Henderson Birding and Wildlife Tour Itinerary
Kenya & Tanzania
July 24 to August 9, 2008
Thursday, July 24:
Depart from the US on your connection flight via Amsterdam. (Meals aloft).
Friday, July 25:
Arrive at Arusha in Tanzania. Transfer guide will take us to the Mountain Village Lodge for the night. (Meals aloft).
Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27:
After birding in the courtyard of the Mountain Village Lodge we will depart for the legendary Ngorongoro Crater. Part of our day will be spent driving across the Tanzanian countryside and wildlife-watching en route to the crater. Upon arrival in the Ngorongoro area, we will check into the beautiful Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. The lodge is made of stones and is built into the top rim of the crater so it blends with its lush tropical surroundings. There is an abundance of bird life in the vicinity of the lodge.
On the second day will we will descend 2,000 feet down the inside rim of this extinct volcano. The floor creates a protected "Garden of Eden" for wildlife which covers about 100 square miles. Around the lake in the bottom of the crater it is possible to see elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, gazelles, and cape buffalos. We will have a bush lunch in the crater. After a full day of game viewing we will ascend the wall of the crater and overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. (B,L, D, both days)
Monday, July 28:
On Monday morning, we will depart for Lake Manyara National Park. We will be staying there at the Lake Manyara Serena Hotel which overlooks the famous Rift Valley (site of the paleontological work of Dr. Richard Leakey). In the afternoon we will visit Lake Manyara National Park in the Rift Valley. The wildlife of the Park includes leopard, rhinos, elephants, cape buffalos, zebras, flamingoes, pelicans, and baboons as well as many kinds of other bird life. Overnight at the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge (B,L,D)
Tuesday, July 29:
After breakfast we will leave for the Kenyan border and continue to Amboseli National Park which sets at the foot of world-famous 19,340 foot high Mount Kilimanjaro. This national park was created in 1974 and features a great variety of plains and wetland wildlife. There are over 50 larger mammal species and more than 400 species of birds recorded in this park. The wetlands provide habitat for some of the most beautiful birds in the region, including numerous swallows, plovers, herons, kingfishers, cranes, ibis, and terns. Larger wildlife includes lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs, and cape buffalos. We will overnight at a wonderful tent camp that is surrounded by an abundance of wildlife - Tortilis Tented Camp. If you are fortunate, you may see the elegant African Paradise Flycatcher near your tent. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, July 30:
We have a full day to explore Amboseli National Park. One of the most exceptional opportunities in this park is the chance to see huge elephants with enormous tusks. In many areas of Kenya, older elephants were poached in the 1990s and there are now few elephants of this size in Kenya’s other national parks. These great herds of elephants can be seen with Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance. Overnight at Tortilis Tented Camp (B,L,D).
Thursday, July 31:
On Thursday, we will fly to Nanyuki near Nairobi and continue on to the Mount Kenya National Park and the scenic montane forests on the slope of Mount Kenya. Mountain Lodge is at 7,200 feet elevation so the array of wildlife there is different from other destinations on this itinerary. There are excellent trails that are accessible from the lodge and there are great vantage points from the lodge balconies to watch the famous waterhole where wildlife comes to drink throughout the day and during the night where spotlights illuminate the waterhole. There are bunker-like blinds near the waterhole where you can watch waterbucks, elephants, and cape buffalos come to drink. There are Black-and-white colobus monkeys in the forests as many high-elevation bird species. They include touracos, eagles, robin-chats, bee-eaters, sunbirds, and pigeons. Overnight at Mountain Lodge (B,L,D).
Friday, August 1:
Today we will drive about 200 miles north from Mount Kenya to one of Kenya’s most outstanding wildlife viewing destinations: Samburu National Reserve. The Uaso Nyiro River provides water for this region that is otherwise hot and arid. The presence of the riparian corridor of forest and water creates an oasis where it is possible to see wildlife unique in Kenya: Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, genenuks, and reticulatled giraffes. This is an excellent reserve to see lions, elephants, and cape buffalos. Overnight at one of the Henderson’s favorite Kenyan lodges - Samburu Serena Lodge (B,L,D).
Saturday, August 2:
We have another day to explore the Samburu National Reserve. There is so much to see here that each day creates a lifetime of memories. This reserve is within the tribal lands of the Samburu tribes of northern Kenya. Other memorable wildlife of the area includes hornbills, baboons, guineafowl, bee-eaters, and go-away-birds. Overnight at Samburu Serena Lodge (B,L,D).
Sunday, August 3:
Sunday is a travel day from the Samburu National Reserve to another of Kenya’s most famous national parks: Lake Nakuru National Park. This national park is best known for the million or so flamingoes that live there. The lake is literally pink with flamingoes. In addition to flamingoes, there are about 400 species of birds known from this park. We will be staying at night within the park at the legendary Sarova Lion Hill Lodge where you can hear lions roaring at night from the comfort and safety of your cabin room (B,L,D).
Monday, August 4:
Both black and white rhinoceroses can be seen at the park as well as leopards, reedbucks, waterbucks, and bushbucks. Among rocks overlooking the park are rabbit-sized rock hyraxes that are close relatives of elephants. This park is also home to very rare Rothschild’s giraffes, Pink-backed and Great White Pelicans, and Maribou Storks. Overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge (B,L,D).
Tuesday, August 5:
On Tuesday we depart Lake Nakuru National Park. We will spend the day wildlife watching en route to the most famous national reserve in all of Kenya: Maasai Mara National Reserve. Overnight at Mara Serena Lodge which is on high ground overlooking the incredible pristine landscape of the Maasai Mara (B,L,D).
Wednesday, August 6 and Thursday, August 7:
We have two wonderful days to soak in the marvelous wildlife and landscapes of the Maasai Mara. This trip has been especially planned so you can experience the spectacle of the "great migration" of wildebeest and zebras as they move to there seasonal feeding grounds of this region. These animals literally flow across the landscape like living rivers. Lions and crocodiles become a conspicuous part of the food chain as they prey on the passing herds of wildebeests. There will be opportunities to look for cheetahs, leopards, gazelles, eland, and topi. Over 450 species of birds are found here, including 57 birds of prey. Both the wildlife watching and the closeup wildlife photography opportunities are exceptional throughout our visit on the Maasai Mara. Overnights at the Mara Serena Hotel (B,L,D).
Friday, August 8:
After breakfast we will depart for the local airport and a flight back to Nairobi where we will have a day room waiting for you at the famous Norfolk Hotel. That is the hotel of legend where Teddy Roosevelt, Clark Gable, and other famous persons have stayed during their visits to Kenya. In the evening we will be transferred to the airport for our flight back to the US through Amsterdam (B,L,D).
Saturday, August 9:
We will stop in Amsterdam for our connecting flight to the United States (Meals aloft).