Kenya & Tanzania - Tour Destination

Click here for Trip Reports of previous tours

Although South America, with the most species, is the “bird” continent, Africa has been coined the “birding” continent. Nowhere else are birds as prolific, outrageously colorful and easy to observe. The East African nations of Kenya and Tanzania are the epitome of “birdiness”, each boasting a bird list of over a thousand species! These quintessential African destinations also provide the ultimate safari and big-game experience. There exists nowhere else on the planet such an incredible volume and diversity of large animals.

Our Kenya & Tanzania Birds & Big Game safaris are designed to maximize both the big game experience and birding by selecting the very best and most accessible destinations in these two vast lands. In Tanzania, we visit the legendary Ngorongoro Crater and endless plains of the Serengeti. Our excursion to these, the most famous game reserves in the world, is timed for the annual wildebeest migration. We can expect to find tens of thousands of these and other animals in the parks. The Crater itself teems with big game and supports the highest density of large predators on the planet. We will also visit Tarangire, home to a huge diversity and volume of animals attracted to its perennial rivers. In Kenya, we explore key reserves offering a variety of habitats from the game-filled Amboseli lying in the shadows of Kilimanjaro, the montane forests of Mt Kenya, fantastic Shaba in the dry Samburu region and Lake Nakuru that glows pink with millions of flamingos.

With a maximum size of six expertly-guided participants, our small groups score up to 500 bird species, enjoy unparalleled African mammal and cultural experiences and spend time at some truly incredible lodges. It’s no wonder that this is one of our most popular tours, and for private groups of family or friends, we cannot give it a higher recommendation.

Some of the special birds we expect to see include the beautiful Golden-winged Sunbird, the gaudy Vulturine Guineafowl, fabulous Golden-breasted Starling, Bar-tailed Trogon and Fischer’s Lovebird. If this is your first visit to Africa, you will be delighted by a plethora of typical African birds; Ostrich, Hamerkop, Secretarybird, Bateleur, hornbills, woodhoopoes, weavers and waxbills.

Our Kenya Mega-Birding Tour offers twenty-six days of non-stop birding as we thoroughly explore this famous birding country. Our 2007 tour smashed all records with an amazing 817 bird species recorded and an incredible diversity of large mammals and other wildlife. Not only is this tour planned to obtain a huge list of mouth-watering species but also Kenya’s most sought-after endemics and rarities.

Our tour kicks off with an exploration of the lush Shimba Hills and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Here we seek out some of the rarest birds in Africa, including the diminutive Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit and the rare Clarke’s Weaver. Next we travel through both Tsavo West and East reserves, offering excellent game viewing and a huge bird list. A visit to the isolated Taita Hills in search of the critically endangered Taita Thrush, Taita Apalis and Taita White-eye is emorable. We search Mount Kenya’s forest clad slopes for such avian gems as Jackson’s Francolin, Abbott’s Starling and Abyssinian Crimsonwing. We enter the true arid zone at Samburu-Shaba where a wealth of new dry-country specials occur; possible highlights include Somali Courser and the nomadic Williams’s and Friedmann’s Larks. Traveling next to the dry woodlands of the beautiful Lake Baringo, we will search for new birds including Jackson’s Hornbill, Red-naped Bushshrike and Somali Sparrow. The famous west Kenyan forest of Kakamega will add a West African element to our tour as we tick off such forest gems as Blue-headed Bee-eater, Turner’s Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye and Great Blue Turaco. After exploring the papyrus swamps and moist woodlands along Lake Victoria, we enter the plains to visit the grand Masaai Mara. Besides birds, we will enjoy unrivalled game watching (sightings of large predators and teeming game can be expected), superb scenery, wonderful lodges and tented camps, friendly tribal people and a well-planned tour. Our tour leaders are two of Africa’s most experienced birders and guides, Kenyan resident Brian Finch and Rockjumper’s Keith Valentine.

