10 Days Kenya Birding Mosaic: Samburu Drylands, Rift Lakes and Amboseli Marshes

Your guide will collect you from Nairobi early in the morning and begin a journey of approximately 310–340 kilometres to Samburu, normally taking 5½–7 hours. Roadside observations may include raptors, storks, doves, swallows and weavers, with safe stops arranged when conditions are suitable. After arriving at your luxury lodge, you will check in and may begin a short afternoon birding drive for hornbills, Somali ostriches, raptors, starlings and river-associated species.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, you will spend approximately seven to nine hours exploring 40–80 kilometres of dry plains, rocky terrain, acacia scrub and riverine woodland. Possible species include Somali ostriches, hornbills, bee-eaters, kingfishers, raptors, weavers and starlings. Your guide will listen for calls, scan exposed branches and stop for smaller birds instead of treating birding as secondary to large mammals. Reticulated giraffes, Grevy’s zebras and elephants may also be observed.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast and check-out, a short exit birding drive may be included before our journey continues approximately 275–300 kilometres south to Lake Nakuru. The transfer normally takes 5½–6½ hours and passes ranchland, farms and highland environments. Safe birding, meal and comfort stops will be arranged, and lodge-ground birding may add sunbirds, bulbuls and weavers after arrival.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

lake Nakuru Lodge

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Following breakfast, you will spend approximately three to four hours birding across 25–50 kilometres of Lake Nakuru’s woodland, grassland and lakeshore habitats. Possible observations include pelicans, cormorants, herons, storks, fish eagles, flamingos and smaller woodland birds. Rhinos and giraffes may also appear. After lunch and check-out, our journey continues approximately 220–260 kilometres to the Maasai Mara over five to six hours.

Destination:

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, you will leave with a picnic lunch for approximately seven to nine hours of birding across 50–90 kilometres of grassland, marsh and woodland habitats. Possible species include secretary birds, martial eagles, tawny eagles, bateleurs, vultures, bustards, rollers, larks, pipits and weavers. Lions, elephants and grazing herds may also be observed during our bird-focused programme.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Our second full Mara birding day may cover approximately 40–90 kilometres during seven to nine hours. You will explore riverbanks, drainage lines and acacia habitats for kingfishers, bee-eaters, herons, storks, ground hornbills, raptors and smaller passerines. Hippos, crocodiles, elephants and predators may be encountered within the same environments.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast and check-out, you will travel approximately 230–260 kilometres to Lake Naivasha, normally taking five to six hours. Opportunistic birding may continue during safe stops, with possible raptors, storks, swallows and farmland species. After arriving at your lakeside lodge, you may bird around the property’s gardens and shoreline.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Maasai Simba Camp

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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When included, your morning may begin with a one-to-one-and-a-half-hour boat birding safari for fish eagles, kingfishers, pelicans, cormorants, herons, jacanas and hippos. You will then travel approximately 300–340 kilometres toward Amboseli, normally taking 5½–7 hours. Roadside observations may include raptors, storks and open-country species.

Destination:

LAKE NAIVASHA NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, you will explore approximately 50–90 kilometres of Amboseli during seven to nine hours of birding. Possible species include egrets, herons, pelicans, spoonbills, lapwings, ostriches, raptors and numerous smaller wetland and grassland birds. Elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and hippos may share the same habitats.

Destination:

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast and check-out, you will travel approximately 215–240 kilometres to Nairobi over four to five hours. Opportunistic roadside observations may include raptors, doves, storks and agricultural species. Our journey can also be used to review the trip checklist before your final drop-off.