Targets the Beesley`s Lark and the Spot Throat! Read more
Tanzania Safaris
For the Near Endemics and Specialties! Read more
Birding and Wildlife Extravaganza! Read more
9 Days Tanzania Wildlife & Nature Tour
Day 1: On arrival into Tanzania, you are met by our Tanzania birding driver guide at the airport in Kilimanjaro. You then begin the transfer in a custom built safari vehicle through verdant landscape to the Arusha. Depending on time of arrival, you will have couple of stops along the way to spot some bird species before heading to the overnight Hotel in Arusha. Following a short birding trip around the property, the birdguide will go through the itinerary one more time on the final briefing prior to the next day’s program. Birding in the Arusha environs of the hotel introduces: Variable and Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Common Bulbul, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Mourning ,Namaqua Dove, Spotted Eagle-owl, African Black-headed Oriole, Red-headed Weaver, Baglafecht Weaver, White-eared Barbet, Blackcap, Waller’s Starling, African Green Pigeon, Crowned Hornbill.
Overnight at Korona Villa
Day 2: Breakfast at about 8:00am,walk around the Lodge gardens and depart for Arusha National Park with your Picnic boxes for Lunch. You have a full day exploring the Ngurodoto Crater, the famous Momella Crater Lakes as well as clear views of Mount Meru (4500m above sea level), all Big Game including Herds of Buffaloes, Masai Giraffes, Black and white colobus monkeys… will be viewed in their natural habitat with the exception of Rhinos and Lions. Bird checklist of Arusha National park features; Trilling Cisticola, Moustached Grass-Warbler, Mosque Swallow, Red-rumped swallow, Lesser Striped swallow, African Harrier-hawk, Cabanis’s Greenbul, Short-tailed Batis, Horus Swift, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Bar-tailed Trogon, Brown Woodland Warbler, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, White-starred robin and many more. Return to Korona Villa for Dinner and Overnight.
Day 3: An early Breakfast will be taken, and a picnic Lunch will be carried, getting ready for a long drive to the Serengeti plains. En route you will drive through the Masai country side passed the Rift valley escarpment where you will stop for panoramic views of the spectacular Lake Manyara escarpment, continue through the Agricultural township of Karatu into the Ngorongoro Highlands then to Olduvai gorge where you will un-pack your Lunches while listening to Lectures from a resident Archaeologist at the Olduvai gorge – re discovering the fossils of the early man, you will also have chance to visit the Paleontology Museum where the Australopithecus Bosei skeleton was discovered dating million years ago
Continue into the Serengeti Plains with very brief game viewing as it will be approaching sun set. Birds to look out for this day include: Buff-bellied Warbler, Red-faced Crombecs, Winding Cisticolas, Tawny-flanked Prinias, Dideric Cuckoos, White-browed Coucals, Grey-headed Kingfishers, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Cardinal Woodpecker, Black-headed Gonolek, Rufous Chatterers chested Sunbirds, Isabelline Shrike,Angola Swallow, Black-billed Barbet, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Brubru, Black-backecd Puffback, Mariqua Sunbird, Karamoja Apalis, Plantain-eater, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bateleur, Harrier-hawk and Little Sparrow hawk.
Check in at Katikati Tented Camp for Dinner and Overnight.
Day 4: Early rise to catch up with the game as hundreds of Mammals rise out of their dens to begin a typical jungle day,-the Serengeti is famous for her annual Million herds of Wildebeests migrating within the Serengeti –Masai Mara eco –system; Grazers ,Browsers and Carnivores will be seen sharing this great plains in harmony, game viewing and return to the Lodge for your breakfast.
After Breakfast, you will join in for the official Full day game viewing, returning to the Lodge for a hot Lunch. After Lunch you may have the option of either staying in for a nap and go for a late afternoon game viewing once again or relax till next day. Count down your day’s spot list, which may include a handful of Lion Prides, Thomson and Grant Gazelles, Dikdik and other Cats such as the Caracal, Cheetah and Leopard.
Birding in the Serengeti introduces: Common Sandpiper, Black Crakes, Montagu’s Harrier, Black-shouldered Kite, Black-chested Snake-Eagle, White-bellied Bustard, dainty Temminck’s Courser, Rueppel’s Long-tailed Starling, White-headed Buffalo-Weavers, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Pallid Harrier, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Coqui Francolin, Isabelline Wheatear, Yellow-billed Stork, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Usambiro Barbet, Scarlet-chested Sunbird.
