https://www.tanzaniabirding.com/wp-content/uploads/kenya-tours.jpgDay 1: We would suggest flights arriving on British Airways into Nairobi – Jomo Kenyatta Airport, Depending on time/method of arrival,we will transfer to the Boulevard Hotel Nairobi, rest of the day relaxing and recovering from Jet lag.
Day 2: After breakfast, we will depart for the highlands. Passing through Nairobi, we will reach Thika, overlooking the Chania & Thika Falls and birding. We will then continue to Thiba Paddyfields for waterbirds, and finally to Wajee Camp, where the endemic Hindes Babbler is resident. Wajee Rest house.
Day 3: The day may be spent birding at Wajee, Karatina
Pond and then Drive to Samburu National Reserve.Over night Serena Lodge.
Day 5: We will spend the entire day Birding and Game viewing in the Park. Over night at Samburu Serena Lodge.
Day 6: After breakfast, we will drive out of the reserve, and up into the highlands again. In the afternoon,we will drive Birding on Mt Kenya,return to Naromoru River Lodge in the evening.
Day 7: After a short birding in the lodge grounds, we will
transfer across the Solio Plains, and skirt the Aberdares to Thompson’s Falls, and the nearby marsh. We will then descend into the Rift Valley, and up to Lake Baringo, where we can spend the evening in the camp grounds. Lake Baringo Country Club.
Day 8: All day will be spent in the vicinity of Lake Baringo, exploring the cliffs and lakeshore areas.
Day 9: After breakfast, we will drive through the spectacular Kerio Valley and then head south to Kakamega forest,where we will spend the afternoon in the northern part of the forest reserve. Over night Isecheno Resthouse.
Day 10: We will spend the first half of the Day in the southern part of the reserve,after which we will drive Kisumu.Over night Imperial Hotel.
Day 11: After breakfast, we will transfer to the Masai Mara Park. Game viewing enroute to our Lodge at the Serena Lodge.
Day 12: We will leave the Mara,game viewing and heading across Loita Plains and to Lake Naivasha country Club.
Day 13: The first half of the morning will be spent around the shores of Lake Naivasha and in the after noon we will drive back in Nairobi passing by the Limuru Pond before arriving in Nairobi at the Boulevard Hotel.
Day 14: To day we will head for a long drive heading to the coast overnight at Scorpion Villas.
Day 15: We will explore the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, with its many rarities. We will also look over Mida Creek for waterbirds and drive to Mombasa staying at the WhiteSands in Mombasa. End of Trip.
Note: At the end of the Tour one may take an option to spend a couple of Days by the Beach and arrange to Fly Mombasa to Nairobi connecting with the Outbound Flight Home.
The extra arrangements will not be part of the package Tour.
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location Coast Province, Kenya
Area 1,787 km²
Established 1990
Governing body Kenya Wildlife Services
Kora National Park is located in Coast Province, Kenya. The park covers an area of 1,787 square kilometres. It is located 125 kilometres east of Mount Kenya. The park was initially gazetted as a nature reserve in 1973. It was gazetted as a national park in 1990, following the murder of George Adamson by poachers.
Meru National Park and the Tana River mark 65 kilometres of the park’s northern boundary. Features of the Tana River include Adamson’s Falls, Grand Falls and the Kora rapids. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Mwitamvisi River.The park has several seasonal rivers.
The topography of the park slopes gently from an altitude of 490m in the south-west to an altitude of about 270m in the north-east. The central area of the park is an undulating peneplain. Basement ridges protrude above the surface of the peneplain as rocky inselbergs, domed hills or hard rocks that rise steeply from the surrounding area.
The highest of these inselbergs are Mansumbi (488m), Kumbulanwa (450m) and Kora Rock (442m). The cracks and crevices in the inselbergs have become filled with soil, and a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and small wind-blown trees have become established in them.
There is a wide variety of animal species in the park, including the caracal, cheetah, elephant, genet, hippopotamus, spotted and striped hyenas, leopard, lion, serval, wildcat and several types of antelope. The vegetation in the park is mostly comprised of acacia bushland. There are also riverine forests of doum palm and Tana River popular.
