularly rich in raptors with 57 species present. Bateleurs can often be seen soaring above the grassy plains and predator kills are a good place to find up to six species of vultures scavenging. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
At the end of each day, you will head for dinner and overnight at your accommodation.
Early morning transfer to the shores of Lake Victoria, followed by a boat ride.
Lake Victoria, the largest of Africa’s Great Lakes and the largest tropical lake in the world, is famous for its fish diversity, and hosts globally threatened species such as the Shoebill Balaeniceps rex, Papyrus Yellow Warbler Chloropeta gracilirostris and the Sitatunga antelope Tragelaphus spekeii.
At the end of the day, you will head for dinner and overnight at your accommodation in Lukuba private island.
Early morning boat transfer to the shores of Lake Victoria and transfer to Serengeti National Park for two more days of birdwatching.
The Serengeti has more than 500 bird species recorded, and the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of Africa’s Endemic Bird Areas (land important for habitat-based bird conservation containing restricted-range bird species), hosting five bird species found nowhere else.
These specials are easy to locate within their restricted range. The grey-breasted spurfowl is common in the Seronera area. In woodland areas, parties of Fischer’s lovebird draw attention to themselves and the rufous-tailed weaver is a fascinating bird placed in its own genus. The other two endemics are the Usambiro barbet and the grey-crested helmet-shrike. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
At the end of each day, you will head to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
On this morning, you will have time to continue enjoying your game drive in Serengeti, and in the afternoon, you will be transferred to Ngorongoro.
Both the Ngorongoro highlands and the crater offer excellent birding, with over 500 species recorded. Birdlife in the highland forest is rich and interesting. Among the birds to be seen are white-eyed slaty flycatcher and Livingstone turaco.
At the end of this day, you will head to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
A visit to the Ngorongoro Crater is an experience of a lifetime.
Having this in mind, in the morning, you will head down to the crater floor for a day of wildlife viewing in one of the most incredible places on Earth. With walls 2,000 ft high and a crater floor that spreads for 102 sq. miles, the crater is a virtual Noah’s Ark, inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa including the rare black rhino. In fact, the crater has the greatest concentration of wildlife in the planet. It contains a river, several swamps, a soda lake that, from the top, looks like steam, full of flamingoes, a forest and open plains.
A number of specialized grassland birds are resident in the crater. Most noticeable are ostrich, kori bustard, crowned crane and the secretary bird. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
After this incredible experience, you will be transferred to Manyara region for dinner and overnight.
Although only 205 sq. miles in size this enchanting park is noted for its beauty and incredibly lush acacia forest of giant fig and mahogany trees.
Manyara provides the perfect closure to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded and you can reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. A big array of water-associated birds, including pink-backed pelicans, are easily seen around the hippo pool. When the water level is right, the lake is also home to thousands of pink-hued flamingo. More than 50 birds-of-prey have been recorded including the crowned eagle. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
At the end of this day, you will be transferred to Arusha for overnight.
On this day, you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home.
It’s been an amazing trip and you’ll have some incredible photos and stories to share with your friends and family.
