Arrival at Mombasa International Airport, pick up, and drive to Malindi Marine National Reserve and Sabaki River Mouth for bird watching and wildlife observation.
Today, we'll enjoy a boat ride and birding at Malindi Marine National Reserve and Sabaki River Mouth. The Athi-Galana-Sabaki River is the second longest and one of the two perennial rivers draining into the Indian Ocean in Kenya. The Sabaki River Mouth is an estuary with sandbanks, mudflats, dunes, freshwater pools, marshes, and mangroves, presenting a unique ecosystem and habitat for diverse flora and fauna. The estuary is home to over 240 bird species, including resident and migratory shorebirds, and various mammals like crocodiles, hippos, and antelopes.
Drive leisurely while birding to Arabuko Sokoke Forest and bird here in the evening. Arabuko-Sokoke is rich in rare and endemic wildlife, including six taxa of butterflies endemic to the East African coast and three rare near-endemic mammals and amphibians. In Arabuko-Sokoke, Mida Creek, and Sabaki Estuary, we'll search for various bird species, such as Crested Guineafowl, Narina Trogon, Green Barbet, Mombasa Woodpecker, Fischer’s Greenbul, Yellow-bellied and Tiny Greenbuls, Violet-backed Starling, Forest Batis, Black-headed Apalis, East-coast Akalat, Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin, and many more.
Today will be a whole day of bird watching at Arabuko Sokoke and Mida Creek. Arabuko-Sokoke is the largest extant fragment of the forests that once covered much of the East African coast. Many rare and endemic bird species can be found here, including nine globally threatened species. We'll have the opportunity to spot species like Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Fisher’s Turaco, Sokoke Scops Owl, Spotted Ground Thrush, Sokoke Pipit, and more. In total, over 230 bird species have been recorded in Arabuko-Sokoke, making it a prime location for birdwatching in Kenya.
Transfer to Tsavo National Park via Sarova Gate. Tsavo National Park is the largest national park in Kenya and one of the oldest, divided into Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. We will embark on a wildlife safari and bird watching adventure in this vast wilderness area, known for its diverse flora and fauna.
Spend the day bird watching in Tsavo East National Park, exploring all the best birding spots. Tsavo East is home to a wide variety of bird species, and we'll be on the lookout for species like Cut-throat Finch, Golden-breasted Starling, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Irania, Quail-plover, Pangani Longclaw, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Violet Wood-hoopoe, and more. We'll also have the chance to spot various mammals, such as elephants, gazelles, and antelopes.
Birding transfer to Amboseli National Park, known for its breathtaking backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. The park comprises plains, woodlands, and rocky thornbush, providing an excellent birdwatching experience and opportunities to observe elephants and other wildlife. The park is strategically located between Nairobi and Mombasa, making it easily accessible for a bird and wildlife safari.
Spend the whole day in the field birding for Amboseli's specialities, such as Taveta Golden Weaver, Long-toed Plover, Red-throated Tit, Collared Pratincole, Fischer’s Sparrowlark, Black-necked Weaver, Fischer’s Starling, Greater Spotted Eagle, Caspian Plover, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Capped Wheatear, Lead-coloured Flycatcher, and more. Amboseli National Park is home to over 450 bird species, making it a birding hotspot in Kenya.
Birding transfer to Nairobi city. Nairobi National Park, located at the center of Kenya's capital, offers an amazing wildlife and game viewing experience. Despite being close to the city, the park is fenced to protect wildlife from direct contact with humans. The park's southern boundary is open to allow migrating wildlife to move between the park and the neighboring Kitengela plains. Over 500 bird species live in the park, making it a fantastic location for birdwatching.
Spend the whole day birding in City Park. Look out for Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Common Ostrich, Black-headed Heron, Marabou Stork, Egyptian Goose, Black-shouldered Kite, African White-backed Vulture, Augur Buzzard, Tawny Eagle, Helmeted Guineafowl, Grey Crowned Crane, and many other bird species.
Bird watching transfer to Mt. Kenya, the country’s highest summit. Reach here and bird in the evening. In Mount Kenya, we'll search for Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Rueppell’s Robin-Chat, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Yellow-crowned Canary, and various sunbird species. The lodge’s waterhole attracts many mammals, including African Buffalo.
Birding Mount Kenya today and later drive to Samburu National Park. We'll spend the day bird watching and wildlife spotting in Samburu National Park and its adjacent Buffalo Springs. Look out for various bird species like White-headed and Blue-napped Mousebirds, Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike, Red-billed and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers, Black-fronted Bush Shrike, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Yellow-bellied and Striped-cheeked Greenbuls, White-starred Robin, Taita Thrush, Taita White-Eye, Taita Apalis, Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, and more.
Another day of birding in Samburu National Park and Buffalo Springs. We'll search for bird species like Crested Francolin, White-bellied and Buff-crested Bustard, Somali Ostrich, Olive-Tree Warbler, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Northern Pintail, Red-billed Teal, Fulvous Whistling and White-faced Whistling Ducks, Common Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, and many others.
Drive close to Aberdare Ranges and sleep at Nyeri.
Spend the day bird watching in Aberdare Ranges. Explore the alpine moorland above the tree-line and search for Jackson’s Francolins and Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird.
Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park. Located on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is Kenya’s most popular park, supporting a wide variety of birdlife, including flocks of flamingoes. Easily accessible within a few hours’ drive from Nairobi, Lake Nakuru offers excellent bird watching opportunities, along with the chance to see hundreds of migratory birds and rhinos.
Birding at Lake Nakuru National Park and then go to Lake Baringo. Wake up to vast flocks of flamingos, pelicans, and other waterbirds. The surrounding woodland holds Narina Trogon, Red-throated Wryneck, Arrow-marked Babbler, and African Firefinch. Later, after lunch, we'll drive to Lake Baringo.
Spend the day bird watching at Lake Baringo and then go to Kakamega. Lake Baringo and its surrounding areas are rich in arid-zone birds, and we'll search for species like Hunter’s Sunbird, Heuglin’s Courser, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, and Northern White-faced Scops-Owl. At dusk, we may see Slender-tailed Nightjars gliding along the hippo-covered shore. We'll then proceed to Kakamega Forest.
Kakamega Forest is famous as one of Kenya’s birding meccas. We'll search for 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, among other forest species.
Drive via Lake Victoria to Masai Mara and bird here in the evening.
Spend the day bird watching in Masai Mara. The northern portion of the magnificent Serengeti system offers spectacular vistas over flat-topped acacia and grassy plains. We'll have the opportunity to spot East Africa’s famous Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, African Elephants, gazelles, and other wildlife. Birding in Masai Mara can also reward us with views of large raptors, vultures, storks, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground-Hornbill, Schalow’s Turaco, and more.
Birding in Masai Mara in the morning and then drive to Naivasha. At Lake Naivasha, we'll sift through vast flocks of waterbirds and bird in productive lakeside woodlands. Look for species like the African Fish-eagle, Giant and Pied Kingfishers, Goliath and Purple Herons, Great and Intermediate Egrets, Wood-hoopoes, Bitterns, Lesser swamp, and Little-rush Warblers, Squacco Herons, Coots, Grebes, Sandpipers, among others.
Spend the day bird watching at Lake Naivasha.
Go to Nairobi for your return flight.
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