The park had serious problems with poachers in the 1980s and 1990s. George Adamson and two of his assistants were murdered by poachers in the park in 1989. Adamson is buried in the park.
Lake Nakuru, a small (it varies from 5 to 45 square kilometers) shallow alkaline lake on the southern edge of the town of Nakuru lies about 160 kilometers north of Nairobi. It can therefore be visited in a day tour from the capital or more likely as part of a circuit taking in the Masai Mara or Lake Baringo and east to Samburu.
The lake is world famous as the location of the greatest bird spectacle on earth – myriads of fuchsia pink flamingos whose numbers are legion, often more than a million – or even two million. They feed on the abundant algae, which thrives in the warm waters.
Scientists reckon that the flamingo population at Nakuru consumes about 250,000 kilos of algae per hectare of surface area per year. There are two types of flamingo species: the Lesser flamingo can be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the greater, which has a bill with a black tip.
The Lesser flamingos are ones that are commonly pictured in documentaries mainly because they are large in number. The number of Flamingos has been decreasing recently, perhaps due to too much tourism, pollution resulting from industries waterworks nearby who dump waste into the waters or simply because of changes in water quality which makes the lake temporarily inhospitable.
Usually, the lake recedes during the dry season and floods during the wet season. In recent years, there have been wide variations between the dry and wet seasons’ water levels.
It’s suspected that this is caused by increasing watershed land conversion to intensive crop production and urbanization, both which reduce the capacity of soils to absorb water, recharge groundwaters and thus increase seasonal flooding.
Pollution and drought destroy the flamingos’ food, Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, and causing them to migrate to the nearby Lakes, more recently lakes Elmenteita, Simbi Nyaima and Bogoria. Local climate changes have also been hypothesized to contribute to the changing environmental conditions in the lakes catchment.
Recent media reports indicate increasing concern among stakeholders, as mass flamingo migrations and deaths could spell doom to the tourism industry. The flamingos feed on algae, created from their droppings mixing in the warm alkaline waters, and plankton. But flamingo are not the only avian attraction, also present are two large fish eating birds, pelicans and cormorants.
Despite the tepid and alkaline waters, a diminutive fish, Tilapia grahami has flourished after being introduced in the early 1960s. The lake is rich in other birdlife. There are over 400 resident species on the lake and in the surrounding park. Thousands of both little grebes and white winged black terns are frequently seen as are stilts, avocets, ducks, and in the European winter the migrant waders.
The Masai Mara (also spelled Maasai Mara) is a large park reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park game reserve in Tanzania. Named for the Maasai tribespeople (the traditional inhabitants of the area) and the Mara River which divides it, it is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of the wildebeest every July and August, a migration so immense it is called the Great Migration.
Geography
With an area of 1510 km² the Masai Mara is not the largest game park in Kenya, but it is probably the most famous. The entire area of the park is nestled within the enormous Great Rift Valley that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to South Africa. The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland, with clusters of the distinctive acacia tree in the south-east region. The western border is the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley, and wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good and tourist disruption is minimal. The easternmost border is 224 km from Nairobi, and hence it is the eastern regions which are most visited by tourists.
The Masai Mara is perhaps most famous for its lions. All other members of the “Big Five” are to be found in the Masai Mara, although the population of black rhinoceros is severely threatened, with a population of only 37 recorded in 2000. Hippopotami are found in large groups in the Masai Mara and Talek Rivers. Cheetah are also to be found, although their numbers are also threatened, chiefly due to tourist disruption of their day-time hunting. As mentioned above, the plains between the Mara river and the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah.
Like in the Serengeti, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitant of the Masai Mara, and their numbers are estimated in the millions. Around July of each year these ungainly animals migrate in a vast ensemble north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving an immensity of hervibores: some 1,300,000 Wildebeest, 360,000 Thomson’s Gazelle, and 191,000 Zebra. These numerous migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by a block of hungry predators, most notably lions and hyena.
