Kenya Birding Special In 19 Days
Kenya Birding Special in 19 days: This 19 days special Kenya birding safari features birding & Wildlife journeys.
Kenya is listed one among Africa’s best birding & wildlife destinations that offers ultimate bird watching safari that cannot be matched. This truly wonderful 19 days Kenya birding tour itinerary explores Samburu National Park, Sweetwaters/Olpejeta Conservancy, Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria, Lake Baringo, Saiwa camp, Kakamega forest, Lake Victoria, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s gate National Park, Amboseli and Maasai Mara.
Whereas the birds to be found here include: Stout Cisticola, Cape Robin Chat, Black Kite, African Harrier Hawk, Woodland kingfisher, Northern puff back, White headed buffalo weaver, Rufous crowned roller, African golden oriole, African hope etc. And the common animals are the Big 5, zebras, Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe, Gazelles, Impalas,
Detailed Itinerary for A special Kenya Birding Safari in 19 Days
Day 1: Arrival/Nairobi
Upon your arrival, An Aloyo Safaris Bird watching expert driver guide will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to the your hotel of Preference.
You can either relax at the hotel, otherwise you can pay a visit to Sheldrick wildlife trust to watch the orphaned elephants being fed, the Giraffe Manor for a close intimate relationship with the Giraffes, Visit the Nairobi National Museum. You will have Lunch at the Carnivore restaurant, where you will enjoy all type of meat served.
Dinner & overnight rest at the Hotel/lodge.
Day 2: Nairobi – Sweetwaters
Wake up early for breakfast, and depart for Ol Pageta Ranch and Rhino Sanctuary (Sweetwaters tented Camp)- aprivate Ranch that was built to Protect a large population of Rhinos, but also a home to a wide variety of birds like Augur Buzzard, Stout Cisticola, Cape Robin Chat, Black Kite, African Harrier Hawk among other.
You can also opt for a night game drive, which is usually done at an additional cost
Dinner and overnight at the Sweetwaters Tented Camp (BLD).
Day 3: Sweetwaters – Samburu
Have breakfast early in the morning, and depart for Samburu National Reserve by driving northwards through the high wheat fields of Timau, crossing the equator and then slopes down into the thorny landscape of Samburu county. Expect to encounter unique bird species like; Buff Crested bustard, Kori bustard, Chestnut weaver, Golden palm weaver, Golden breasted starlings, Water thicknee etc.
Besides bird species, Samburu is also a home to numerous wildlife which are hard to find within the southern equator such as; the Grevy zebra, Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, the long necked gerenuk, herds of elephants and their predators abound. The life-giving Ewaso Ng’iro River plays a major role in the ecosystem of this reserve.
Proceed for dinner and overnight at the Park
Day 4: Samburu
After breakfast, you will head to Samburu national Reserve where you expect to spend the entire day, spotting bird, return for lunch and later proceed for an afternoon game drive.
Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.
Day 5: Samburu – Lake Nakuru
Very early in the morning, you will have breakfast, and depart Samburu National Reserve for lake Nakuru national Park.
Enroute, you will be driven southwards through Isiolo down to the foothills of Mount Kenya, upto Nanyuki town.
You will have a short break at the Nyahururu Falls, after then the journey continues to the final destination of Lake Nakuru National Park, where tou will reach in time for lunch.
Lake Nakuru is known as greatest ornithological spectacle by birdwatchers because it is a home of 1 to 2 million lesser and greater pink flamingoes that feed on the abundant algae growing in the lake’s warm waters.
Besides Flamingoes, the park also has over 450 species recorded.
Besides the birds, Lake Nakuru is also home to black & White Rhinos Rhinos and is also home to Colobus monkeys, Leopards, Giraffes, and various plain antelope.
You can spend your afternoon game driving to look out for wild game such as; Rothschild’s giraffe, black and white rhino, waterbuck, reedbuck, lion, buffalo, leopard, baboon.
