This 22-day itinerary will take you through some of the country's most beautiful landscapes to see a wide variety of birds in their natural habitats. Begin with a free day in Nairobi before transferring to Samburu Reserve for your first guided safari. Then you'll take a birdwatching hike up Mount Kenya, tour the Elsamere Conservation Center, and see hundreds of flamingoes at Lake Elmenteita.
On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport. Met by Diwaka Safaris representative at the Airport and transferred by our driver / guide to your Nairobi hotel. Use of room is not guaranteed before noon. Remainder of the day at leisure.
Overnight at CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL / SAFARI PARK HOTEL / SOUTHERN SUN HOTEL / NAIROBI SERENA / STANLEY HOTEL / PANAFRIC HOTEL / RED COURT HOTEL (B/B)
Early breakfast, drive northwards passing the 3rd world largest pineapple plantations to the town of Mweiga for lunch at the Aberdare Country Club. After lunch you will be ferried by lodge's 4wd vehicles up the forest to the Ark. Aberdares national park is inhabited mainly by forest dwelling bird species. At the Ark, you spend the evening viewing from the hotel balconies the large number of wildlife that comes to drink at the salt lick close to this eco-lodge. The Aberdares host a rich montane bird fauna. Most of Kenya's highland species are found here. The reserves are also rich in big game such as elephant, buffalo and antelope - the bongo.
Dinner and overnight at THE ARK LODGE / TREETOPS LODGE / SANGARE CAMP (F/B)
Drive northwards after breakfast Samburu Game Reserve. This reserve has a plethora of unique bird and game species. Despite its small size, the reserve contains lots of contrasting habitats: rocky cliff and scarps, pools, swamps and river line sandbanks; arid open woodland, bush and grasslands. All these contribute to an impressive biodiversity. Take a tour too to the neighboring reserves of Shaba and Buffalo springs which are separated by Ewaso Nyiro (the brown river).
Samburu National Reserve bird species are such as Palm-Nut Vulture and Egyptian Vultures, Bateleur, and Verreaux Eagles, Verreaux Eagle-owl and the small Pygmy Falcon. We shall also look for Somali Ostrich, Kori and Buff-crested Bustards, Somali Bee-eater, Vulturine Guinea fowl, Ethiopian Swallow, Bare-eyed Thrush, Grey-capped and Black-capped Social Weavers, Cut-throat Finch, Red-winged and Pink-breasted Larks, Golden Pipit, Magpie Starlings and Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-weaver, Northern and Pale Crombecs. While looking out for the endemic William's and Masked larks, we will also see some big mammals which are confined to the northern part of Kenya and they include the Oryx, Grevy's Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe and the Gerenuk or Girraffe antelope.
Dinner and overnight at ASHNIL SAMBURU CAMP / SAMBURU SOPA LODGE / SAMBURU LODGE / SAMBURU SIMBA LODGE / LARSENS CAMP / SAMBURU INTREPIDS CAMP (F/B)
Full-day Samburu National Resrve
Drive southwards after an early breakfast to Lake Nakuru national park and arrive in good time for lunch. The park was opened in 1969 as a bird sanctuary because of the huge flocks of Lesser Flamingo. It also hosts big flocks of both Great White and Pink-backed Pelican, ducks and waders. The acacia is a refuge for other wildlife like the Rothschild Giraffe, both Black and White Rhino and cats like lion and leopard.
Lake Nakuru you will see the spectacular gathering of lesser Flamingoes in there hundreds of thousand together with an abundance of other water birds like the Western Reef Heron, Lesser Jacana, and black-headed Gull. We will also look for Acacia forest species, including Green-wood Hoopoe, Hildebrandt's and Coqui Francolins, Rufous-naped and Fawn-colored Larks, scarce Grey-crowned Helmet-shrike, Arrow-marked Babbler, Bearded Woodpecker, Mottled swift and White-shouldered Cliff Chat. On the baboon cliff we shall be on the lookout for fox Kestrels and other species of falcons.
