OVERVIEW
This tour
is designed to visit many of the great natural history locations in Kenya and
Uganda. The sites visited are selected for their variety of wildlife and we
should see an excellent variety of birds, and approximately 50 species of
mammals, including such iconic species as Elephant, Giraffe, Hippopotamus,
Zebra, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Mountain Gorilla and Chimpanzee – to
name a few. We will also pause for other animal species such as reptiles,
amphibians, and butterflies while we visit many of the region’s National Parks.
In addition, as we travel through this varied and beautiful countryside we
will, no doubt, encounter, and experience many of the unique human cultures of
East Africa.
This will
be an outstanding natural history safari that will show us much of East
Africa’s scenery and biodiversity as well as providing many opportunities to
learn and reflect about the region’s history and culture. Special notes -
3 full days in Masai Mara with ample time tracking the big cats. 2 full days
each in Samburu Game Reserve and Murchison’s Fall National Park
THE REGION
Kenya
–Kenya is often described as the best country in the world for nature and
natural history experiences. It has
recorded over 1100 bird species and nearly 400 mammals.
Kenya is about
75% the size of New South Wales and has a population over 57 million. The
climate varies from warm and humid along the coast and in the Lake Victoria
basin, cool and humid in the central highlands and hot and dry in the north and
east. The terrain has low plains rising to the central highlands bisected by
the Great Rift Valley which runs the length of the country from Lake Turkana in
the north to Lake Natron on the southern border with Tanzania. In the west, the
land drops to the Nyanza plateau which surrounds the Kenyan sector of Lake
Victoria. The land elevation is from sea level to the highest point Mount Kenya
at 5,199 m, the second highest peak in Africa. Kenya’s vegetation is as diverse
as its climate and topography would suggest and includes alpine moorland,
grasslands, montane forests, coastal forest, thorn bushland and woodland,
semi-desert, wetlands and mangrove swamps. The official languages are English
and Kiswahili.
Uganda –
Uganda, too, has over 1000 bird species recorded. The country’s rich
biodiversity results from its variety of habitats and varied altitude ranging
between the lowest point, Lake Albert at 621m and the highest point, Margherita
Peak on Mount Stanley at 5,110 m. Uganda has two wet and dry seasons each year
and the climate is modified considerably by the elevation above sea level. The
south of the country has two rainfall peaks in April - May and October -
November. This pattern however becomes less marked towards the North. The
vegetation of Uganda includes Sudanian thicket grasslands, mountain and bamboo
forests, heath and moorland on the mountains, lowland forest patches in the
south-west and extensive wetlands in the Nile Valley and Lake Victoria
basin.
Basic
Safari Route – Beginning in Entebbe and finishing in Nairobi.
ITINERARY
IN BRIEF
Day 1: Mon 18-Sep-23: Arrive Entebbe Uganda O/n
Central Inn
Day 2: Tue: 19-Sep-23: No Plan O/n
Central Inn
Day 3: Wed: 20-Sep-23: Entebbe- Mabamba Swamp - Lake
Mburo National
Park
O/n Lake Mburo Safari Lodge
Day 4: Thu: 21-Sep-23: Lake Mburo National Park - Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park
Overnight at Bakiga Lodge/Gorilla Valley Lodge
Day 5: Fri: 22-Sep-23: Bwindi Impenetrable National
Park
Overnight at Bakiga Lodge/Gorilla Valley Lodge
Day 6: Sat: 23-Sep-23: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Queen Elizabeth National
Park
Overnight at Bush Lodge