Enjoy your Dinner and overnight at Katikati Camp.
Day 5: Morning at Leisure, Breakfast at own pace, depart with picnic Lunches, to have the last of the Serengeti Plains- taking the last pictures of the Serengeti with chances of catching up with the Kilpspringers and other Antelope species such as Topi, Eland, Water bucks. Enroute to Ngorongoro are Maasai local home stead (locally known as the Maasai Boma, the Maasai will welcome you to visit their home for a “fee”) Rest of the evening relaxing at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge balcony with taking views of the crater floor.
Look out for African HillBabbler, Thick-billed Seedeater, Brown Woodland Warbler and Montane White-eyes, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Bronze and Green-headed sunbirds, Black-winged Bishop, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, White-necked Raven, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Chinspot Batis, Gray-capped and Brown Woodland Warblers, Abyssinian (Olive) Thrush, Brown-headed Apalis, Tambourine Dove, Mountain Wagtail, African Paradise-Flycatcher, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater and Collared Sunbird, Sharpe’s Starling, Purple-throated and Grey Cuckoo-shrikes, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Narina Trogon, Red-capped Robin-chat, Grey-headed Nigrita, Spectacled Weaver, Moustached Tinkerbird, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, African Hill Babblers and Montane Nightjar. Dinner and Overnight at Rhino Lodge
Day 6: After the 7:30Am Breakfast, you will descend the crater walls onto the crater floor which has a radius of about 265sqKm. The Crater is uniquely dotted with watering holes and shelters about 30,000 Mammals including the White bearded Gnus, Cheetah and Tanzania’s only Black Rhinos.” This is the eighth wonder of the world and the world’s only remaining memories of the “garden of Eden” better described as Noah’s Ark.. After the excitement at the Crater floor, you will ascend the Crater walls to your Lodge. Birds to look out for this day include; Cape Rook, Kestrel, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Rufous-crowned Roller, White-throated Bee-eater, Singing Cisticola, Wailing Cisticola, Yellow Bishop, Schalow’s Wheatear, Northern Anteater-Chat, Yellow-fronted canary, Steppe Buzzard, Abdim’s Stork, Rueppell’s Robin-chat, Spur-winged Goose, Saddle-billed Stork, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Hunter’s Cisticola, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Streaky Seedeater, Cape Robin-chat, Kenrick’s Starling,OlivePigeon, Schalow’s Turaco, Tropical Boubou, Dusky flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater. Night at Country Lodge.
Day 7: Depart the Karatu area after breakfast, drive into the jungles of Lake Manyara, Lake Manyara is famous for her tree climbing Lions, large schools of Hippos at the Hippo pool and the Maji moto hot springs. Birding in the Manyara features; Black-crowned Tchagra, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Collared Palm-Thrush, Purple-crested Turaco, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, White-backed and Rueppell’s vultures, African Crowned Eagle, African Hawk-eagle, Black Goshawk, African Marsh Harrier, African Fish-Eagle, Bateleur, Common Buzzard, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl,Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike, Yellow-billed Storks, Great White Pelican, Pink-backed Pelicans, Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbill, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Black Heron, White-faced Whistling Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Stint and Collared Pratincole.
You will then take your picnic Lunch at one of the many Picnic sites set aside by the park Authorities and then continue exploring the Lake Manyara jungles, where a good list of wildlife will be added to your previous record. Drive out of the park boundaries in the evening into E Unoto Retreat Tanzania’s only true 5 Star Luxury Lodge set in a remote Maasai Country where bird walks can be arranged.
Day 8: We will have an optional Pre breakfast bird walk around the Gibba Farm, after breakfast you will have the option to go out game viewing full day back in the Manyara Jungles or just relax at your Balcony where birding opportunities are superb. Look out for Water Thick-knee,Long-toed plover, Blacksmith plover ,Spur-winged Plovers, African Jacana, European Bee-eaters, African Swamp hen, Red-and-Yellow Barbet, Mocking Cliff Chat, Bearded Woodpecker, Scimitarbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Black-headed Oriole, Collared Palm Thrush White-headed Barbet, Southern Citril, Spot-flanked Barbet, African Green Pigeon, Red-headed Weaver, Eastern Nicator
You can then later join in a walk exploring the local surroundings where again you will have further chances of birding for waders and a mix of dry country species as well as meeting up with the local people. Later, dinner and overnight at your Lodge.