Numerous other antelope can be found, including Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, impala, topi and Coke’s hartebeest. Large herds of zebra are found through the reserve. The plains are also home to the distinctive Masai giraffe as well as the common giraffe. The large Roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders. The Masai Mara is a major research centre for the spotted hyena. Additionally, over 450 species of birdlife have been identified in the park, including vulture, marabou, secretary bird, hornbill, crowned crane, ostrich, long-crested eagle, and pygmy falcon.
Useful Information
The Masai Mara is administered by the Mara conservancy,under contract with the (Transmara county council) a local non profit organization formed by the local Maasai, and contains a number of anti-poaching units that are stationed well away from the regions frequented by tourists. Game parks are a major source of hard currency for Kenya, and entry fees (as of April 2006) for adult non-Kenyans is US$40 ($10 for children). There are a number of lodges and tented camps for tourists inside the reserve’s borders.The tourists/visitors cater for their own expenses unless prior arranged by their agencies.
Lodges and camps inside the reserve include Mara Serena, Governor’s camp, Siana Springs tented camp, Mara simba, Keekorok, and Sarova Mara. Outside the reserve borders are Mara Sopa, Elephant Pepper, Royal Mara Safari Lodge and Sekenani camp.
Mara Serena Airport and Keekorok Airport are located in Masai Mara.
Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
Region as classified by UNESCO.
Mount Kenya National Park ( [show location on an interactive map] 0°07’26?S, 37°20’12?E), established in 1949, protects the region surrounding Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. 1,300 km² of the park is a forest reserve with 715 km² above the 3000m (10,500ft) tree line. The park was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997.
The Government of Kenya had four reasons for creating a national park on and around Mount Kenya. These were the importance of tourism for the local and national economies, to preserve an area of great scenic beauty, to conserve the biodiversity within the park, and to preserve the water catchment for the surrounding area.
At lower altitudes Colobus and other monkeys and Cape Buffalo are prevalent. Some larger mammals such as elephants range up to 4,500 m (15,000ft).
A small portion of this park’s borders near heavy populations have electrified fences to keep the elephants out of the surrounding farmland. Volcanic sediment in the surrounding region’s soil and the huge volume of fresh water coming down the slopes makes the area particularly favourable for agriculture.
The vegetation is primarily dry savanna, open grass plains with scattered acacia bushes. The park also has a permanent river with a riverine forest.
The western upland areas has an upland dry forest with stands of Olea africana and Croton dichogamus/Brachylaena hutchinsii[verification needed] and calodendrum. The lower slopes are a grassland composed of such species as: Themeda, Cyprus, Digitaria, and Cynodon with scattered yellow-barked acacia, Acacia xanthophloea.
In addition there are stretches of broken bush country and deep rocky valleys and gorges with scrub and long grass.
The park also serves many residents and citizens living in the city. The park has a diversity of environments with characteristic fauna and flora. Open grass plains with scattered acacia bush are predominant. Man-made dams have also added a further habitat, favourable to certain species of birds and other aquatic life forms. The dams also attract water dependent herbivores during the dry season.
Wildlife
The park has a rich/diverse birdlife with 400 species recorded. However all species are not always present and some are seasonal. Northern migrants pass through the park primarily during late March through April.
Nairobi National Park is one of the most successful of Kenya’s rhino sanctuaries that is already generating a stock for reintroduction in the species former range and other upcoming sanctuaries. Due to this success, it is one of the few parks where a visitor can be certain of seeing a black rhino in its natural habitat.
To the south of the park is the Athi-Kapiti Plains and Kitengela migration and dispersal area. These are vital areas for herbivores dispersal during the rains and concentrate in the park in the dry season.
Major Attractions
* Black rhinoceros
* Diverse birdlife
* Large predators – lion, leopard, hyena and cheetah.
* Aggregations of large herbivores – eland, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest
* Ivory Burning Site Monument
* Walking trails at hippo pools
* Nairobi Safari Walk & the animal Orphanage
Samburu National Reserve is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro river in Kenya; on the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve. It is 104 km² in size and 350 kilometers from Nairobi. Geographically, it is located in Samburu District of the Rift Valley Province.
