Kenya East Africa
27th November - 5th December 2023
FULLY BOOKED
Kenya is in Eastern equatorial East Africa; it’s savannah is famously depicted in documentaries and movies and the landscape that many people imagine when they think of Africa. However, the terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus at its centre. Most Kenyans live in and around the capital city of Nairobi which is in the highlands at an altitude of 1,700 metres.
This tour is being offered at the best time of year in terms of bird and wildlife viewing and a comfortable climate. The arrangements have been made to maximise your safety and comfort, using good quality, comfortable accommodation throughout.
TOUR LEADERS:
Dr Tonia Cochran Inala Nature Tours and a local guide.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Excellent photographic opportunities
- A large range of mammals including Africa’s ‘Big 5’: Leopard, African Lion, Savannah Elephant, both White and Black Rhino and Cape Buffalo. Additional mammals include Common Hippo, Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx
- Iconic and scenically spectacular locations including Mt Kenya, the Great Rift Valley, Masai Mara.
- We cover several habitats including Savannah, Wetlands, Semi-arid Scrubland, Desert Lava and Highland Forest.
- Additional special attractions: Kenya’s Endemic Birds, Nile Crocodile and Nile Monitor Lizard.
OVERVIEW:
- Kenya is in Eastern equatorial East Africa; its savannah is famously depicted in documentaries and movies and the landscape that many people imagine when they think of Africa. However, the terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus at its centre. Most Kenyans live in and around the capital city of Nairobi which is in the highlands at an altitude of 1,700 metres.
- This tour is being offered at the best time of year in terms of bird and wildlife viewing and a comfortable climate. The arrangements have been made to maximise your safety and comfort, using good quality, comfortable accommodation throughout and travelling in open roofed 4X4 Toyota Landcruiser safari vehicles.
- Funds will go towards sustainability projects in Kenya and to support the Kenya Women Birders Club.
Start Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Finish Location: Nairobi, Kenya
TOUR LEADERS:
Dr Tonia Cochran, Inala Nature Tours. + Local guide.
ITINERARY OUTLINE:
Day 1. Mon 27 Nov 23. Arrive Nairobi
Day 2. Tue 28 Nov 23. Mt Kenya
Days 3 & 4. Wed 29 & Thu 30 Nov 23. Buffalo Springs and Samburu National Reserves
Day 5. Fri 1 Dec 23. Lake Nakuru National Park
Days 6 & 7. Sat 2 & Sun 3 Dec 23. Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 8. Sun 4 Dec 23. Masai Mara to Nairobi.
Day 9. Mon 5 Dec 23. Depart Nairobi.
DETAILED ITINERARY:
Day 1. Monday 27 November 2023. Arrive Nairobi.
On our arrival at Nairobi Airport, we will be met by our local guide and transferred to our hotel. We will meet for a welcome dinner tonight where we will discuss plans for our Kenyan adventure.
Accommodation: Hotel in Nairobi (en suite rooms). Meals: D.
Day 2. Tuesday 28 November 2023. Mt Kenya.
Today we will travel to Kenya’s highest mountain, Mt Kenya where we should see many species of birds. We will bird both along the forest edge and also deeper into the mountain forest in our vehicle. We will also scan the forest, rivers and grasslands for the montane specials. Birds we hope to find in this area include African Cuckoo-Hawk, Mountain Buzzard, Crowned Eagle, Alpine Swift, Purple-throated Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey Cuckoo-Shrike, Mountain Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Slender-billed Greenbul, Mountain Yellow-Warbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Black-throated Apalis, Black-collared Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, White-browed Crombec, Hunter’s Cisticola, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Black Duck, Red-fronted Parrot, Spectacled Weaver, Grey-headed Negrofinch, Scaly Francolin, Rüppell's Robin-Chat, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Malachite Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Black-headed Waxbill, Olive Ibis, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Slender-billed Starling, Abbott’s Starling, Sharpe’s Starling, Waller’s Starling, Kikuyu White-eye, Fine-banded Woodpecker, White-headed Wood-Hoopoe, Bar-tailed Trogon, Yellow-crowned Canary, Dusky Turtle Dove, African Green Pigeon, Lemon Dove, African Olive Pigeon and Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon. Montane mammals are also likely, including monkeys, antelopes, mongooses, genets, pigs, hogs and squirrels.
Accommodation: Lodge near Mt Kenya (en suite rooms). Meals: B, L, D.
Days 3 & 4. Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30 November 2023. Buffalo Springs & Samburu National Reserves.
We shall leave early for Samburu and Buffalo Springs. Here we will spend time birding and enjoying the local mammals such as Leopard, Cheetah, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Lion and African Savanna (Bush) Elephant. We can also expect to see many birds here, including Somali Ostrich, Somali Courser, Golden Pipit, Golden-breasted Starling, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Pringle’s Puffback, Northern Puffback, Northern White-crowned Shrike, White-headed Mousebird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Black-bellied Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Red-billed Hornbill, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Fire-fronted Bishop, Somali Bee-eater, Stone Partridge, African Orange-bellied Parrot, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Northern Crombec, Northern Grey Tit, Black-capped Social Weaver, Northern Brownbul, Buff-crested Bustard, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Somali Sparrow, Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar, Dusky Nightjar, Vulturine Guineafowl, Rufous Chatterer, African Mourning Dove, Egyptian Vulture, Bateleur, Martial Eagle and Tawny Eagle. This is an amazing part of Kenya and allows for excellent dry country birding. Many of the typical North-East African dryland birds are present here and the habitat will provide a huge species list.