Dinner and overnight at the Lodge
Day 6: Lake Nakuru
You will be up early in the morning for breakfast and head up for early morning game drive as well as looking for birds in the bush. With the entire day being spent looking for birds, you have picnic lunch.
Return for Dinner and peaceful rest overnight at the lodge.
Day 7: Lake Nakuru – Lake Bogoria
This morning after breakfast, you will be transferred to Lake Bogoria, famously known as the “The jewel of the Great Rift Valley” with the most scenic view, renowned for its Hot springs and geysers, which are spread out along its southern shores.
You will arrive in time for lunch at the hotel, after which you will proceed for an extensive bird walk around the lake and the lodge surrounding, where you might spot a variety of species as such as Woodland kingfisher, Northern puff back, White headed buffalo weaver, Rufous crowned roller, African golden oriole, African hope among others.
Dinner and overnight will be served at the Hotel.
Day 8: Lake Bogoria – Lake Baringo
Day 8 of 19 days Kenya birding safari starts with breakfast early in the morning, then head North to Lake Baringo, a home to more than 470 species of birds.
You will arrive in time for lunch at your hotel, and later head on for a bird walk at the Shores of Lake Baringo to look out for birds like White faced scopes owl, Bristol crowned starling, Goliath heron, Fan tailed raven etc. A relaxing boat ride on the lake will be the feature of the afternoon.
Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 9: Lake Baringo – Saiwa Camp
Depart Lake Baringo after breakfast and drive to Saiwa Swamp National Park in Kitale, where you will explore the park on foot as you look out for birds such as the Great blue turaco, Ross turaco, Ludher’s bush shrike, White capped robin chat, Grey crown crane etc.
Lunch, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 10: Saiwa Camp – Kakamega Forest
You will be up early for breakfast, then to Kakamega Forest, covering a total area of 240sq.km. Spectacular bird species to look out for in this remaining equatorial rainforest are; the Grey Parrot, Great blue and Black billed turacos, blue headed bee eaters, Turner’s eremomela, Little grey greenbul among others.
Lunch Dinner and overnight at the hotel/Lodge or Camp
Day 11: Kakamega Forest – Lake Victoria
Spend your morning hours in the forest looking out for more birds, instantly after your breakfast. Return for lunch and later proceed to Lake Victoria shores to do a late afternoon birding safari as you expect to see birds species like African open bill stork, Swamp flycatcher, Red chested sunbird, Hammerkop, Eastern grey plantain-eater etc.
Dinner and overnight tonight at Hotel.
Day 12: Kisumu – Lake Naivasha
On this 12th days of the 19 days Kenya birding safari, You will leave for Lake Naivasha-(also known as the only freshwater lake in the Rift Valley). You will be rewarded by the splendid view of the sparkling water of the Lake beneath the Rift Valley Escarpment.
Lake Naivasha is a home to a vast colony of hippos, and a paradise for birds with more than 450 species recorded.
Upon reaching, you will check in the hotel, have lunch and proceed for the afternoon search for the birds. Birds you expect to see include; Long toed plover, Great white egret, Grey headed gull, Southern pochard, Red billed teal and not mention the Lilly trotter; African jacana.
The position of the park and the lake, makes it suitable to enhance boat riding at your leisure
However, you can also visit Crescent Island where you can wander/walk on foot among herds of zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, giraffe and dik diks, among others because it is wild and free with no predators. This memorable walk among the wildlife lusts for a lifetime.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel/lodge
Day 13: Lake Naivasha – Hell’s Gate
Upon having breakfast, take on bird walk along the Lake Naivasha shores in the morning to look for more birds, then return to the Lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, proceed to Hell’s Gate National Park, famously known as a breeding ground for vultures in Kenya e.g. Lammergeyer vultures. Dinner & overnight at the Hotel (BLD).
Day 14: Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara
On this 14th days of 19 days Kenya birding safari, we head to Maasai Mara National Reserve which is one among the best game viewing and bird watching wildlife parks in Africa and the World at large .