Overview
Samburu National Reserve is located north of Nairobi, and was established in the 1970’s. Samburu Reserve is 40 square miles in size; temperature during the day is hot, but tends to cool during the night. This area of the region to this date is referred to as the Northern Frontier District because of the war in the 1960’s and early 70’s with the Somali people. Culturally, Northern Kenya has always had a strong influence of Somali, Oromo and Borana communities/tribes, who have lived as nomads in the area for many centuries.
Habitat
Samburu National Reserve can be entered via the Ngare Mare and Buffalo Springs gates. Once inside the reserve, there are two mountains visible: Koitogor and Ololokwe. Samburu National Reserve is very peaceful and attracts animals because of River Uaso Nyiro (meaning “brown water” and pronounced U-aa-so-Nyee-ro) that runs through it and the mixture of acacia, riverine forest, thorn trees and grass vegetation. The Uaso Nyiro flows from the Kenyan highlands and empties into the famous Lorian Swamp. The natural serenity that is evident here is due to its distance from industries and the inaccessibility of the reserve for many years.
Wildlife
There is a wide variety of animal and bird life seen at Samburu National Reserve. Several species are considered unique to the region:
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location of Tsavo National Parks
Location Kenya
Area 11,747 km²
Established 1948
Governing body Kenya Wildlife Service
Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya at 11,747 square kilometers. Opened in April of 1948, it is located near the village of Voi in the Taita District of Coast Province. The park is divided into east and west sections by the A109 road and a railway. Named for the Tsavo River, which flows west to east through the national park, it borders the Chyulu Hills National Park, and the Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania.
Geography
The park can be accessed by three main gates, from Voi through the Manyani gate, from Mombasa through the Bachuma gate or from Malindi through the Sala gate. There are also several airstrips in the park that allow chartered light planes. Inside the park, the Athi and Tsavo rivers converge to form the Galana River. Most of the park consists of semi-arid grasslands and savanna. It is considered one of the world’s biodiversity strongholds, and its popularity is mostly due to the vast amounts of diverse wildlife that can be seen. The park also offers camping and several geographical points of interest.
The slightly larger Tsavo East is generally flat, with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau and Lugards Falls. Wildlife in Tsavo East includes black rhinos and hirola antelopes.
Tsavo West is more mountainous and wetter than its counterpart, with swamps, Lake Jipe and the Mzima Springs. It is known for birdlife and for its large mammals. It is also home to a black rhino sanctuary.
Major Attractions
Mudanda Rock
The Mudanda Rock is a 1.6 km inselberg of stratified rock that acts as a water catchment that supplies a natural dam below. It offers an excellent vantage point for the hundreds of elephants and other wildlife that come to drink during the dry season.
Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau, the world’s longest lava flow, runs along the western boundary of the park above the Athi river. Its 290 km length was formed by lava from Ol Doinyo Sabuk Mountain.
Lugard Falls
Lugard Falls, named after Frederick Lugard, is actually a series of rapids on the Galana river.
Aruba Dam
Aruba Dam was built in 1952 across the Voi river. The reservoir created by the dam attracts many animals and water birds.
Animals
Tsavo East National Park is one of the world’s largest game sanctuaries, providing undeveloped wilderness homes to vast numbers of animals. A comprehensive list of the animal types found in Tsavo East Park includes the aardwolf, yellow baboon, bat, cape buffalo, bushbaby, bushbuck, caracal, African wildcat, cheetah, African Civet, dik-dik, African hunting dog, African dormouse, Blue Duiker, bush duiker, red duiker, eland, African elephant, bat-eared fox, greater galago, gazelle, large-spotted genet, small-spotted genet, gerenuk, giraffe, African hare, springhare, Coke hartebeest, hunter hartebeest, East African hedgehog, spotted hyaena, striped hyaena, rock hyrax, tree hyrax, impala, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, klipspringer, Lesser Kudu, leopard, lion, banded mongoose, dwarf mongoose, large grey mongoose, marsh mongoose, slender mongoose, white-tailed mongoose, black faced vervet monkey, Sykes’s monkey, fringe-eared oryx, clawless otter, ground pangolin, crested porcupine, cane rat, giant rat, naked mole rat, ratel, bohor reedbuck, black rhinoceros, serval, spectacled elephant shrew, bush squirrel, East African red squirrel, striped ground squirrel, unstriped ground squirrel, ibex, suni, warthog, waterbuck, common zebra, and Grevy’s zebra.