Accommodation: Safari Lodge for 2 nights. Meals: B, L, D both days.
Day 5. Friday 1 December 2023. Lake Nakuru National Park.
We will leave early this morning and travel to Lake Nakuru National Park. This park is famed as the birdwatchers’ paradise, and indeed was the first national park in Africa to be set up with an avian conservation objective. Up to a million flamingos have been recorded in this park depending on their regional migration. Most of these are Lesser Flamingos with a smaller population of Greater Flamingos. Other birds include the Woolly-necked Stork, Arrow-marked Babbler, Little Rock-Thrush, Mocking Cliff Chat, White-browed Robin-Chat, Reed Cormorant, Pink-backed Pelican, Pied Avocet, Kittlitz's Plover, Blacksmith Plover, Coqui Francolin, Hildebrandt's Francolin, Black Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, African Cuckoo, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, Cape Teal, Brimstone Canary, Hottentot Teal, Red-billed Teal, Dusky Nightjar and Montane Nightjar. Palearctic water migrants are seasonally also abundant here. The park is also a great sanctuary for rhinos (both Black and White Rhinoceros) and three other members of the Big Five (Lion, Leopard and Buffalo), and these may be encountered as we move around the park. Other mammals seen here include herds of grazing herbivores and the endangered Rothschild’s Giraffe.
Accommodation: Safari lodge (en suite rooms). Meals: B, L, D.
Days 6 & 7. Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December 2023. Masai Mara National Reserve.
We will spend the next two days in the vast Masai Mara in search of local birds and mammals. Described by many as the top reserve in Kenya, this area has lots to offer, from the Big Five, herds of grazing mammals, to the amazing birdlife. Mammals here include Common Hippopotamus, Common Warthog, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Spotted Hyena, Topi, Grant’s Gazelle, Bushbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, Silver-backed Jackal, Common Eland, Common Zebra, African Buffalo and Thompson’s Gazelle. We shall also spend time in the reserve birding in this vast savannah. Likely species include Southern Ground-Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Heron, Dusky Nightjar, Schalow’s Turaco, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, Red-necked Spurfowl, Red-winged Francolin, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Rufous-chested Swallow, Lappet-faced Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Ruppell’s Vulture, Secretarybird, Grey Kestrel, Temminck’s Courser, Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Green-capped Eremomela, Black Coucal, African Quailfinch, Kori Bustard, Melodious Lark, Flappet Lark, Athi Short-toed Lark, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Black-backed Cisticola, Long-tailed Cisticola, Pale Wren-Warbler, Usambiro Barbet, Familiar Chat, Sooty Chat, African Wattled Plover, Woolly-necked Stork, Saddle-billed Stork and Magpie Shrike.
Accommodation: Safari lodge (en suite rooms) for 2 nights. Meals: B, L, D each day.
Day 8. Monday 4 December 2023. Return to Nairobi.
Today we will return to Nairobi, birding en route after spending more time as required in Masai Mara.
Accommodation: Hotel in Nairobi (en suite rooms). Meals: B, L,D.
Day 9. Tuesday 5 December 2023. Depart Nairobi.
Today after breakfast we will transfer to Nairobi airport for our various onward travels. For Tonia it will be a return to Uganda to attend the International Conference for Women Birders in Kampala, 6-8 December 2023 (IC4WB). You are of course welcome to join me and if interested we can send through further information.
Accommodation: None. Meals: B.
Tour Price: US$6,130 per person twin share for 4 people Single supplement US$660.
Based on a group size of 4-9 participants + Inala leader Dr Tonia Cochran + local guide.
Inclusions: 8 nights’ accommodation, specialist guiding and transport for day and night tours in a private open-roofed 4WD safari Toyota Landcruisers, with specialist licensed local guide and site guides/wildlife rangers as outlined in the itinerary, all meals (B, L, D snacks and bottled water), entry fees to National Parks, airport transfers and guided walks as outlined in the itinerary and all internal taxes and charges.
Exclusions: any international and domestic airfares, visas, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and expenses of a personal nature (travel and medical insurance, phone calls, laundry, tips etc), personal & incidental expenses and any additional activities not mentioned in the above itinerary.
Please note: The above price is based upon a group size of 4 people. If the tour does not achieve minimum numbers, a small supplement may be charged. We would always discuss this with you beforehand.
The itinerary: Whilst we aim to follow the itinerary as planned, please note that the itinerary provided should only be used as a guideline. Depending on individual trip circumstances, weather, and local information, the exact itinerary may not be strictly adhered to. The guides reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary as they see fit.
For much of this tour we will be in a wonderful yet remote part of the world. Some of the roads are unsealed and rough. If you have medical conditions or health concerns, it is important you make us aware of these in advance of this tour.
We strongly recommend you take out travel and health insurance for this and all of our tours.