Day 9: Leisurely Breakfast, Lunch at the Lodge and drive to Arusha to catch a PM flight home or transfer to Nairobi.
END OF SERVICES
Amboseli Reserve
Location Kenya
Area 392 km²
Established 1974 as a national park (as a reserve in1906)
Visitors 120,000 (estimated) (in 2006)
Governing body Kenya Wildlife Services, Olkejuado County Council and the Maasai community
Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve is in Kajiado District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The park is 390 km² (150 mi2) in size at the core of an 8,000 km² (3,000 mi2) ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border.
The local people are mainly Maasai, but people from other parts of the country have settled there attracted by the successful tourist-driven economy and intensive agriculture along the system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area (average 350 mm (14 in) one of the best widlife-viewing experiences in the world. The park protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake and semi-arid vegetation.
260 km (160 mi) from the capital city Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is the third most visited game area in Kenya after Maasai Mara National Reserve and Nakuru National Park and the visit can easily be done in a weekend.
In 1883, Joseph Thompson was the first European to penetrate the feared Maasai region known as Empusel (meaning ‘salty, dusty place’ in Maa). He, too, was astonished by the fantastic array of wildlife and the contrast between the arid areas of the dry-lake bed and the oasis of the swamps, a contrast that persists today.
Amboseli was set aside as the ‘Southern Reserve’ for Maasai in 1906 but returned to local control as a Game Reserve in 1948. Gazetted a National Park in 1974 in order to protect the core this unique ecosystem, it was declared a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1991. The park earned $ 3.5 m (€ 2.9 m) in 2005. On September 29, 2005, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared that control of the park should pass from the Kenya Wildlife Service to the Olkejuado County Council and the Maasai tribe.
Some observers saw this as a political favor in advance of a vote on a new Kenyan constitution: legal challenges are currently in court. The degazetting would divert park admission fees directly to the County Council with questionable spread of benefits to the Maasai immediately surrounding the park. It would set an unfortunate precedent that could jeopardise the status of other parks in Kenya.
The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants. Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet Maasai and spectacular views of Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
There is a small airport in Amboseli, the Amboseli Airport (HKAM).
Birding Safari Arusha Birding Tours, Birdwatching
The following are our popular safari destinations for Tanzania.
ARUSHA PARK:
WHAT TO SEE:
Ngurodoto Crater- a miniature crater about 2 kilometres wide and a few feet deep with forested walls, Momella Lakes, Mt. Meru (4500M), Black & white colobus Monkey, all kinds of Big African game except Lion and Rhino. Hundreds of different species of sedentary birds to include the Silvery cheeked Hornbill, Hertlaub`s Turaco, Giant Kingfisher, a variety of wadders and Divers including Lilly troters, Yellow billed Stork and the Maccoa Duck respectively. Accommodations shall be arranged in Arusha Town.
*Access: A 45 Minutes drive from Arusha Town.
SAFARI HIGHLIGHT:
Impressive views of Mount.Meru(4566 Metres), Elephants and Buffaloes, Maasai Giraffes, a variety of beautiful Birds most of them endemic to East Africa.
BEST TIME TO VISIT:
All year around except April and mid May.
12 East Coast Birding Tour Tanzania & Kenya
East Coast Birding – Tanzania and Kenya
Birding & Big Game viewing on the coast
https://www.tanzaniabirding.com/wp-content/uploads/Tanzania-birding-tours.jpgBirding the East Coast of Africa is rarely offered as an independent Tour by many safari outfitters or birding specialized organizations, while still very few would think of taking an Independent trip just birding the Eastern Coast of Tanzania and Kenya and their adjacent areas. This tour gives an opportunity to explore the Eastern Arc Mountains as well as National parks and areas of endemism including the Arabuko Sokoke Forest of Kenya, East and West Usambara Mountains, South Pare Mountains, Lake Jipe Area and Tsavo East National park. You can take the tour as part of an extension from various major tours or from Mombasa Kenya as part of your Beach holiday.
Coastal Birding Itinerary 12 days:
Featuring : Eastern Arc Mountains – Usambara Mountains, South Pare Mountains, Taita Hills, Tsavo East National Park and Aarabuko Sokoke Forest Birding
Day 1: We will check out of our Resort at Diani Beach in Mombasa, driving a little bit off the coast, we will head South East into Tanzania, on the way we will stop for species that are possible along the bushes as we drive, such as the Zanzibar Red Bishop, African Golden Weaver, Golden Palm Weaver, Mombasa Wood Pecker, Blue Spotted Wood Dove and others. We will stop at the border and process our Visas into Tanzania then drive on to the Eastern Side of the Usambara Mountains, we will drive to the high elevation of Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambaras – the only true coastal forest remaining in Tanzania if not Africa’s Eastern coastal strip.