Birds
Over 500 bird species have been recorded in the area, including ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weaver birds, kingfishers, hornbills, secretary birds, and herons.
This Tour Takes us to explore, Lake Nakuru, the arid North with Lake Baringo, western Kenya into the ever green Kakamega Forest with its specialties, the world famous Maasai Mara Reserve, and Finishing with Tanzania’s most popular and unique parks of Tarangire, the Serengeti Plains and the world heritage site at Ngorongoro Crater.
Welcome! Karibu!
Day 1: On arrival at Nairobi Airport you will be met by a representative from Birding Safaris and transferred to your hotel in Nairobi. Depending on your arrival time you may have the option to visit Nairobi National Park in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Boulevard hotel. The Boulevard Hotel is situated a short distance from the center of town. This clean, simply appointed hotel is the base hotel for many of the overland companies and is often used as the departure point as well as for pre-departure meetings. All rooms look either onto the gardens or the pool, and in addition to the swimming pool the property has a restaurant, tennis courts and a bar.
Day 2: The day is at your leisure with an overnight at the Boulevard Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 3: This morning you will be met at your hotel by your Birding Safaris
driver/guide and transferred by road to Lake Nakuru National Park for birding and wildlife viewing. In Nakuru you will look out for the commoner bird species to include Rock Thrush, Lesser and Greater Flamingoes, Rupell’s long tailed starling, Green wood hoopoes, African Fish Eagle, Tawny Eagles, and many other winter and intra African Migrants will have arrived then. The Mammal list will as well be long. The White Rhino is protected from poachers here and the only site on your itinerary for the Rothschild’s Giraffe will be at Lake Nakuru Park. After the first excitement in the park you will have a picnic lunch at the Cliff picnic site where you will share it with Black kites Cliff chats and Rock hyraxes before driving further north into Lake Baringo. The rest of the evening is at your leisure with an overnight at Lake Baringo Country Club. Lake Baringo is a fabulous place to simply chill out. As with Lake Naivasha, the 170km² lake is fresh water and it has a charming campsite and luxury lodge on its shores. Its main attraction is the fabulous bird life, which abounds here and attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. The demand is such that the lodge, Lake Baringo Country Club, has a resident ornithologist who conducts bird walks and evening slide shows. The lodge and campsite have lots of trees which ring with bird songs.
Day 4: The day will be spent bird watching with an overnight at Lake Baringo Country Club.
Day 5: Today you will add up your list with yet more exciting bird species with one of the local guides to include: Little Weaver and D’Arnaud’s Barbet, you should encounter Slender-tailed Nightjar, Heuglin’s Courser, Spotted Thick-knee, Northern Masked, Little, Jackson’s and Vitelline Masked Weavers, Bristle-crowned Starling, Hemprich’s and Jackson’s Hornbills, Mouse-colored Penduline Tit, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, White-faced Scops Owl, the beautiful Sunbird and much more.
After a late breakfast you will head to the Kakamega Forest. On the way you can expect further birding at the spectacular Kerio Valley where you may see the Little Bee Eater and Fan Tailed Raven. Overnight at Rondo Retreat. Rondo Retreat’s accommodation consists of luxury wooden cottages/chalets in the heart of Kakamega Forest and is the most top class accommodation facility in Kakamega Forest. The property is run by an International Christian fellowship Mission.
Day 6: Early morning birding in the Kakamega forest with the resident bird guide, where upon birding will depend on how good the weather will be this morning but usually you should be able to find a wide range of western Kenyan specialties.
Bird life in Kakamega Forest is incredible, to include the Great Blue and Black-billed Turacos, Grey Parrot ( the forest has about 18 pairs of grey Parrots-the only remaining population inn Kenya, Yellow-billed, Grey-throated, Yellow-spotted and Hairy-breasted Barbets, several Woodpeckers, Scaly-throated and Thick-billed Honey guides, Turner’s Eremomela, Banded and White-chinned Prinias, Blue and Dusky Crested Flycatchers, Chapin’s Flycatcher, several Greenbuls and Illadopsises, Yellow bill and Bar-tailed Trogons.
