5 Days Kenya Birding and Big 5 Safari
5 Days Kenya Birding & Big 5 Safari | Naivasha, Nakuru & Maasai Mara.
You will have a memorable experience on the 5 days Kenya birding and Big 5 safari that involves visits to various premium birding and wildlife areas of Kenya. Tourists will experience two areas on this Kenya safari: Lake Naivasha, where they can see 400-plus bird species, and Lake Nakuru National Park, which is famous for rhinos and flamingos. During your safari, you will explore the Maasai Mara National Reserve, where you will find the Big Five and abundant bird species. The tour provides tourists with boat rides, game drive exploration and panoramic views of Kenya’s wild landscapes.
Highlights
Day 1: Pickup and transfer to Lake Naivasha, birdwatching and boat ride
Day 2: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park, birdwatching and game drive.
Day 3: Transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve, evening wildlife viewing expedition.
Day 4: Full day game drive in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Day 5: Birdwatching session and return to Nairobi.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pickup and Transfer to Lake Naivasha, Birdwatching and Boat Ride
Your designated driver guide, based on your Nairobi location, will pick you up to provide a briefing about the tour. You will begin travelling to Lake Naivasha, which sits in the Great Rift Valley as a freshwater lake and attracts many birds to its area. The entire travel duration should require between 2 and 3 hours.
As you reach Lake Naivasha, you can experience a boat ride during which you will identify African fish eagles and pelicans, as well as cormorants, herons, flamingo birds and kingfishers, among many other bird species. The lake contains hippos and multiple other aquatic creatures.
After the boat ride, go to your lodge and eat lunch before proceeding with birding trips guided by professionals for additional species identification along the lakeshore. After the sunset, you will move back to the lodge for dinner and spend the night.
Day 2: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park, birdwatching and game drive.
Have breakfast and drive the 2-hour journey to Lake Nakuru National Park. The natural habitat of Lake Nakuru attracts huge populations of flamingos together with black and white rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks and many other species of wildlife.
Upon reaching your destination, you will begin an experience that combines game drives and birdwatching, during which you can identify flamingos, great white pelicans, African fish eagles, and hamerkops. The wildlife viewing opportunities at this location include giraffes, rhinos, buffaloes, zebras and lions. You will enter the lodge for lunch after the game drive and then proceed to observe birds alongside the lake’s shoreline during the late afternoon. Dinner at the lodge and overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve, evening wildlife viewing.
Have breakfast and embark on your journey to Maasai Mara National Reserve, which will last 5 to 6 hours. Your journey will lead you past the magnificent Great Rift Valley escarpment, where you can view local villages as well. You will pause for lunch at Narok town before arriving at the reserve.
After checking into the lodge, you will participate in an evening game drive. You will observe the Big Five together with cheetahs, hyenas, and giraffes, in addition to various other animals, when participating in game drives. Lovers of birding will see many species, including lilac-breasted rollers, secretary birds, ostriches and martial eagles when they visit. You will go back to the lodge for dinner as well as an overnight stay after finishing the game drive.
Day 4: Full-day game drive in Maasai Mara National Reserve
The day begins with breakfast early in the morning before proceeding to the Maasai Mara for a complete game-viewing adventure. During game drives in the extensive territory, you will spot lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalo. The vast wildlife population of Maasai Mara offers birdwatchers a chance to observe vultures, crowned cranes, starlings and bee eaters, among others.
Every visit to Maasai Mara between July and October brings the chance to see thousands of wildebeests and zebras crossing the Mara River as part of the Great Migration. After your lunch picnic, you will start another game drive through the afternoon in the reserve. You will finish your day at the lodge by enjoying leisure time before having dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 5: Birdwatching session and return to Nairobi.
Your last day of the safari includes an early morning birdwatching tour at Maasai Mara National Reserve. Bird species like the turaco, African fish eagle, hamerkop and giant kingfisher, along with giraffes, antelopes and warthogs, emerge before sunrise as you observe the wildlife in Maasai Mara National Park.
Return to your lodge for breakfast, and check out before proceeding with your return to Nairobi. You will stop for lunch in Narok town. Your driver will drop you at your chosen location or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
End of Safari
Safari Includes
- Park entrance fees and game drive services
- Birdwatching sessions
- Full board accommodation
- Travel in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a removable pop-up roof.
- Services of an English-speaking guide
- Boat ride on Lake Naivasha
- Transportation between Nairobi locations and to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Safari Excludes
- International/domestic flights
- Visa fees
- Personal insurance
- Optional activities.
- Personal expenses, including gifts, beverages, gratuities
