NSS 908 - Birding Adventures in Rift Valley & Western Kenya - 9 Days Day 01: Nairobi – Lake Baringo Pick up from your hotel and drive through Limuru tea farms, descending to the floor of the Great Rift Valley with a brief stop at the viewpoint. Mt. Longonot (which is of volcanic origin) and Lake Naivasha can be seen from far. Enroute to Lake Baringo. This is one of the fresh waters lakes in the rift valley and a bird watchers paradise –it has over 460 recorded bird species and a number of hippos. Check in and in lunch at Lake Baringo county club of which the rooms have plenty of information on the areas bird life or campsite. A resident ornithologist and our professional guide lead bird walks before breakfast and in the evenings. Dinner and overnight at lodge / campsite. Day 02: Lake Baringo – Lake Bogoria National Reserve After breakfast, take a 1-hour bird watching trip by boat to the island to view more birds and hippos. On the Island, you can organize short excursions at an extra cost to see the Njemps village (local tribe) and dancing, or a local snake farm. After proceed to the nearby Lake Bogoria NR 1 hour away. Lake Bogoria is a shallow soda lake hosting Flamingos, a large number of other water and terrestrial birds and the beautiful Lesser Kudu antelope. Scalding hot springs and geysers at the mid-west end of the lake spurt and steam their alkaline waters. Flamingos feeding in the bluish water present a rare scenic beauty. Dinner and overnight at a lodge/campsite Day 03: Lake Bogoria National Reserve – Kakamega Forest National Reserve After breakfast, drive to Kakamega Forest National Reserve via Kerio Valley or Eldama Ravine. This is the country's only tropical rain forest and formed part of the dense and continuous fain forest that stretched from West Africa, across central Africa and in to the highland areas East and West of the Great Rift Valley. The forest is world renowned as home to several hundred species of birds, rare and endemic snakes and amphibians, insects, monkeys and other mammals as well as countless native tree species. Dinner and overnight at lodge/campsite. Day 04: Kakamega Forest National Reserve After breakfast, spend a full day in the Kakamega Forest National Reserve with bird walks accompanied by local community guides and our driver/guides. Dinner and overnight at a lodge/campsite. Day 05: Kakamega Forest National Reserve – Lake Nakuru National Park Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park after an early breakfast arriving at the Lake Nakuru Lodge in time for lunch. The park is a home to stunning flocks of lesser and a great flamingos, which literally turn the lakeshores in to a magnificent pink stretch. The bird life here is world renown and over 400 bird species can be seen. You may also spot white rhino, rare Rothschild giraffe, and other plain game. Dinner and overnight at a lodge/campsite. Day 06: Lake Nakuru National Park – Lake Elementaita A pre breakfast bird spotting drive in the park and around the lake before returning to the lodge for breakfast. Drive to Lake Elementaita Lodge with a brief stop at viewpoint. Lunch and dinner at Elementaita Lodge. The Lake is famous for its natural steaming hot springs (where you can take a bath!) and a haven for birds. The walking/hiking by the Lakeside in the afternoon (accompanied by a local Maasai guide and our guides) gives one a sense of freedom and a chance to see local birds. Day 08: Lake Elementaita – Lake Naivasha After a leisurely breakfast drive to Lake Naivasha Lodge and immediately start exploring birding opportunities at specific points along the Lakeshores e.g. Kenya Wildlife Service Annex and Elsamere Field Study Centre. The afternoon is spent at leisure either to explore the rich, bird filled gardens and woodlands, an optional boat ride to crescent Island (at an extra cost) or birding at nearby Hell’s Gate National Park or Crater Lake (Lake Sonachi). Dinner and overnight at lodge/campsite. Day 09: Lake Naivasha - Nairobi Leave for Nairobi after breakfast with birding options enroute e.g. Manguo Ponds at Limuru. Drop off at your hotel for lunch or drop off at JKI Airport to catch your flight back home