Day 7: Sun: 24-Sep-23: Queen Elizabeth National
Park
Overnight at Bush Lodge
Day 8: Mon: 25-Sep-23: Queen Elizabeth National Park -
Kibale Forest
Overnight at Kibale Forest Camp
Day 9: Tue: 26-Sep-23: Kibale
Forest
Overnight at Kibale Forest Camp
Day 10: Wed: 27-Sep-23: Kibale Forest - Murchinson's
Falls National Park
Overnight at Fort Murchison Lodge
Day 11: Thu: 28-Sep-23: Murchinson's Falls National
Park
Overnight at Fort Murchison Lodge
Day 12: Fri: 29-Sep-23: Murchinson's Falls National
Park
Overnight at Fort Murchison Lodge
Day 13: Sat: 30-Sep-23: Murchinson's Falls National Park
- Malaba
Overnight at Greystone Hotel
Day 14: Sun: 01-Oct-23: Malaba - Masai Mara National
Reserve
Overnight at Private Mobile Camp
Day 15: Mon: 02-Oct-23: Masai Mara National Reserve
Overnight at Private Mobile Camp
Day 16: Tue: 03-Oct-23: Masai Mara National
Reserve
Overnight at Private Mobile Camp
Day 17: Wed: 04-Oct-23: Masai Mara National Reserve
Overnight at Private Mobile Camp
Day 18: Thu: 05-Oct-23: Masai Mara National Reserve -
Lake Naivasha
Overnight at
Day 19: Fri: 06-Oct-23: Lake
Naivasha
Overnight at
Day 20: Sat: 07-Oct-23: Lake Naivasha - Lake Nakuru
National Park
Overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge
Day 21: Sun: 08-Oct-23: Lake Nakuru National
Park
Overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge
Day 22: Mon: 09-Oct-23: Lake Nakuru National Park - Naro
Moru
Overnight at Naro Moru River Lodge
Day 23: Tue: 10-Oct-23: Naro Moru- Mt Kenya National Park
- Samburu National
Reserve
Overnight at Mobile Camp
Day 24: Wed: 11-Oct-23: Samburu National
Reserve
Overnight at Mobile Camp
Day 25: Thu: 12-Oct-23: Samburu National
Reserve
Overnight at Mobile Camp
Day 26: Fri: 13-Oct-23: Samburu National Reserve -
Thika
Overnight at a Thika Hotel
Day 27: Sat: 14-Oct-23: Naiobi National Park
Our Guides and
drivers
Chege Kariuki – principal naturalist and guide.
Chege is interested almost in anything from a tiny jumping spider to the
extra-large African Elephant, though his main passion lies in the fascinating
world of birds in East Africa. Formerly a fulltime field ornithologist at the
Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya and his duties including
bird banding/ringing, where he gained crucial knowledge and understanding of
his native birdlife both in the hands and in the field.
Edson Miamba holds a diploma in Tourism Administration and a medal from Kenya Professional Safari Guide Association (KPSGA). He is passionate in all wildlife and especially birds and ends up spending most of his time at either the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) ornithology section maintaining the bird collection or doing bird research in the field as a ringer/bander.
ITINERARY IN DETAIL
Day 1 –
Arrive Entebbe, Uganda
Welcome to
Entebbe, our gateway to Uganda and East Africa.
** - Please note that meals for the first two days
only are at participant’s expense.
Day 2 –
Rest Day – no plan – Entebbe, Uganda
This day is
set aside to recover from our long journey from Australia. After a lunch and a
relax at our hotel we’ll have an optional visit to the Entebbe Botanical
Gardens to see our first African wildlife. The gardens are located 3km away
from our hotel – c 45 minute walk or a short taxi trip.
O/n - Central Inn, Entebbe
Day 3: Entebbe- Mabamba Swamp - Lake Mburo National Park
Today is
a big day! We will leave Entebbe early for a big day!
Today we
visit an IBA [Important Bird Area], Mabamba Swamp, which is an extensive marsh
stretching through a long narrow bay, fringed with papyrus that has recorded
over 260 species. The key species here is the enigmatic Shoebill Stork, one of the most wonderful and enigmatic
birds of the world.
