SVABW 002: 07 Nights/ 08 Days Kenya Bird Watching Safari: Lake Baringo Kakamega Forest Lake Nakuru Lake Naivasha

Day 1: Nairobi – Lake Baringo

After breakfast, depart Nairobi for Lake Baringo via the floor of Rift Valley. Make a brief stop at the Rift Valley Viewpoint to allow you view the Rift Valley and take photos with the escapement and Mt Longonot on the background. Arrive at Lake Baringo Club in time for lunch. This is one of the fresh waters lakes in the rift valley and a bird watchers paradise – it has over 460 recorded bird species and a number of hippos. A resident ornithologist leads walks before breakfast and in the evenings.

Lake Baringo region has got its specialties as well and you will be looking for species like, Jackson’s and Hemprich’s Hornbill, Bristle-Crowned Starlings, Brown-Tailed Rock Chat, Dark-Chanting Goshawk, a variety of weavers as well as an incredible number of water birds.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Baringo Club

Day 2: Lake Baringo – Lake Bogoria

After breakfast, take a 1-hour bird watching trip by boat to the island to view more birds and hippos. On the Island you can organize short excursions at an extra cost to see the Njemp village (local tribe) and dancing, or a local snake farm.

Afterwards, depart for Lake Baringo. After lunch at Lake Bogoria County Club, we will depart for an afternoon game/bird drive at the nearby Lake Bogoria National Reserve. Notable species at Bogoria includes huge flocks of Cape Teals, Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Black-Necked Grebes and other wader birds not mentioning the Lesser and Greater Flamingoes.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Bogoria Country Club

Day 3: Lake Bogoria-Kakamega Forest

After breakfast, we will depart for Kakamega Forest through the spectacular Kerio Valley in search of rare flycatchers. We will have a couple of birding stopovers and finally arrive in time for Lunch at the Rondo Retreat Center. In this Western part of Kenya, the remnant Congolese rainforest has species which are found nowhere else in Kenya. The rest of the day will be spent birding at the Retreat’s lovely grounds with dinner and overnight at Rondo Retreat Center.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Rondo Retreat Center

Day 4: Kakamega Forest

Full day birding around the Kakamega Forest with our second night here. At Kakamega and the surroundings, you will be looking for the 36 birds’ species that are endemic to this place among which are the Blue-Headed Bee-Eater, Western Black-Headed Oriole, Jameson’s Wattle-Eye, Turner’s Eremomela, African Crowned Eagles, Yellowbill, Great Blue and Black-Bellied Turaco and a host of Greenbuls among others.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Rondo Retreat Center

Day 5: Kakamega Forest – Kisumu

After breakfast, we will drive to Kisumu via some major birding hot spots on the way with lunch en route. Later in the evening, we will visit the famous Dunga Swamp (one of the strong hold of rare Lake Victoria swamp species).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Kisumu Sunset Hotel

Day 6: Kisumu – Lake Nakuru

After breakfast, we will drive to Lake Nakuru National Park (a birding paradise). Arrive at Lake Nakuru Lodge in time for lunch. Afternoon game drives in the park. Besides the flamingos that the lake is famous for, there are approx 400 other species of birds visiting the lake. Also, many species of game can be found in the park including the introduced Rothschild’s giraffe, black and white rhino, waterbuck, reedbuck, lion, buffalo, leopard, baboon and many species of plains game.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge

Day 7: Lake Nakuru – Lake Naivasha

After breakfast, depart for the nearby Naivasha. Lunch at Lake Naivasha Country Club. After lunch, we will spend the rest of the evening bird watching at the grounds of the Club as well as the lake shoreline. Optional visit to the Crescent Island, which is across the lake from Lake Naivasha Country Club.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Country Club

Day 8: Lake Naivasha – Nairobi – Depart Home

After breakfast, go for birding at Naivasha. After lunch, drive towards Nairobi via Kinangop grasslands in search for Sharpe’s Longclaw and proceed on with another stop over at some lovely ponds for African and migratory Ducks. Transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to catch your international flight home.