Day 1 On arrival at the Nairobi International airport, you will be met by your safari representative and transferred to Macushla House. There are over 50 different bird species found in the hotel grounds alone!
Macushla, located in Langata,it gives a quiet, peaceful stopover in this busy city area. With six spacious bedrooms, two lounges, a private study, bar, pool and dining room, Macushla caters for both business and holiday travellers. A delicious range of fresh, home cooked meals, served throughout the day.Located close to the Giraffe Manor, Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi National Park and the Animal Orphanage.
Day 2
After breakfast, you'll be collected by your driver/guide to drive to the Great Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru National Park. Arriving in time to check-in at the Lake Nakuru Lodge, a delightful, small lodge with beautiful views, friendly, staff and comfortable rooms with full ensuite facilities.Enjoy lunch and an afternoon drive in the Park before dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Nakuru is most famous for its concentrations of both Greater and Lesser Flamingo who feed upon the blue green algae with which the lake abounds. Depending upon the concentration of the algae, there may be up to 2 million flamingos in the area, turning the entire lakeshore a dusky pink.
With over 400 varieties of birds to spot, you'll never be bored at Nakuru. In the European winter the park becomes an important feeding ground for migrant waders such as the Little stints, Curlew sandpipers, Marsh sandpipers and Greenshanks. Large numbers of Pelicans can also be seen on the southern and eastern shores.
After a day of bird and game viewing, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3
Spend a full day exploring the Nakuru National park with your guide. You should be able to spot at least 150 species of bird in this one day, and if lucky, you may reach over 200 species. All meals and overnight at the lodge.
Day 4
Leave early for a drive over the Mau Escarpment to the fertile plains of the western part of Kenya, close to Lake Victoria. Here you explore the Kakamega Forest Reserve, the last remaining remnant of tropical rain forest in Kenya.
The Forest itself is incredibly diverse, with over 125 species of trees, orchids, creepers and bushes. The high forest canopy shades the ground, preventing thick undergrowth from forming.
Walking is surprisingly easy and one of the best ways to explore the Forest as the animal, bird and insect life is small, but truly spectacular.
As the only forest of its kind in the country, there are many bird species, which may be found here, and nowhere else in the country. Keep your spotting eyes open for species such as the Grey parrot, Great blue turaco, Ross's turaco, red-chested owlet, African broadbill and wattle-bill.
Enjoy an afternoon walk near the lodge, dinner and overnight at the Retreat.
Days 5 and 6
Walking and driving through the forests, you'll explore all the forest habitats, from the high canopies to the mossy ground. There are a tremendous variety of bird species, ranging through various sizes. Watch for the Giant Plantain Eater or the small, Dusky tit.
Day7
Leave the forests of Kakamega behind as you return to the Rift Valley, this time to the fresh water of Lake Baringo. Here you will stay at the Lake Baringo Club, which specializes in bird watching.
The colony of Goliath herons attracts many ornithologists, but this is just one of the over 400 species to be found in the area.
Baringo offers bird walks, boat rides and game drives-a great deal of variety! Home to a great number of hippo, caution should be paid if walking on the lakeshore!
Enjoy a walk along the cliff edges this afternoon before dinner and overnight at the Club.
Days 8 and 9
Using boats, vehicles and your feet, explore the Baringo lakeshores, islands and surrounding plains. Watch for the huge colonies of Weavers in the acacia trees,including buffalo weavers and white-headed weavers.
Black headed herons, purple herons, Yellow-billed storks, Sacred ibis, Red-billed duck, Cape teal and other water birds are all found in abundance and there are always new species being recorded.
All meals and overnight at the Baringo Club.
Day 10
Leaving the Rift Valley behind you, drive to Nairobi and take your short 75 minuteflight to the Indian Ocean and the coastal resort area of Watamu.
Watamu is a small village located on the Kenyan coast, approximately 120 km north of Mombasa and 25 km south of Malindi. The area has developed an international reputation for its white-sand, reef-protected beaches, which line the Watamu National Marine Park.
You will be collected from the airport and taken to the resort hotel of Hemingway's, located directly on the beach. Enjoy an evening of sharing stories and counting up your species list before dinner and overnight at Hemingway's.
Day 11
Today you'll have an early start as you head in to the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is East Africa's largest remaining area (420 square km) of indigenous coastal forest. The Forest contains six species of globally threatened bird, three of which, the Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit and Clarke's Weaver, are found nowhere else in the world.
Whilst taking the time to spot the many other birds in the area, most of your time on this day and evening will be spent trying to ensure that you spot the 'Sokoke Six', which are the Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit, Amani Sunbird, Clarke's Weaver, East Coast akalat and Spotted ground thrush.
Enjoy dinner at the hotel before you night forest visit to spot the Sokoke Scops Owl and then return for overnight at Hemingway's.
Day 12
Today you spend on the water, in Mida Creek. The Mida Creek reserve is formed of extensive mangrove forests, warm shallow waters and large areas of mud flats at low tide. This area hosts not only many local birds, such as Greater flamingo, Yellow-billed stork, Great white egret and Malachite kingfisher, but is also the winter home of many migrants such as the Crab plover, Curlew sandpiper, Whimbrel andSanderling. The osprey and African fish eagle are often overhead.
You'll have the chance to walk on the mud flats as well as take a boat ride to meander up the mangrove creeks searching for those little flashes of colour that indicate something interesting.
Dinner and overnight at Hemingway's.
Day 13
Today you'll have the chance to relax, take a walk on the beach and spend time with Kip going through your species list and asking questions regarding the birds and wildlife that you've seen during your trip.
After lunch, transfer to the airport for the flight to Nairobi and your onward connection back home.
plains. Watch for the huge colonies of Weavers in the acacia trees,including buffalo weavers and white-headed weavers.