At the
Mabamba Swamp we will bird at bird’s eye level, which in a swamp means in a
canoe! As well as the Shoebill we’ll look for other bird species such as Swamp Flycatcher, African Purple Swamp Hen,
African Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, White-faced
Whistling Duck, Squacco Heron, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding &
Carruther’s Cisticola, Goliath Heron, and Black Crake.
Following our swamp excursions, we’ll drive to Lake Mburu National Park where we’ll enjoy a one -night stay. Lake Mburo National Park is a beautiful park with a good variety of habitats. It is dominated by tall grasses, acacia woodland and euphorbia trees while along the river there are dense thorn thickets. Here we will have our first African safari experiences, seeing Impala, Zebra and Vervet Monkeys as well as some great birds!
O/n - Lake Mburo Safari Lodge
Day 4:
Lake Mburo National Park - Bwindi Impenetrable NP
After breakfast
and some last birding in and around our camp we will have a game drive through
Mburo NP begin our long drive to one of the greatest destinations of all of
Africa, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
O/n - Bakiga
Lodge/Gorilla Valley Lodge
Day 5:
Bwindi Impenetrable NP
This is going to be a
memorable day! We’re here for the Mountain Gorillas!
Perhaps
one of the most keenly anticipated African experiences for any naturalist is
Gorilla Tracking and today is your opportunity to do just that! After
breakfast, we shall assemble at the park offices for the pre-trek briefing.
Gorilla tracking is a very captivating yet challenging activity. It might take
an hour, it may take eight hours of walking through the wilderness to see these
animals.
Eight people are permitted per group per day
so we will have to split up our group. On occasions the Gorillas prove elusive
but often can be found within an hour or two by the tracker guides. Each
encounter with the gorillas is different and has its own rewards, but you are
likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the
young gorillas frolic and swing from vines.
O/n - Bakiga Lodge/Gorilla Valley Lodge
After the
morning birding around our Lodge we will travel north east towards the Queen
Elizabeth National Park where we will stay for two nights at the aptly named
Bush Lodge.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most diverse ecosystems in Africa. The melting glacier waters of the Rwenzori Mountains create a vast wetland system comprising of two main lakes; George and Edward, as well as the connecting Kazinga Channel. Thousands of Hippos populate these lake shorelines. Open savannah dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees provide habitat for elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda Kobs and big herds of buffaloes. Ten primate species including chimpanzees are present. Among the many other animals seen frequently are giant forest hog. This National Park boasts more bird species than any other park in Africa; 610 species!
As we travel into the
national park we go through the Ishasha section, an acacia studded savannah
populated with Topi, Buffalo and Uganda Kob, where we have the possibility of
seeing the famous tree-climbing lions that occasionally lounge on large fig
trees. O/n Bush Lodge
Day 7:
Queen Elizabeth NP
We will
have a game drive in the morning before an exciting boat cruise in the Kazinga
Channel in the afternoon. The game drive will allow us more opportunities to
see and photograph some of the area’s big game such as Lions, Elephants,
Buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, Waterbucks, and other antelope species. Primates are
also here and include Olive Baboons, Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys and
Red-tailed Monkeys.
Birds
possible here include Pink-backed Pelican, Great and Long-tailed Cormorant,
Common Squacco Heron, African Open-billed Stork, White-faced Whistling and
Knob-billed Ducks, Termnick’s Courser, Collared Prantincole African Fish Eagle,
African Wattled Plovers, Shoebill, African Skimmer, Martial Eagle,
Verreaux’sEagle Owl, Black Bee-eater, Black-rumped Buttonquail, White-tailed
& Red-capped Larks, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus &
Brimstone Canary, Pin-tailed Whydah, African Morning Dove, Grey-headed
Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-headed Gonolek,
Red-chested Sunbird, Slender-billed, Yellow-backed & Lesser Masked Weavers,
Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, to mention a very small sample.
