SVABW 004: 13 Nights/14 Days Kenya Bird Watching Safari
This Kenya safari or Kenya bird watching safari combines bird watching and a Malindi holiday. The safari takes you to Lake Nakuru, Kakamega Forest, Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria. Then fly to Malindi for a tour of Watamu National Marine Park, Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek Reserve with accommodation at the Turtle Bay Beach Club.
Day 1: Nairobi City Tour
Your bird watching safari in Kenya starts with a Nairobi city tour.
0900hrs-1000hrs: Karen Blixen
Depart your hotel at 0900hrs and head to Karen Blixen Museum, a beautiful farmhouse where Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, lived between 1917 and 1931, until she left Kenya after a series of personal tragedies. Karen Blixen Museum has been restored with many of her own furnishings, as well as replicas made for the movie. It's located in Karen, 15 Kilometers outside Nairobi City, and opens at 9.30am.
1000hrs-1200hrs: Nairobi Animal Orphanage and Nairobi Safari Walk
Depart Karen Blixen for a tour of the Nairobi Animal Orphanage and Nairobi Safari Walk.
1200hrs-1400hrs: Lunch at New Rangers Restaurant
Lunch at New Rangers Restaurant. The restaurant is located at the Nairobi National Park main gate. The restaurant's Twiga Terrance offers a perfect view of wild animals grazing and drinking water at Kisima water hole just 10 metres away as you enjoy your lunch.
1400hrs-1600hrs: Giraffe Center
Afterwards, depart for the Giraffe Center located near Hardy Shopping Centre in Nairobi's Lang'ata suburb. The visit gives you a completely up close and personal interaction with giraffes and you will be allowed to feed them. You feed giraffes by hand, take a guided nature walk and see a bull in the wild if you're lucky, learn about the different types of giraffes.
16150hrs: Giraffe Centre-Panafric Hotel
Transfer to Panafric Hotel for evening rest and overnight. Accommodation at Panafric will be on bed and breakfast. The hotel has a restaurant where you can buy dinner (at your own cost).
Meal: Bed and Breakfast
Accommodation: Panafric Hotel
Day 2: Nairobi – Lake Nakuru
After breakfast, depart for Nairobi via the floor of the Great Rift Valley. Stop at the Rift Valley View Point to view the escapement and the Mount Longonot in the background and photographing. Lunch at Flamingo Tented Hill Camp. 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.
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Flamingo Tented Hill Camp
Day 3: Lake Nakuru – Kakamega Forest
After breakfast, we will depart for Kakamega Forest with a stopover in Kisumu for lunch. Arrive at the Rondo Retreat Center late afternoon. 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 4-5: 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 6: Kakamega Forest- Lake Bogoria
After breakfast, we will drive to the Rift Valley, this time to the fresh water of Lake Bogoria. Here you will stay at the Lake Baringo Club, which specializes in bird watching. After late lunch at Lake Bogoria County Club, go for a boat ride in the nearby Lake Bogoria.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Bogoria Country Club
Day 7: 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. Return your lodge before lunch. Afterwards, set off for a tour of 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 8: Lake Bogoria – Lake Baringo
After breakfast, depart for Lake Baringo, arriving at Lake Baringo Club in time for lunch. Afterwards, set off for bird watching and nature walks. 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 9: Lake Baringo – Nairobi – Malindi
After breakfast, depart for Nairobi via the floor of the Great Rift Valley. After lunch at Panari Hotel in Nairobi, transfer to Wilson Airport to catch your flight to Malindi. A representative of Turtle Bay Beach Club will pick you from the airport and transfer you to their hotel in Watamu.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 10: Watamu
After breakfast, breakfast go for full day game drives in the Watamu National Marine Park, the has developed an international reputation for its white-sand, reef-protected beaches. Established in 1968 as Kenya's first Marine Park, Watamu has developed into one of the world's best snorkeling and dive spots. The Marine Park boasts over 600 species of fish in just 10 square km, although the reserve area itself spreads out over more than 32 square km in total.
It is virtually impossible to snorkel in Watamu without seeing at least a few dozen species inside the main reef; divers outside the fringe reef stand an excellent chance of viewing the magnificent whale shark and Manta rays that are seasonal visitors. If underwater exploring is not your style, not to worry! From windsurfing to dolphin watching boat trips, gentle walks to explore the rock pools or simply lying on the beach, the Watamu beach offers something for everyone.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 11: Arabuko Sokoke Forest
After breakfast, depart for Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (carrying packed lunch) and in the company of well-trained and knowledgeable local guides to guide you the forest. The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is East Africa's largest remaining area (420 square km) of indigenous coastal forest.
Considered the second most important African forest for its bird conservation value, over 260 species of bird have been recorded in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. A global stronghold for one Globally Endangered species, the spotted ground thrush, and five Globally Threatened species of birds, the Sokoke Scops owl, Sokoke pipit, east coast akalat, Amani sunbird, and the Clarke's weaver, are all endemic to the area. The Forest is also home to a large number of bird species restricted to the coastal area, such as the green barbet, Fisher's turaco and southern banded snake eagle. A small population of elephant, buffalo and six species of small antelope, including the globally endangered Ader's Duiker, can be found in the Forest. Mongoose, bush babies and genet cat can sometimes be seen at night, while the caracal and the endangered golden-rumped elephant shrew are often visible during the day. Baboons and Sykes monkeys are often spotted.
Drive back to your hotel late afternoon for overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 12: Mida Creek Reserve
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. The Mida Creek Reserve is home to widespread mangrove forests in swamp-like, shallow, warm low tides. Here a variety birds settle such as greater flamingo, yellow-billed stork, great white egret and malachite kingfisher. It is also the winter home of numerous migrants such as the crab plover, curlew sandpiper, whimbrel and sanderling. 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.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 13: Malindi – Nairobi – Depart Home
A representative of Turtle Bay Beach Club will transfer you to Malindi Airstrip to catch your flight to Moi International Airport, Mombasa, to connect with your international flight home.