Maasai Mara National Reserve is always #1 park for every traveler’s who wishes to visit Kenya because of the numerous wildlife ( especially the Big 5 like Elephants, Buffalos, Lions, Leopards and Rhinos) and over 500 bird species such as; Bare faced go away bird, Hooded vulture, Egyptian vulture, Flappet lark, Red necked fowl, White necked raven among others.
Besides, Masai Mara is also famous for the spectacular annual migration of over millions of thousands of wildebeests, zebra, gazelle etc from the Serengeti in northern Tanzania crossing the Mara River into Kenya in search of fresh feeding grounds, which takes place in late July or August.
You will reach in time for lunch at the hotel, where you will check in.
After lunch, You can head for relaxation, or sunbathing and going for a dive in the pool (depending on the accommodation type), or otherwise proceed for the late afternoon in search of the shy and elusive leopard, the solitary and ill-tempered Rhino, lions, buffaloes etc.
Return to the Lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 15 & 16: Masai Mara
Along with your picnic lunch box, set off early with in the morning after breakfast, to look out for birds.
Because of the plethora of bird species of more than 500, you are most likely to glimpse some six bird species of vultures scavenging the carcasses of animals of prey soaring high in the sky these can be seen during anytime of the year.
While on the grasslands, chances are that you might spot turkey-sized Ground Hornbills, Secretary Birds, Kori Bustards, Jaunty Crowned-Plovers and flocks of White Storks.
You can also watch the beautiful flocks of Crowned Cranes, Saddle-Billed Storks, Yellow-Billed Storks and Sacred Ibis in the swamplands, which serves to be where you can find the Goliath Heron, Grey Heron, Black-headed Heron and Great White Egret.
However, don’t forget visiting the Masai Mara’s Musiara Marsh, a unique spot to do some birdwatching. It’s the only place in Kenya where the Rufous-bellied Heron breeds and where you can see the endangered Madagascar Squacco Heron during the months of October and May.
One of the most important places that can’t be missed is the Mara River, where you fined 1 of 7 seven species of kingfishers, from the Giant Kingfisher to the tiny Pygmy Kingfisher.
The forests lining the river are a great habitat to find the colourful Ross’s Turaco and the Schalow’s Turaco. Not forgetting the most outstanding birds of Prey in Maasai Mara which include; the mighty Martial Eagle(always feeding on young impalas and dik dik), the Bateleur and the tiny Pygmy Falcon. The Martial Eagle is so strong it is known to feast on young impala and dikdik. However, the most iconic of the birds of prey is the
Return to the Lodge after your memorable birding session for dinner and an overnight.
Day 17: Masai Mara – Amboseli
On this 17th day of the 19 days Kenya birding safari, you will rise up early for a delicious breakfast, then to Amboseli National Park via Nairobi for an early lunch at the Carnival restaurant.
Amboseli national Park is strategically situated on the foot hills of Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest mountain at 5895m).
The park is famous for its large herds of elephants and other wild game such as Giraffes, Bushbuck’s, Kudu, Warthog’s, Zebra’s and more than 425 species of birds recorded like; the White faced whilsting duck, Brown snake eagle, Yellow billed stork, Woolly necked stork, Shikra, Helmented guinea fowl, African cuckoo and more.
The snowcapped peak of Kilimanjaro rising above white clouds wraps every aspect of Amboseli, thus forming a backdrop to an incredible display of wildlife attracted to this location by swamps and springs fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro’s melting snow.
You will reach the lodge (inside the park) in the late evening, as you enjoy an enroute game drive through the park.
Dinner will be served, then after an overnight rest.
Day 18: Amboseli
Rise up early for a delicious breakfast treat, then head out for an ideal photographing moment to capture the most impressive and magnificent Mt. Kilimanjaro the highest peak in Africa.
Along with picnic lunch, proceed for your full day birding session. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 19: Amboseli – Nairobi
As we wind up our day, you will wake up early for breakfast, then depart for Nairobi, reaching in time for lunch. It is at this point where you either proceed to the Airport to catch up with your flight back home or to the lodge to rest