After the first half of the morning you will return at Rondo Retreat
for lunch after which you will be transferred to Lake Victoria in Kisumu arriving in the late afternoon. If time permits you will do birding around the swamps in Kisumu where you can expect to spot a number of lake Victoria specialties in the surrounding swamps at the Hippo point which include; Wing-snapping Cisticola, Black-headed and Papyrus Gonoleks, Caruthers’s Cisticola, Swamp Flycatcher, Papyrus and Yellow-fronted Canaries, Black-billed Barbet, White-browed and Blue-headed Coucal, Greater Swamp Warbler and many more depending on luck. Overnight at the Imperial Hotel Kisumu. The Imperial Hotel Kisumu is a 4 star Hotel in the middle of Kisumu Town and is the most top class tourist hotel in Kisumu Town.
Day 7: After breakfast you will have the option to bird the swamps around Lake Victoria again for species you might have missed out the last evening. You will then drive to the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve, birding the plains en route to the lodge where species such as the Common Stone Chat, Usambiro Barbet, Yellow t
hroated Long Claw, White Bellied Bustards… may be spotted. Overnight at the Serena Lodge. Set in the heart of Africa’s Great Plains, the Masai Mara boasts 1,672 square kilometers of unspoilt wilderness. It is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent. Throughout the year the Mara is a place of natural drama, a kaleidoscope of color and life. The famed “Big Five” – Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Buffalo and Leopard – roam the reserve, together with hundreds of others from the fastest animal on earth, the Cheetah, to one of the most secretive, the Bat-eared Fox. After the rains, when the first flush of grass turns the Mara’s golden savannah green, the mesmerizing wildlife spectacle anywhere takes place here: the Great Migration. This is the time when 1.5 million Wildebeest, accompanied by vast numbers of Zebra and Gazelles make the long and dangerous trek from drier lands in Tanzania, northwards to this corner of Kenya. For most of the century the Mara has drawn those searching for adventure and the thrill is still the same today with days spent face to face with nature at its most untouched and enthralling. The Mara Serena Lodge is built high up on a ridge overlooking the Mara River and offers one of the most spectacular views of all the Masai Mara Lodges. Inspired architecturally by Masai huts, the lodge has a pool, its own airstrip and a hippo-viewing platform by the river. Each of its own 76 bedrooms has its own bathroom and shower as well as a panoramic outlook, even from the pool one can enjoy uninterrupted views of the rolling savannah.
Day 8: The full day will be spent exploring the Mara Plains for birds and
mammals. Overnight at the Serena Lodge.
Day 9: After a dawn game drive you will then return to the lodge for a late breakfast before heading for Nairobi. En route you will have a number of birding and wildlife photographic opportunities on the plains. You will then arrive at your hotel in Nairobi where you can relax for the rest of the evening in anticipation to your next week on safari into Tanzania. Overnight at the Boulevard Hotel.
Day 10: After Breakfast you will be picked up from the hotel by a Tourist
Shuttle Bus which will transfer you to Tanzania. After finishing with the immigration procedures you will cross into Tanzania arriving in Arusha for lunch at the Impala Hotel. After lunch and refreshments you will drive to Tarangire National Park for overnight at the Tarangire Tented Safari Lodge. Situated 114km from Arusha, Tarangire National Park boasts magnificent herds of wildlife. The park gets its name from the river that threads its way through the length of the reserve. It is famous for its dense wildlife population. Thousands of animals – wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, and fringe-eared Oryx – migrate from the dry Masai Mara steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water. Lion and other predators follow the herds. The Tarangire Safari Lodge is located on a ridge with one of Tanzania’s most spectacular panoramic views. The Lodge has 35 tents and bungalows with beds, electricity and en suite toilet and solar heated shower. After game-viewing guests can enjoy the refreshing swimming pool.