We hope to arrive Amani nature reserve in the early hours of the day. Depending on time of arrival we may locally bird around the lower forest of East Usambara mountains as we drive into the higher elevation of the East Usambara Mountains at Amani Nature Reserve Rest House where we stay. The Rest House offers basic accommodation originally designed for scientific researchers in Botany and Malaria and formerly the headquaters of IUCN. The Rest House, though basic has many of its bed rooms en suite with a warm running shower, a dining area to take a very limited number of people serving delicious fresh food stuff locally growing around Amani. A cold beer is always present-served at the dining area.
Day 2: We will spend the day birding the Amani area. The morning before breakfast should be well birded around the Malaria center where it is usually easier to see the sunbirds and the Green Headed Oriol. There are a number of green buls too. After breakfast, you may take the Mbomole trails which leads deep into the forest where species such as the White Chested Alethe, Usambara Akalat, Green Barbet, Fischers Turaco and Black Backed Weaver, Trumpeter Hornbill as well as an array of other forest specialities can be spotted, this morning, we may chance, the Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Wallers Chestnut Sterling, Kenricks Sterling, Black Bellied Glossy Sterling, Palm Nut Vultures, Cabanis bunting… etc
The afternoon will see us visiting tea plantaion where forest reminants and streams may reward us with some more specialities. Evening back to Amani.
Day 3: After local birding around, we will transfer to the Western side of the Usambara Mountains. We hope to get to the West Usambara Mountains in the late evening, the mountains rise up steeply from the surrounding plains and can only be entered from a few roads including the only Tarmac roads dating back in the old German and English Colonial times. From a distance, the mountains are a colorful mosaic. On the fertile slopes around the towns of Soni and Lushoto, farmers cultivate small plots. The view points on the southern and western side of Usambara are well known for the spectacular view of Mkomazi and Handeni plains.
Because of its pleasant climate, the mountains were favored by the Germans and the English during Colonial times as is evidenced by the numerous historic buildings from the past. The Mullers Mountain Lodge itself where we stay is an old Residence of the German Chief who lived here during the colonial times. Muller Mountain Lodge is the only upper market accommodation in the area with superb service.You will not forget the great cookery at this home residence when you leave after a couple of nights here. Bon apetit.
Day 4: After an early breakfast you will explore some of the forest reminants in the area for the many rare and endemic species present in this area. The mountains offer a variety of Tanzanian Endemics and rarities to include: The Fullebourns Black Boubou, Usamabara Weaver, The Black Fronted Bush Shrike and the Grey Cuckoo Shrike, others include The Yellow Throated Woodland Warbler and an endless list of Greenbuls to include the tiny Greenbul and the mountain Greenbul, Shelly’s Yellow Stripped Strip Chicked.
The African Tailor bird ( a new species on record ) will be another bird to look out for here. Much of the Forest in the West Usambaras has been leveled for cultivation so much of the natural forest has been lost, however there are some good spots for birding such as the forest towards the sawmill and another small portion behind the Mullers lodge where birding is great. Evening return to the Mullers Lodge for Dinner and overnight.
Day 5: We will drive out of the Usambara Mountains and head to the same village, on the way we will be exploring dry country steppes, for possibilities of the Black Bellied Sun Bird and others, we then continue to the South Pare Mountains for a further exploration. Overnight at the Elephant Motel in same village.
Day 6: We will drive to the Taita Hills, crossing the border back into Kenya, once in the area we will bird locally targeting the Taita endemics including possibilities of the white eye and other country species. We will stay at the Salt Lick Safari Lodge. Salt Lick Safari Lodge is located in the heart of the privately owned at the foot of the Taita Hills, and consists of 96 rooms elevated on stilts and linked by raised walkways. Most of the guestrooms, as well as the restaurant and the terraced bar command spectacular views of the waterhole and surrounding grasslands, where elephant, buffalo and a variety of plains game can be seen throughout much of the year. The area is illuminated by floodlights to facilitate game viewing at night, and there is an underground tunnel and chamber allowing guests to closely and safely view wildlife at ground level. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Taita Hills Area birding and game viewing. Birding into the area introduces; Scarce Swift, Taita Falcon, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Taita Apalis, Cabanis Bulbul,Taita Fiscal, Orange Ground-Thrush, Sharpe’s Starling, Mountain Buzzard, Taita Thrush, Abbott’s Starling, Fischer’s Turaco, White-starred Robin, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-throated Wood-warbler,Taita Falcon, Striped Pipit, Taita White-eye, Green-backed Twinspot, Stripe-cheecked Bulbul, Moustached Green-Tinkerbird, Overnight Salt Lick Lodge.
