Kenya 15 days Birding Safari

This morning, drive north of Kenya to Samburu Game Reserve which is within the land of the colourful Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai, and harbours a number of wildlife species found only north of the equator. It offers unique vistas of rounded and rugged hills and undulating plains. The mix of wood and grassland with riverine forest and swamp is home to a wide variety of animal and birdlife. Lunch is served at the Lodge and later in the afternoon proceed on a game viewing drive until sunset.

Dinner and overnight at Samburu Lodge (full board).

Spend the day in the Reserve where game viewing and visibility is excellent. Bird life is superb with over 380-recorded species and game which includes reticulated giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, elephants, Oryx, Somali ostrich, hippos, crocodiles, gerenuk, buffaloes, lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas. The long-necked gerenuk is a graceful antelope which spends much of its time in a bi-pedal stance seeking succulence among the withered scrub which dots this harsh terrain. Scenically, for most of the year Samburu is under the unsympathetic equatorial sun. Relief comes from the Ewaso Ng’iro River which rises some hundreds of kilometers to the west on the foothills of the Aberdares and which vanishes beyond Samburu in the recess of the Lorian swamp.

All meals and overnight at Samburu Lodge (full board).

After breakfast morning drive to Mount Kenya via the fertile Central Highlands – reminiscent of the English countryside and thus favored by the original settlers for their country home arriving at the Lodge for lunch. Experience game viewing opportunities while combining a glorious panorama of mountain vistas with the primordial splendors of an ancient rainforest. Awake to the trumpeting of elephant, fall asleep to the symphony of the African night or sit in stillness and observe the fascinating interplay of the animals as they arrive to drink, bathe, spar and forage around the water hole.

Dinner and overnight at Rhino Watch Lodge (full board)

After breakfast morning drive via Thompson’s Falls down the floor of the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park, a protected game sanctuary for endangered species such as the Black/ White rhino, Rothschild Giraffe among other usual game such as the leopard and Lion. The park is world-renowned for its millions of pink Flamingoes found around the lake.  Lunch at the Lodge followed by an afternoon game drive until sunset.

Dinner and overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge (full board).

Morning depart from your hotel to Lake Bogoria a saline water shallow located at the northern region of the Kenyan Rift. The reserve comprises the lake and adjacent lands, with 107 km².  Bogoria is a place where the visitor can enjoy the spectacular African scenery in full solitude. The lake displays superb scenery of bluish hills populated with dry bush, grasslands and riverine forests, framing the calm water shallow pinned with flamingoes. Beyond the eastern shore, the soil rises abruptly to 600 m in the Laikipia Escarpment. At the opposite edge, the earth forms strangely colored swampy crusts, which break up in deep gaps spitting stinky sulphur waters and steam jets. Check in and have lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon, depart for games drive in the close-up geysers, the pink brushstrokes of the flamingoes on the lake, and farther away the dramatic backdrop of the Laikipia Escarpment which makes Bogoria have an unrivalled scenery.

Dinner and overnight at Lake Bogoria Hotel & Spa Hotel (Full board).

A further day at the alkaline lake that produces the blue – green algae which feeds flamingoes. At times the number of flamingoes feeding in the lake may be as high as two million. Raptors such as tawny eagles prey on the flamingoes. In total, 135 species of bird have been recorded. They include little grebe, pratincole, swift, little bee-eater, cape widgeon, yellow-billed stork, African spoonbill, augur buzzard, gabar goshawk, water dikkop, great tit, starling, hornbill and crombec. The reserve has a herd of the relatively uncommon greater Kudu. Other large mammals include buffalo, zebra, cheetah, baboon, warthog, caracal, spotted hyena, impala and dik dik.

All meals and overnight at Lake Bogoria Hotel & Spa Hotel (Full Board).

After breakfast, drive to Kakamega national reserve. This is the country’s only tropical rain forest and formed part of the dense rain forest that stretched from west Africa, across central Africa and in to the highland areas East and West of the great rift valley. The forest is world renowned as home to several hundred species of birds including rare snake eating birds, insects, monkeys and other mammals as well as countless exotic tree species.

All meals and overnight at Rondo Retreat (full board).

After breakfast, spend a full day in the Kakamega national reserve with bird walks accompanied by game wardens and our driver/guides.

Dinner and overnight at Rondo Retreat (full board).

After breakfast and check-out, depart for the drive to Kisumu City to check-in at your hotel followed by lunch and depart for a bird walk along the shores of Lake Victoria with a resident guide.

Dinner and overnight at Imperial Hotel (full board).

This morning, travel to Maasai Mara Game Reserve, so named to mean the “spotted plains” in Maa language. This is home to the greatest concentration of large mammals and is widely recognized as Africa’s ultimate wildlife reserve. The park is the northern extension to the vast Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, famous for its annual migration of wildebeest. Check-n upon arrival and spend the early afternoon at leisure. Depart later for a bird walk with the resident naturalist.

Dinner and overnight at Ol Moran Tented Camp [Full Board]

During your stay, you have the opportunity to explore this great reserve in depth. You may see elephant, giraffe, prides of lion, and thousands of impala, topi, grants and Thomson’s gazelle. Birds are prolific including immigrants, 450 bird species have been recorded among them 57 birds of prey. The Mara is the scene of annual migration of millions of wildebeest up from the Serengeti plains in search of water and grasses. While in Mara, you will have the option to float above the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem on board a hot air balloon followed by a gourmet champagne breakfast. You can also visit a Maasai tribal village and enjoy entertainment by Maasai dancers (Options at an extra cost).

All meals and overnights at Ol Moran Tented Camp [Full Board]

Depart after breakfast with a game drive en route to Nairobi. On arrival, you are transferred to your hotel for check-in and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Lunch and dinner on own account.

Overnight at Eka Hotel (bed & breakfast).

After early breakfast and check-out, you are transferred to JKIA for your outbound flight.