Day 11: After breakfast you will head out for birding and wildlife viewing in Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is the home of Tanzania’s oldest Elephants and bird life is Prolific too. The endemic Ashy Starling and the rare Yellow colored Love bird are numerous in Tarangire. You will spend the entire day exploring the bushes in Tarangire after which you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Early morning drive to the Serengeti, which is actually a continuation of the Masai Mara Eco System. You will be welcomed by the famous spectacular wildebeest migration where plenty of wildlife including Lions and other predators are seen taking advantage of the migrating prey. Overnight at Ikoma Bush Tented Camp. The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. “Serengeti” means “endless plains” in the Masai language, and within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen here including the so called “big five” – elephant, rhino, lion (more than 2,000 of them), Leopard and Buffalo. Most of the plains game congregates in Southern Serengeti, followed by their attendant predators. Some time in May or June the herds migrate North and West in search of water. They remain in North Serengeti and the western corridor during the dry season, July-October, returning South again as the November rains approach. The Wildebeest calving takes place on the short grass plains during late December – early February. In their wake follow the predators; lion cheetah and hunting dogs with vultures circling overhead. Other common species found here include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkeys and a profusion of almost 500 bird species. Ikoma Bush Tented Camp located in the Serengeti, is a permanent tented lodge each Tent is spacious enough to accommodate twin beds with attached private showers and toilets as well as a private balcony. Each tent is private and distanced to ensure maximum privacy from each. The dinning area accommodates a maximum of 32 people, which is an advantage compared to the crowded popular Tourist Lodges in side the Park boundaries. The property being run by a British/American couple that are residents in Tanzania. The camp is located outside the National Park boundaries so walking, which is a must for birders, is not restricted as is the case within the National Parks, optional pre -break fast bird walks are possible.
Day 13: This morning you will have an optional pre breakfast opportunity to walk around the campgrounds birding, being escorted by
a local resident Masai tribesman. You will then embark on a full day on the Serengeti Plains exploring the entire park and as well searching for the two Endemic birds on the plains which include the Grey Breasted Spur fowl and the Fisher’s Love bird. Overnight at the Sopa Lodge. Looking out over the seemingly endless Serengeti plains, the Serengeti Sopa offers a tranquil oasis set in thousands of square kilometers of National Park. This full service hotel has spacious rooms, all boasting the same fine view as the restaurant, pool and bar area. Each suite, with its own large balcony, has a full en-suite, fridge, air conditioning and comfortable double beds.
Day 14: After an early game drive and all the wildebeest migration excitement, you will then drive out of the Serengeti plains into the famous Ngorongoro Crater. Overnight at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. Listed by Unesco as a world heritage site, the incomparable Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest “caldera”. A caldera is the broad, crater-like basin of a volcano formed by the collapse of the central cone. Dominated by cliffs standing some 600 meters high and presenting a sheer drop down to a wide open space of some 264 square km, the crater is one of the most amazing sights seen anywhere. The Crater is home to 25,000 larger mammals, almost half of them zebra and wildebeest. There are also gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and wart hog. Such vast numbers attract predators a plenty, mainly lion and hyena but also cheetah and leopard. More than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted here. Countless flamingos form a pink blanket over the soda lakes.Spread out along the upper most rim of the Ngorongoro Crater the Sopa offers breathtaking views of the crater floor far below. Gazing on the sight below you will be amazed at the wildlife when you actually make your way to the crater floor today or tomorrow – it is like no where else in the world! Each room of the Ngorongoro Sopa offers a fine view – unless the infamous fog shrouds the view in the early morning – with full en-suite, two double beds and one can enjoy the view from the pool, restaurant and bar as well.
Day 15: The entire day will be spent on the Crater floor taking your last wildlife pictures. Overnight at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.
Day 16: Today you will be transferred to Arusha arriving for an early lunch at the Impala Hotel. After lunch you will be transferred to Nairobi by a Public Tourist Shuttle Bus and to Nairobi Airport for your evening flight home, or you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport for your outbound flight depending on your flight arrangements or a Shuttle bus to Nairobi if out bound Flight is in Nairobi.
https://www.tanzaniabirding.com/wp-content/uploads/kenya-tours.jpgDay 1: We would suggest flights arriving on British Airways into Nairobi – Jomo Kenyatta Airport, Depending on time/method of arrival,we will transfer to the Boulevard Hotel Nairobi, rest of the day relaxing and recovering from Jet lag.