The
afternoon boat trip along the hippo crowded banks of Kazinga Channel gives
visitors another unique wildlife experience. Excellent views of Hippos are
assured as are great views of a variety of resident water birds. Two of the big
five – Elephants and Buffalo are regularly seen at the waterside from the boats
and occasionally other animals are seen drinking as well. Crocodiles, no doubt
counting on other creatures coming to drink, are commonly seen.
The boat
trip also provides another opportunity to record the Shoebill Stork. African
Fish Eagles and African Skimmers are seen in and around the waterway as well. O/n Bush Lodge
Day 8:
Queen Elizabeth NP - Kibale Forest
Kibale
National Park is an extensive national park, protecting a large block of
rainforest that offers excellent flora and fauna. With lush tropical rain
forest and fascinating diversity, it is one of the most beautiful and stunning
forests in Uganda. It harbours the greatest variety and concentration of
primates found anywhere in East Africa. It is a home to the largest number in
Uganda to the endangered Chimpanzee as well as the Red Colobus monkey. O/n Kibale
Forest Camp
Day 9:
Kibale National Park
This morning we have the
opportunity for Chimpanzee trekking. And like the Gorilla trekking it is hard
to predict exactly how long the search will take. The basic experience is a
trek for 1 to 2 hours and then, upon finding the animals, tourists are allowed
to stay for an hour in their presence. However, it will be a unique experience
to see Homo sapien’s closest living relative in its natural habitat.
Bush
walking and birding will be on the agenda for the afternoon aiming for such
species as Grey-winged Robin, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Black-billed Turaco,
White-naped Pigeon, Green-breasted & African Pitta, Red-chested Flufftail,
Grey-throated Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Masked Apalis,
Nahan Francolin, Tiny Sunbird, White-thighed Hornbill, Black Bee-eater,
Yellow-spotted Nicator, Little Greenbul, Bar-tailed Trogon, Fine-banded
Woodpecker, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher and Red-faced Crimson-wing.
Or you
might like to avoid the heat and have an afternoon off to read and rest.
O/n Kibale Forest
Camp
Day 10:
Kibale National Park - Murchison's Falls National Park
After a
very early breakfast we travel north east to the Murchison’s Fall National
Park. The park has a reputation for an infamous part of African fauna; the
Tsetse Fly - therefore a long-sleeved shirt and repellent will be essential!
Either
today or tomorrow we will schedule a boat trip to see the actual falls. The
boat cruise is an excellent opportunity for viewing the large resident
populations of hippos and crocodiles, as well as other wildlife and extensive
birdlife, including a wide range of waterbirds, and a huge colony of
cliff-nesting red throated bee eaters, along the way. O/n - Fort
Murchison Lodge
Day 11 & 12: Murchison's Falls National Park
Murchison
Falls National Park derives its name from the Murchison Falls where the mighty
River Nile explodes through a narrow gorge and flows down to become a placid
river whose banks are thronged with hippos, crocodiles, waterbuck, and buffalo.
Wildlife includes Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Hartebeest,
Oribis, Uganda Kobs, Chimpanzees and many bird species including the rare
shoebill.
The park
has a variety of habitats; riverine, ironwood forests, savanna with Borassus
Palm, Papyrus Swamps, lakes and rivers, dry and moist woodlands. Specialties
here includes Shoebill, Secretary bird, Bat Hawk, Red-necked Falcon, Heuglin’s
Francolin, Denham’s Bustard, Senegal Thick-knee, Egyptian Plover, Rock
Pratincole, Black-headed Plover, African Skimmer, Four-banded Sandgrouse,
Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Vinaceous Dove, White-crested Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl,
Long-tailed & Pennant-winged Nightjars, Red-throated, Swallow-tailed &
Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Roller, Black Scimitarbill, Abyssinian
Ground Hornbill, Black-bellied Barbet, Black-faced Cisticola, Red-winged Grey
Warbler, Green-backed Eremomela, Yellow-billed & Emin’s Shrikes,
White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, Lesser Blue-eared & Bronze-tailed Starling,
Northern-Red Bishop, Grey-headed, Olive-back and Red-winged Pytilia. O/n - Fort Murchison Lodge
Day 13:
Murchison's Falls National Park – Malaba [Kenyan side of border]
Today we
will leave early as have an [absurdly] long drive to our next nation, Kenya!