Dinner and overnight at LAKE NAKURU LODGE / FLAMINGO HILL CAMP / SAROVA LION HILL LODGE / MBWEHA CAMP (F/B)
Full-day Lake Nakuru National Park
Dinner and overnight at LAKE NAKURU LODGE / FLAMINGO HILL CAMP / SAROVA LION HILL LODGE / MBWEHA CAMP (F/B)
After breakfast travel further south to Lake Baringo and arrive in good time for lunch.
In Lake Baringo Birding along the cliffs will give you golden chances to see some owls and raptors on the cliffs and adjacent acacia. Key species to look for are White-faced Scopes Owl, Hemprich's Hornbill, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Bristle-crowned Starling ,Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit, Beautiful Sunbird, Bristle-crowned Starling, Jackson's Golden-backed, Little and Northern Masked Weavers. In the evening we visit several sites looking for Verreaux's and Spotted-Eagle Owls, as well as the White-faced Scops Owl. You shall take an exciting drive to Lake Bogoria, looking for Silver bird on the way. This is another saline lake with spectacular hot springs. This is an important roosting site for huge flocks of the Eurasian Steppe Eagle. Dinner and overnight at LAKE BARINGO COUNTRY CLUB / SOI SAFARI LODGE / ROBERTS CAMP / SAMATIAN CAMP (F/B)
Full-day in Lake Baringo National Park.
Dinner and overnight at LAKE BARINGO COUNTRY CLUB / SOI SAFARI LODGE / ROBERTS CAMP / SAMATIAN CAMP (F/B)
Full-day in Lake Baringo National Park.
Dinner and overnight at LAKE BARINGO COUNTRY CLUB / SOI SAFARI LODGE / ROBERTS CAMP / SAMATIAN CAMP (F/B)
Drive after breakfast to Kakamega forest having your lunch enroute.
Kakamega Tropical Rain Forest. This is the only tropical rain forest in the country. It is on the easternmost boundary of the West African tropical rain forest. This makes it a unique biome because it contains species found nowhere else in the country. Birds to look for are the Great Blue Turraco, White-spotted Fluff tail, the endemic Chapin's Flycatcher, the threatened and incredibly localized Turner's Eremomela, Stuhlman's Starling among a long list of other West African species.
Dinner and overnight at RONDO RETREAT CENTRE.
Full day Kakamega National Park.
Dinner and overnight at RONDO RETREAT CENTRE.
Drive to Kisumu, which is a city at the shores of Lake Victoria, after breakfast. Take a boat ride for your birding. Along the Papyrus stands on the shores of Lake Victoria and Yala Swamps, we shall look for the three Papyrus endemics which are Papyrus Gonolek, Warbler and Canary. Other Lake region species to see are Open-billed Stork, White winged Warbler, Swamp Flycatcher, Red-headed Quelea, Yellow-backed Weaver, Greater-swamp Warbler, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Red-chested Sunbird, Slender-billed and Golden-backed Weavers among others.
Lunch, dinner and overnight at KIBOKO BAY / TAKAWIRI RESORT / MFANGANO ISLAND / RUSINGA ISLAND (F/B)
Full-day in Kisumu
Lunch, dinner and overnight at KIBOKO BAY / TAKAWIRI RESORT / MFANGANO ISLAND / RUSINGA ISLAND (F/B)
After breakfast drive to Lake Naivasha and arrive in good time for lunch. Have another boat ride for ducks, waders, warblers and kingfishers. The woodland around the lake is a good habitat for cuckoos and cisticolas. The lake supports large populations of Hippo, Wildebeest, Maasai Giraffe, Waterbuck and lots of others. The Acacia around the lake provide larger population of African Fish Eagle, Grey-crested and Helmet-shrike.
Dinner and overnight at NAIVASHA SOPA LODGE / NAIVASHA SAWELA LODGE / ENASHIPAI LODGE / NAIVASHA SIMBA LODGE (F/B)
Full-day in Lake Baringo National Park.