Day 8: We will transfer to Voi and on into Tsavo East National park. Rest of the day birding & big game viewing in the area. Look out for Common Ostrich, Somali Ostrich, Cattle Egret, Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Secretary bird,Brown Snake-eagle, Bateleur, Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Black-headed Heron, Tawny Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, African Crowned-eagle, Martial Eagle, Crested Francolin, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Crested Guineafowl, Vulturine Guineafowl, Helmeted Guineafowl, Black-bellied Bustard, Somali CourserOvernight at the Voi Safari Lodge.
Day 9: Full day birding & big game viewing. Expect to see; Spur-winged Plover, Black-headed Plover,
Crowned Plover, Scarlet-chested Sunbird,Hunter’s Sunbird,Purple-banded Sunbird,House Sparrow,
White-headed Buffalo-weaver, Red-billed Buffalo-weaver, White-browed Sparrow-weaver,
Red-billed Quelea, White-crested Helmet-shrike,Lesser Grey Shrike,Drongo,Shelley’s Starling,
Superb Starling,Fischer’s Starling,Yellow-billed Oxpecker,Caspian PloverOvernight Voi Safari Lodge.
Day 10: Drive to Arabuko Sokoke Forest, birding the forest rest of the day. Species to look out for include; Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Cardinal Woodpecker, Rufous-naped Lark, Plain Martin,
Wire-tailed Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Common Bulbul, Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Willow Warbler, White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Green-headed Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird,Long-tailed Fiscal,
Black-crowned Tchagra, Fork-tailed Drongo, Pied Crow, Superb Starling, House Sparrow,
Baglafecht Weaver, White-breasted Negrofinch, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu Overnight at a resort in Malindi.
Day 11: Birding Arabuko Sokoke and Mida Creek for waders such as the Crab Plover etc.
African Open bill, Comb Duck, African Pygmy-goose, Little Sparrowhawk,
Common Ringed Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper,Great Crested Tern,Lesser Crested Tern,
Dideric Cuckoo,Mottled Spinetail,Crowned Hornbill,Mosque Swallow,Sombre Greenbul,
Red-tailed Ant-Thrush,Black-headed Apalis,Spotted Flycatcher,Rueppell’s Robin-Chat,
Short-tailed Batis,Yellow Flycatcher,Arrow-marked Babbler,Purple-banded Sunbird,
Four-colored Bushshrike,Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike,Vitelline Masked weaver,
Zanzibar Bishop. Overnight at a resort in Malindi.
Day 12: Drive back to Mombasa, catch up with the various flights or rest at the beach.
9 Days Tanzania Birds & Beasts
TANZANIA BIRDS AND BEASTS
Day 1: Arrival Arusha and transfer to Korona Villa. Dinner and overnight.
Day 2: The day begins with pre Breakfast local birding around the Lodge grounds, sighting fire finches, variable sunbirds, Bulbuls and the other commoner species. We will drive to Arusha National park where we spent the entire day birding and big game viewing. While in the park, we will make a visit to the various crater lakes in the park, catching up with the Maccoa ducks, Egyptian Geese, Hottentots teals, Comb ducks and many unusual waders. The forest surrounding Ngurudoto crater may reward us with Trogons, orange bellied Parrots, Silvery cheeked hornbills and the hurtlurb`s Turaco… we should be encountering our first Mammals here which should include Elephants, Bush Bucks, Hippos and Buffaloes. Return to our Lodge in Arusha for Dinner and overnight at the Korona Villa.
Day 3: After a morning breakfast, we will drive to the plains North of Arusha town, where we have the opportunity to walk the plains while birding for a number of dry country species, afterwards we will drive to Lake Manyara.
