14 Days Kenya Epic Bird Watching Safari

Pick up in the morning from your Nairobi hotel and depart to the Sweetwaters Tented Camp in the secluded heart of the Ol Pejeta Ranch and Rhino sanctuary. Built within a private ranch, the camp is a “Rhino heaven” which also supports a wide variety of birds such as Augur Buzzard, Stout Cisticola, Cape Robin Chat, Black Kite, African Harrier Hawk among other highland species. The sanctuary also support large mammals such as elephants, giraffes etc, it is only here that you can have a night game drive at extra cost. A visit to the Chimpanzee sanctuary should not be missed. Lunch will be served at the Camp. Dinner and overnight tonight will be served at luxurious camp/lodge.

After early morning breakfast we depart for Samburu National Reserve by driving north through the high wheat fields of Timau, crossing the equator and then down into the thorny landscape of Samburu country. This area boost of unique bird species as such as Buff Crested bustard, Kori bustard, Chestnut weaver, Golden palm weaver, Golden-breasted starlings, Water thicknee, among others. Also unique northern wildlife which are not found in any other part south of equator, here you will find the Grevy zebra, Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, the long-necked gerenuk, herds of elephants and their predators abound.
The life-giving Uaso Nyiro River plays a major role in the ecosystem of this region. Dinner and Overnight tonight at lodge.

Spend the whole day bird watching trying to come up with a list of 400 different species found in this region. All meals & overnight at the lodge

After an early breakfast we drive south through Isiolo, crossing the northernmost foothills of Mount Kenya, until we reach Nanyuki town. Heading west we make a brief stopover at Thomson’s Falls, known for its 237ft cascade. After the stopover, we drive southward to our next destination Lake Nakuru. Located in the Great Rift Valley 1750m above sea level.

Lake Nakuru is known as an ornithological paradise by birdwatchers because the lake is world famous as the location of the greatest ornithological spectacle on earth, which boasts any where between one and two million lesser and greater pink flamingos that feed on the abundant algae thriving in the lakes warm waters.

It is one of the few parks that have been specifically established (Gazetted) for the protection of birds specifically flamingos, more than 450 species of birds have been recorded here. The park has also been established for the protection of endangered species such as the rhino and is also home to Columbus monkeys, Leopards, Giraffes, and a variety of plain antelope.

An afternoon game drive around the lake shore will be the main feature for the afternoon, dinner & overnight at your preferred lodge

After breakfast, spend the whole day bird watching and trying to come up with the total list of 450 different species found here. Dinner & overnight at the Lodge.

Depart to Kakamega Forest, covers an area of 240sq.km is a living remnant of the original equatorial rainforest, which once extended from Guinea in the west, to East and Central Africa for a fulfilling and eventful day of birdwatching in this only & unique remaining rain forest with some of very rare and spectacular bird species in the world like the Grey Parrot, Great blue and Black billed turacos, blue headed bee eaters, Turner's eremomela, Little grey greenbul etc.. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Kakamega Forest, the only true rain forest remaining in Kenya, was once a continuation of the Guinea-Congolian rainforest, rich in species nowhere else to be seen in Kenya. Spending here we hope to see a good number of these forest species that could include the Yellow-spotted, Yellow-billed Barbet, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Green, Green-throated Sunbird, Grey-winged Robin, Equatorial Akalat, African Blue Flycatcher, African Shrike-Flycatcher, Snowy-headed Robin, Common, Jameson’s, Chestnut and with much luck the Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Shelley's, Joyful Greenbul, Turners Eremomela, Uganda Woodland Warbler, White-chinned, Banded Prinia, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Black-billed, Vieillot’s Weaver, Red-headed Malimbe. Overnight at the hotel.

A morning lecture on the birds of this small forest which harbour's over 380 different plant species, 50 of which have traditional medicinal value, some endemic animal species, 400 butterfly species and 330 bird species at an altitude of between 1500-1700m followed by a walk to try and identify the available rare species of this equatorial forest. Lunch at Kakamega Golf Hotel followed by a short drive to Lake Victoria where we will do a late afternoon birding around the lake for fresh water birds species e.g. African open bill stork, Swamp flycatcher, Red chested sunbird, Hammerkop, Eastern grey plantain-eater etc. Dinner and overnight tonight at the Hotel.

Today we take an early morning boat ride along the Papyrus vegetation at the Dunga Beach (an old fishing village/jet) with expectation to see some of the specialties like the Papyrus Gonolek, Swamp Flycatcher, Greater Swamp Warbler, White-winged Warbler, other birds includes Hamerkop, Little Egret, Yellow-billed Stork, Pied Kingfisher, White-winged, Whiskered Tern, African Skimmer, Red-chested, Copper Sunbird, Shikra, African Thrush, Black-headed Gonolek, Slender-billed, Northern Brown-throated, Yellow-backed, Jackson’s Golden-backed Weaver, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Southern Red Bishop.

After this we leave for the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve, a plain of rolling grassland dotted with a mixture of acacia trees and the plain game which includes large herds of elephants, zebras, topis, hartebeests, gazelles, Impala’s not forgetting the well known Mara/ Serengeti Wildebeest’s migration, lions, cheetah. We'll stay on the western part of the reserve along the Olololoo Escarpments blended by river, swampy, grassy and forested habitats.

Specialties could include the Long-tailed, Rock Cisticola, Wattled Plover, Rufous-bellied Heron, Penduline Tit, Pale Wren Warbler. Other birds could include Rosy-breasted Longclaw, African Wattled Plover, Ashy Flycatcher, Grey-rumped, Red-rumped, Rufous-chested Swallow, White-headed, Lappet-faced, White-headed Vulture, White-naped Raven, Ross Turaco, Black-backed Puffback, Croaking Cisticola, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Black & White Casqued Hornbill, Narina Trogon, Lilac-breasted Roller, Common Wattle-eye, Silverbird, Plain and Long-billed Pipit, Saddle-billed, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-fronted Canary, Yellow-bellied Hyliota. Overnight at camp/lodge.

An early morning birding/ game drive after breakfast will be our perfect start of another unforgettable and memorable birding day in Africa. With picnic lunch en-route you spend your day in Mara Plains trying to identify and record the over 450 species record in this reserve. All meals and overnight at the Lodge.

Today after an early breakfast, our safari will be destined for Lake Naivasha, the only freshwater lake in the Rift Valley. From the top of the Rift Valley escarpment, you can see the lake sparkling under the sun thousands of feet below you.

The lake is home to a large colony of hippos and it's also a Mecca for bird watchers and researchers since over 400 different species of birds have been recorded here e.g. Long toed plover, Great white egret, Grey headed gull, Southern pochard, Red billed teal and not mention the Lilly trotter; African jacana.

Arrive in time for lunch.Take rest and optional boat ride/

Breakfast then head to Crescent Island, which is completely undeveloped, wild and free, is one of the few places on earth where you can wander/walk on foot among herds of zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, giraffe and dik diks. There are no predators and no fences so it will be quite a liberating and exciting feeling to walk among the wildlife

Dinner & overnight at the lodge.

After a breakfast, we proceed to Nairobi arriving in the afternoon. Lunch enroute. Drop off at your hotel or airport.