Dinner and overnight at LAKE BARINGO COUNTRY CLUB / SOI SAFARI LODGE / ROBERTS CAMP / SAMATIAN CAMP (F/B)
Dinner and overnight at NAIVASHA SOPA LODGE / NAIVASHA SAWELA LODGE / ENASHIPAI LODGE / NAIVASHA SIMBA LODGE (F/B)
Drive to and bird the famed Maasai Mara after breakfast. You will have packed lunch.The Mara Game Reserve has varied habits, including open rolling grasslands, river line forests, acacia woodlands, swamps, escarpments, etc. These contribute to its exceedingly diverse wildlife. It is know for its huge concentrations of herbivores and attendant predators. More than 500 bird species are known to occur here, including raptor 53 raptor species such as Southern Ground Hornbill, Long-toed Plover Lizard Buzzard, Secretary Bird, Shelley's Francolin, Red-necked Spur fowl, Madagascar Squacco Heron, Rofous-bellied Heron Spotted Thicknee, Red-throated Spurfowl, Magpie Shrike, Black Coucal, Little Greenbul, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Athi Short-toed Lark, Karamoja Apalis, Zitting and Rock-loving Cisticola Dinner and overnight at MARA SERENA LODGE / KEEKOROK LODGE / MARA ASHNIL CAMP / MARA SIMBA LODGE / MARA SOPA LODGE / MARA LEISURE CAMP / MARA SAROVA CAMP (F/B)
Full-day at Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Dinner and overnight at MARA SERENA LODGE / KEEKOROK LODGE / MARA ASHNIL CAMP / MARA SIMBA LODGE / MARA SOPA LODGE / MARA LEISURE CAMP / MARA SAROVA CAMP (F/B)
Full-day at Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Dinner and overnight at MARA SERENA LODGE / KEEKOROK LODGE / MARA ASHNIL CAMP / MARA SIMBA LODGE / MARA SOPA LODGE / MARA LEISURE CAMP / MARA SAROVA CAMP (F/B)
Drive to Amboseli national park and lunch is enroute. Have three game viewing drives in the park. Amboseli National Park ;This famous reserve is at the base of Africa's highest mountain and the world's highest standing volcano, Mt Kilimanjaro, which towers more than 19,000 feet above the plains. Birds that can be seen within the reserve include C, White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures, Spur-winged and Egyptian Geese, Red-billed and Hottentot Teals, Long-tailed Cormorant, Red-knobbed Coot, Yellow-billed and Saddle-billed Storks, Great and Intermediate Egrets, Grey, Black-headed, Herons Black Crake, African Jacana, Grey Crowned-crane, African Spoonbill, African Fish-eagle, Water Thick-knee, Collared Pratincole, Two-banded Courser, Three-banded Plover Greater Painted-snipe, White-browed Coucal, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Lilac-breasted Roller, Grey-headed, Malachite kingfishers, African Hoopoe, Red-capped Lark, Fischer's Sparrow-lark, Pangani long claw and the hard to find Taveta Golden-weaver.Dinner and overnight at AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE / OLTUKAI LODGE / KILIMA CAMP / AMBOSELI SENTRIM CAMP / AMBOSELI SOPA LODGE (F/B)
Full-day at Amboseli National Park
Dinner and overnight at AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE / OLTUKAI LODGE / KILIMA CAMP / AMBOSELI SENTRIM CAMP / AMBOSELI SOPA LODGE (F/B)
Full-day at Amboseli National Park
Dinner and overnight at AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE / OLTUKAI LODGE / KILIMA CAMP / AMBOSELI SENTRIM CAMP / AMBOSELI SOPA LODGE (F/B)
After breakfast at the Lodge, embark on your journey back to Nairobi. On arrival in Nairobi transfer for a complimentary farewell lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant.Later transfer to Jomo Kenyatta Intl. Airport for your scheduled international departure flight.
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Vladimír Staňura – USA
We wanted to do safari with my wife in Kenya. Diwaka Safaris organized our trip for 17 days professionally. We were very satisfied with all services. The best part was our guide Patrick Waweru who did an excellent job.
josefkingley – USA
Decided to do one a early Jan before the corona nightmare...wasnt decided on the exact itinerary especially the accommodation to choose...did my own research and decided on the ones I could get though decided they can also advice on what they had in mind so that we could compare prices as well as I could get to check on their diff reviews...was a 4 nights trip just Naivasha where we stayed at Naivasha Sopa and Mara at Ashnil..loved ashnil way better cos of the views as well what we got to see the in terms of wildlife..