Day 4: After Breakfast, we will drive into Lake Manyara National Park with picnic Lunch. Lake Manyara National Park, has a rich eco- system composed of an under ground water forest, Open savannah and of course the lake it self, all being an excellent habitat for both Big game and birds. We will spend the entire day exploring the park. While in the park we may chance out on the large herds of Elephants, Buffaloes and other plain game. Birds are profuse; including the blue napped mouse birds and many European migrants will be soaring up in the sky. Night at Country Lodge
Day 5: We will have a further opportunity exploring the jungles of Lake Manyara National Park. We will use this opportunity to catch up with the many “dodgy” stuff that we will have missed out the previous day. The entire day is spent in Lake Manyara National park. Return for dinner and overnight at Country Lodge.
Day 6: After a leisurely Breakfast, we will have an option of drive down the lake shore for any possibility of waders that we might have missed all through the couple of days in the park, after which we will head to Ngorongoro. 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 gazelles, 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. Gazing on the sight below you will be amazed at the wildlife when you actually make your way to the crater floor today – it is like no where else in the world!
After excitement on the crater Floor, we will ascend to our Beautifully located Sopa Lodge, 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, Spread out along the upper most rim of the Ngorongoro Crater the Sopa offers breathtaking views of the crater floor far below. Dinner and Overnight.
Day 7: After Breakfast, we will checkout of the Sopa lodge and drive to Tarangire park. This park is an excellent site for both Birds and Mammals, the highlights of the day is searching for the Tanzanian endemics here that will include the Rufous Tailed weaver and Ashy Sterling as well as Tarangire specialties which include the Yellow colored Love Bird.
The Mammal list here include huge herds of Elephants and Buffalos as well as a number of plain game and where luck counts we should encounter Leopard, Cheetah and a Lion pride. 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. After the excitement in the park, we will drive to our selected accommodation for Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: We will spend another day exploring the different natural habitats of Tarangire expecting to have a completely individual day, as usual each day in the bush is different so we will always expect something in action. We may opt to break the day into halves, having the warm or hot hours back to our tented or just spend the entire day in the park.
After an evening exploration of the Park, we will return for dinner and overnight at the Tarangire Tented Lodge.
Birding Usambara, Birdwatching Tours in Usambara Mountains Park Bird Safari Tanzania and Accommodation
USAMBARA MOUNTAINS AND AMANI NATURE RESERVE.
This little-known mountain range is one of the gems of Tanzania. Lying north coast, the Usambara’s are a relict patch of the great tropical forests that once spanned Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans, and have more in common with the forests of West Africa than those of East Africa .
The Usambaras are a treasure house of botanical and zoological and Ornithological diversity, with a huge number of endemic tree and plant species and the Birds of course… Although large tracts of the original forests have been levelled for tea planting, enough of the original wilderness remains to make this a hiking, birding and primate-spotting paradise.
Birders will want to keep eyes open for most of the species that are endemic to the Usambara forests and Tanzania in particular – the Usambara eagle owl, Usambara alethe and the Usambara weaver are among others. This is one of the best places in East Africa to see notable birds like the green-headed oriole, Amani sunbird, bar-tailed and Narina trogons and Fischer’s turaco.
Amani was once a resort for holidaying German officials, and there is a basic guesthouse and a campsite set amidst the spectacular forest. The Amani Nature Reserve is an extraordinary place for botanical study. Within its boundaries there are many endemic tree species as well as an interesting relationship between the high level of floral endemism and invading species.
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Birding Lake Manyara, Birdwatching Tours in Lake Manyara Birds Safari and Accommodation
LAKE MANYARA PARK
WHAT TO SEE:
This is where Florists and Botanists as well as Birders meet their world. A variety of vegetation species occur, ranging from monotone forest vegetation to plain savannah grassland. Here the Natural world is for you; spot tree climbing lions, zebras, Maasai giraffe and the breathe taking view of the spectacular lake Manyara. Bird life is prolific as you approach the lake shore, a variety of Gulls may be spotted and may be the Vulturerine Guinea fowl,Blue napped mouse Bird
SAFARI HIGHLIGHT:
Lake Manyara has the highest density of Elephants in East Africa ( at least 7 Elephants per sq kilometre). A profusion of colourful Birds awaits your discovery in the ground water forest as you spot pelicans and cormorants swimming among walloping Hippos and Flamingos in their pink on the lake. You will be able to update your Bird check list while in Lake Manyara, do not miss to visit the Hippo pool.
BEST TIME:
Non stop visit to lake Manyara, all year round.
* Access:3 hours Drive in a 4WD vehicle from Arusha