8 Days Rift Valley and Western Kenya Birding Trip
Description
This 8 days safari takes you to Kenya’s best bird spots. Arrival in Nairobi and transfer to Lake Nakuru a remarkable birding spot, the park is a home to over 500 bird species inclusive of the endemic and globally threatened species such as the Rueppell’s Griffon, Abyssinian Thrush, White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Gray Crowned-Crane, Sooty Falcon and Gray-crested Helmetshrike, White-backed Vulture and Greater Spotted Eagle and Imperial Eagle, Maccoa Duck, Lesser Flamingo, Bateleur, Crowned Eagle, Pallid Harrier, Black-tailed Godwit, Great Snipe, European Roller among other. We bird Lake Naivasha national park which is the spectacular avian life of over 350 species is supported by the flourishing cover of dense vegetation at the lake edge. This park also hosts both the east African endemic and a number of globally threatened species such as the Basra Reed Warbler, Lesser Flamingo, Red-knobbed Coot, Grey-crested Helmeted-shrike, African Spoonbill, and Little Grebe, and many more. this tour also takes us to Lake Baringo and lake Bongoria which are rift valley lakes with a number of fascinating bird species not to miss the African Jacana, Black Crake, Goliath Heron, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, African Fish Eagle, Little Bittern, Spotted Eagle-Owl, Northern White-faced Scops Owl, Purple Heron, and White-faced Whistling Duck, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Heuglin’s Courser, Shikra, Dark Chanting-Goshawk, Verreaux’s Eagle, Black-throated Barbet, Brubru, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Northern Red Bishop, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Blue-capped cordon-bleu, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird, Jackson’s Golden-backed Weaver, Northern Masked Weaver, Jackson’s Hornbill, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Mocking Cliff-Chat and Bristle-crowned Starling. Our holiday will end with Birding Kakamega forest which is home to 350 bird species and about 36 species are endemic to this forest and over 80 species are endemic to East Africa. We shall have a day at the Dunga beach. This tour is available throughout the year.
Tour highlights
Birding Transfer To lake Nakuru and Naivasha.
Birding whole Day at Lake Nakuru National park
Birding transfer to Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria
Full Day Birding Excursion at Lake Baringo.
Travel to Kakamega, sightseeing en route.
Full Day Birding Kakamega Forest
Birding Kakamega forest and Transfer to Dunga beach via Kericho
Birding Nairobi Airport Transfer
Itinerary
Met at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta international airport by our tour manager, briefed on your safari and then drive to Naivasha and Nakuru having a stopover at the viewpoint to view the magnificent Gregory Rift Valley. View birds that inhabit Lake Naivasha, the highest rift valley lake in Kenya. The lake has over 350 species of birds. Look for flocks of cormorants, kingfishers, and pelicans among other species of birds. As a better option, take a boat ride as you watch the birds. Lunch enroute. Proceed to Lake Nakuru National Park. Lake Nakuru Game Drive Lake Nakuru on the Floor of the Rift-Valley; here we will see the spectacular gathering of lesser Flamingoes in there hundreds of thousand together with an abundance of other water birds like the Western Reef Heron, Lesser Jacana, and black-headed Gull. We will also look for Acacia forest species, including Green-wood Hoopoe, Hildebrandt’s and Coqui Francolins, Rufous-naped and Fawn-colored Larks, scarce Grey-crowned Helmet-shrike, Arrow-marked Babbler, Bearded Woodpecker, Mottled swift and White-shouldered Cliff Chat. On the baboon cliff we shall be on the lookout for fox Kestrels and other species of falcons.
Early morning breakfast, followed by full day game viewing and bird-watching .Lake Nakuru national park is a world well known habitat for birds as flamingoes flock here in thousands feeding on crustaceans and small animals that inhabit the lake as well as the algae. The flamingoes are accompanied by other species of birds including the gregarious white pelicans ‘fishing’, geese, jacanas, secretary birds, fish eagles and the vulturine fowls found in the bushy and forest parts of the park among other birds.
Have an early game viewing, followed breakfast. Mid morning at leisure. Have lunch and drive to Lake Baringo. Lake Baringo is one of the flesh water lakes on the floor of Kenya Rift Valley. Watch out for the red bishop, the solitary pink backed pelicans, fish eagles among other bird. From Lake Nakuru we head North-west towards the freshwater Lake Baringo, with a stopover near the Menengai crater and here, we find the Brown Parisoma and Brown Snake-Eagle in these farmlands. At Lake Baringo and its environs, we search for rare species restricted to the north-western part of the country including Hemprich’s and Jackson’s Hornbills, Heuglin’s Courser, Nubian Nightjar, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Northern Grey Tit, Gambaga flycatcher, Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit, Beautiful Sunbird, Bristle-crowned Starling, Jackson’s Golden-backed, Little and Northern Masked Weavers. In the evening we visit several sites looking for Verreaux’s and Spotted-Eagle Owls, as well as the White-faced Scops Owl.
After breakfast, have a full day birding activities as Lake Baringo has a multitude of birds. 400 species have been recorded here. Have an experience of bird watching on foot or by boat. Have lunch at the country club.
Travel to Kakamega after breakfast and sightsee enroute. Lunch enroute. Check in at Rondo Retreat in Kakamega forest.
Includes & Excludes
- Transport in a 4WD minivan with pop-up roof for excellent safari view
- English speaking Ugandan driver/guide
- Accommodation as listed in the program
- All meals as per the itinerary
- Park-entrance fees according to the program
- All activities described in the itinerary
- International air fares and entry visa Uganda
- Meals that are not part of your accommodation
- Personal (medical/travel) insurance
- Tips and gratuities to rangers, driver/guide, porter, hotel staff, etc
- All expenses of personal nature (e.g. drinks, laundry, optional activities, souvenirs etc.)