Our first
night in Kenya will be in a small clean hotel in the border town of Malaba.
O/n Greystone Hotel
Day 14: Malaba
- Masai Mara National Reserve
After
breakfast we will leave for a long drive via Kisumu, on a branch of Lake
Victoria, to the famous reserve - the Masai Mara, a plain of rolling grassland
dotted with a mixture of acacia trees.
We'll
ultimately stay on the western part of the reserve along the Olololoo Escarpments.
Here is a variety of riverine, swamp, grassland and forested habitats. O/n Private Mobile Camp
Day 15, 16 and 17: Masai Mara National Reserve
Today we
drive – no walking I’m afraid – east across the Mara experiencing the area and
its wildlife. We’ll find a host of bird species and maybe we’ll see the ‘Big
Five’ [Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino]. There are many smaller
species of mammal from Hyraxes to Squirrels to Jackals to Hyenas that we could
encounter as well.
The Masai Mara is an extension of the same
ecosystem protected in northern Tanzania by the Serengeti National Park. In the
Mara we will see the wildlife and the scenery that perhaps Africa is best known
for. Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras, Warthogs, Topis, Hartebeests, Grants and Thompson’s Gazelles, Buffalo
and Impala will be seen as well as some Wildebeest. Nile Crocodiles, a fair way
from the Nile, will be seen in the area’s wetlands and rivers.
We will
have three full days to explore this, the most famous of Kenya’s reserves. This
time will maximise our chances for excellent opportunities to see and
photograph the big cats - Lion, Leopard and Cheetah – and maybe some of the
smaller cats like Serval and Caracal.
And there
will be birds …. We will also make time to visit a Maasai village. See the
Appendices of this itinerary.
O/n –
Mobile Tented Camp
Day 18:
Masai Mara National Reserve - Lake Naivasha
We will
spend the morning birding in the park before heading for a Rift Valley Lake,
Lake Naivasha. Here we will stay at the Lake Naivasha Country Club. Lake Naivasha
Country Club became famous in the 1930's as a staging post for Imperial
Airways' flying boat service from Durban to London. The Old Colonial
architecture is solid and comfortable with accommodation in rooms and cottage
set in 12 hectares of green lawns shaded by mature acacias and spreading fever
trees.
Day 19:
Lake Naivasha
Lake
Naivasha is one of the two freshwater lakes along the rift valley and offers a
superb birding site. The lake is fringed by papyrus and is circled by acacia
woodland habitats. The gardens of our accommodation are rich with birds and the
trees between the home and the lake are often visited by Black-and-White
Colobus Monkeys. Care is needed in the early morning as Hippos venture from the
lake [people have been killed by grazing hippo, especially if they are
disturbed at night and / or you get between them and their lake!]
We’ll take
boat ride along the papyrus shore of the Lake Naivasha hoping to see Little
Grebe, Great White Pelican, Great & Long-tailed Cormorant, Great Egret,
Purple & Goliath Heron, Hamerkop, Sacred & Hadada Ibis, Cape
&Red-billed Teal, African Jacana, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt and
Three-banded & Long-toed Plover.
Day 20:
Lake Naivasha - Lake Nakuru National Park
A relaxing
morning before driving north to our lodge at Lake Nakuru National Park. O/n Lake Nakuru Lodge
Day 21: Lake Nakuru National Park
After
breakfast we’ll drive to Lake Nakuru National Park to spend the day birding in
the park. The alkaline habitat, acacia woodland, grassland, rivers and inlets
with marshes holds residents as well as migratory species.