Our Tanzania Mega-Birding Tour has been specifically designed to target all of Tanzania’s endemic bird species, including such megas as Udzungwa Forest Partridge, Rufous-winged Sunbird and the endangered Uluguru Bushshrike. Our 26-day adventure begins on the beautiful island of Pemba where we will search out the local endemics. Thereafter we launch our assault on the numerous Eastern Arc Mountain endemics. Our journey will take us into the remote reaches of the incredibly scenic Udzungwa, Uluguru, Ukaguru and Usambara Mountains where a number of exceedingly range-restricted species are found, and we hope to encounter the scarce Usambara Eagle-Owl, gorgeous Winifred’s Warbler, Loveridge’s and Banded Sunbird, Usambara Weaver, Long-billed and Red-capped Forest Warbler, Usambara Akalat and secretive Spot-throat, amongst many others. Our exploration continues with a visit to the Kilombero Swamps for three newly discovered species, Kilombero and White-tailed Cisticola and Kilombero Weaver, before making our way into the dry Acacia woodlands and game-filled plains of northern Tanzania. Here we will seek out the rare Beesley’s Lark in the rain shadow of the great Mt. Kilimanjaro and visit the famous northern game reserves for gems that include Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Ashy Starling and Yellow-collared Lovebird.

Rwanda is a fascinating add-on to Kenya & Tanzania and in a jam-packed week, we cover this small nation from north to south and east to west. In the vast and beautiful Nyungwe Forest we will seek additional Albertine Rift endemics (notable targets include Red-collared Babbler, Kungwe Apalis, Shelley’s Crimsonwing and Albertine Owlet).

In Akagera NP we bird broad-leafed woodlands and papyrus swamps for Shoebill and many other specials. Last but certainly not least, we have the opportunity to track the large Virunga race of Mountain Gorilla. Rwanda’s gorillas are generally easier to find and observe in their mostly open bamboo habitat. We will not ignore the recent tragic history of Rwanda and we pay our respects at some of Rwanda’s genocide memorials. This Rwanda tour is highly recommended.

Please contact us for the detailed itineraries for these tours.

tour names & dates 2012	Birds & Big Game I: 22 Apr - 8 May (17 days) Birds & Big Game II: 15 - 31 May (17 days) Rwanda Gorillas and Albertine Rift Endemics Extension: 31 May - 8 June (9 days) Kenya Mega-Birding Tour: 2 -27 Apr (26 days) Tanzania Mega-Birding Tour: 7 Nov - 2 Dec (26 days)
tour costs for 2012	Birds & Big Game I: TBA Birds & Big Game II: TBA Rwanda Gorillas and Albertine Rift Endemics Extension: US$2,850 pp; US$350 ss Kenya Mega-Birding Tour: US$ 8,550.00 pp sharing Tanzania Mega-Birding Tour: TBA
max group size	Birds & Big Game: 6 participants & 1 Rockjumper leader Rwanda Extension: 6 participants & 1 Rockjumper leader Kenya Mega: 12 participants & 2 Rockjumper leaders Tanzania Mega: 8 participants & 1 Rockjumper leader
tour leaders	Birds & Big Game I: Gavin Lautenbach; Birds & Big Game II: Rainer Summers Rwanda Extension: Rainer Summers Kenya Mega: Brian Finch and David Hoddinott Tanzania Mega: David Hoddinott
habitats covered	lowland & montane forests, Acacia savanna, Brachystegia woodland, papyrus swamps, rivers and wetlands, rocky gorges, grassland, semi-desert, coastal estuaries
climate	warm to hot, dry conditions, but cool at higher elevations and rain can be expected
tour pace & walking	moderate to brisk pace, moderate walking with some longer hikes and drives
accommodation	comfortable to luxurious lodges, a few more basic hotels with some camping in Tanzania
ease of birding	mostly easy birds with some difficult species, especially in Tanzania
no. of species expected	450+ (Birds & Big Game) 780 - 800 (Kenya Mega), 550+ (Tanzania)
top mammals	the “Big Five” and typical African megafauna, Striped Hyaena, Iringa Red Colobus, Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, Serval, Golden-rumped Elephant-Shrew
other attractions	Olorgasailie and Oldupai Prehistoric sites, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro & Mt Kenya, Masaai and other tribes, African curios, Eastern Arc Mountains, Pemba Island
photographic opportunities	excellent

Return to Tour Destinations