Flamingoes
– greater and lesser – we should be able to see in this park. These birds used
to be in great numbers but numbers have dropped to the mere hundreds.
Other birds may include
Little Grebe, Great White Pelican, Black-winged Stilt, Gull-billed, Whiskered
Tern, Grey-headed Gull, Cape, Red-billed Teal, Three-banded Plover, Little
Stint, Long-crested, Tawny Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Augur Buzzard,
White-fronted Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rock Martin, Arrow-Marked Babbler,
Little Rock Thrush, Wailing, Rattling Cisticola, Rüppell’s Long-tailed
Starling, Rüppell's Robin Chat, White-shouldered Cliff Chat, African Grey
Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Common, Grey-backed Fiscal, Tropical
Boubou, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu among many others.
In
addition, the park is rich in big game that includes giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck, eland, hippo, Black and White Rhino, lion,
leopard and Spotted Hyena.
Day 22:
Lake Nakuru National Park - Naro
Moru
Today we drive out of the rift valley via the
Subukia Escarpment and along the dormant Menengai Crater before visiting
Thompson’s Falls.
O/n - Naro Moru River Lodge
O/n Private
Mobile Camp
Day 24 &
25 - Samburu National Reserve
The Samburu National Reserve is a game reserve on the banks of the Ewaso
Ng'iro river in Kenya. On the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs
National Reserve. The park is 165 km² in size and is situated 350 kilometers
from Nairobi. It ranges in altitude from 800 to 1230 m above sea level.
Geographically, it is located in Samburu County.
In the middle of the reserve, the Ewaso Ng'iro flows through doum palm
groves and thick riverine forests. It provides water, without which the game in
this arid region could not survive.
The Samburu
National Reserve was one of the two areas in which conservationists George and
Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness, made famous in the best-selling book and
award-winning movie Born Free.
There is a
wide variety of animal and bird life seen at Samburu National Reserve. Several
large game species common to Kenya's northern plains can be found in abundance
here, including the following dry-country fauna: gerenuk, Grevy's zebra, oryx
and reticulated giraffe. All three big cats, the lion, cheetah, and African leopard can also be found
here, as well as the elephant, Cape buffalo and hippopotamus.
Other
mammals frequently seen in the park include olive baboon, warthogs, Grant's
gazelle, Kirk's dik-dik, impala, and waterbuck. A black rhinoceros population
has been re-introduced into the park after an absence of 25 years due to heavy
poaching.
There are over 350 species of
bird. These include grey-headed kingfisher, sunbirds, bee-eaters, Marabou stork,
tawny eagle, Verreaux's eagle, bateleur, vulturine guineafowl, yellow-necked
spurfowl, lilac-breasted roller, secretary bird, superb starling, northern
red-billed hornbill, yellow-billed hornbill, and various vultures including the
palm-nut vulture.
The Ewaso
Ng'iro river contains large numbers of Nile crocodile basks.
The area is
home to the Samburu people, a Nilotic people of north-central Kenya. Samburu
are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats
and camels. The name they use for themselves is Lokop or Loikop, a term which
may have a variety of meanings which Samburu themselves do not agree on.
We will
have two full days to safari in this area. O/n Private Mobile Camp
Day 26: Samburu
- Thika
We should have a leisurely morning at our camp before
driving through the central highlands comprising of small-scale farms, large
tracks of pineapple and coffee plantations enroute to the Thika – of the Flame
Trees of Thika fame. O/n Thika Hotel.
Day 27:
Nairobi National Park
Our last
full day in East Africa and we finish with a final safari in Nairobi National
Park. Nairobi National Park is a mini-Kenya, filled with a variety of antelope
– Eland, Impala, Buffalo and Wildebeest. It is possible to record over 100 bird
species within a day.
At the end
of the day there is a drop off to the Airport or a hotel of your choosing
adjacent.
Tour Ends.
All pictures by Ken Cross unless noted.
