Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop
Tour price (Per person): USD7,495 * GBP5,633 * EUR6,651 * AUD11,672
Single Supplement: USD1,180 * GBP887 * EUR1,047 * AUD1,838
Flight costs: USD140 * GBP105 * EUR124 * AUD218
Tour Leader: Lisle Gwynn
Tour price (Per person): USD7,595 * GBP5,708 * EUR6,740 * AUD11,827
Single Supplement: USD1,180 * GBP887 * EUR1,047 * AUD1,838
Flight costs: USD140 * GBP105 * EUR124 * AUD218
Kenya is well regarded as one of the finest safari destinations on the planet, and rightly so. Our 2-week Kenya Highlights tour traverses a wide range of habitat from coastal forest, acacia savanna and central African rainforest to papyrus swamps and rolling grassy savanna as we target a mouth-watering array of Kenya’s most special birds. The game viewing will also be a significant highlight as we explore famous Kenyan game reserves such as Tsavo West, Tsavo East and the Maasai Mara.
Our tour begins with an exploration of the lush Shimba Hills and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Here we will endeavor to find some of the rarest birds in Africa, including the diminutive Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit, Green-headed Oriole, Fischer’s Turaco, Amani Sunbird and Clarke’s Weaver. We then travel through both Tsavo West and East Parks, offering excellent game viewing and a huge bird list. We will also take time to visit the isolated Taita Hills, with its critically endangered species. For the second week of our Kenya tour we head across to western Kenya where our first site will be the famous Kakamega Forest. Here a plethora of forest specials await, with the gorgeous Blue-headed Bee-eater, Turner’s Eremomela, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye being notable targets. After exploring the papyrus swamps and moist woodlands along Lake Victoria for the striking Papyrus Gonolek and Papyrus Canary we finally enter the plains to visit arguably the most famous game reserve in the world, the fabulous Maasai Mara!
Join us for what promises to be an extraordinary tour offering an incredible diversity of wildlife, superb scenery, wonderful lodges and tented camps, and super-friendly tribal people!
Blue-headed and Somali Bee-eaters, Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke, Golden & Malindi Pipits, Clarke's and Golden Palm Weavers, Amani, Plain-backed & Tsavo Sunbirds, Green-headed Oriole, Fischer's & Black-billed Turacos, Equatorial and East Coast Akalats, Taita Apalis, Taita White-eye, Taita Thrush, Golden-breasted & Magpie Starlings, Black-headed Apalis, Turner's Eremomela, Chapin's Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied & Jameson's Wattle-eyes, Brown-chested Alethe, Blue-shouldered & Grey-winged Robin-Chats, Grey-chested Babbler, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Red-headed Bluebill, Papyrus Canary, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-naped Bushshrike, Three-streaked Tchagra, Pringle's Puffback, Athi Short-toed and White-tailed Larks, Red-throated Tit, Miombo Wren-Warbler, Pangani Longclaw, Steel-blue & Straw-tailed Whydahs, Cuckoo-finch, Red-throated Twinspot,
Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, African Elephant, African Buffalo, Black Rhinoceros, Lesser Kudu, Golden-rumped Sengi, Harvey's Duiker, Sable Antelope, Angola Colobus, Small-eared Greater Galago, Serval, Spotted & Striped Hyaena, Aardwolf, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, Maasai Giraffe
lowland coastal forest, grasslands, estuaries, beaches, mangroves, acacia savanna, temporary and permanent wetlands, rivers, central African rainforest,
warm to hot, dry conditions mostly but humid along the coast, cooler at higher elevations and rain can be expected
6 with 1 Rockjumper Leader
undemanding to moderate pace, moderate walking and some long drives
safari lodges and hotels
mostly easy birding, tougher in forest
Maasai and other tribes, African curios
excellent
We have birded with David Hoddinott previously. As usual, David was exceptionally talented at finding birds and other wildlife, plus making certain that all participants were able to see them. David maximized our exposure to viewing birds and wildlife which made the tour a pleasurable experience.
David Hoddinott and indeed the drivers and Alison were all amazing - making this a life-changing experience. Everything went far better than expected throughout the tour in my opinion. I do not see how it could have been improved. Well done to all!
I've never been on a safari trip so I had no way of knowing what was involved. Due to my age (83) and slight incapacity (I use a cane, aka "stick," to maintain balance) the trip was more challenging than I had anticipated. But Stuart Elsom, our guide, and Jack, our expert driver and expert birder, made accommodations that made it possible for me to undertake and get the most out of the experience. 342 life list birds! All in all, an unforgettable experience. Thank you for the wonderful birding experience. I will definitely recommend Rockjumper tours to my younger friends and family members.
This trip far exceeded my expectations. Our guide, Greg de Klerk, was excellent in every way. He took the time to actually teach us about bird and animal behavior. When other tour vehicles were speeding away, we got to sit and really learn. Also our driver, Martin, was superb -- an excellent driver who navigated the rutted roads with great skill, but also proved himself to be an excellent spotter and birder. Greg and Martin made a wonderful team. The selection of game reserves that we visited on this trip was perfect, especially for me as a first-timer. I felt I got an excellent overview of the Kenyan countryside. Our accommodations were all comfortable, but some were better than others. I loved the Wildebeest Eco-Lodge in Nairobi -- a wonderful introduction to the country. Castle Forest felt magical, and even the annoyance of having only one plug per room did not dampen my enthusiasm. The Sopa Lodge at Sambura was comfortable and the staff were very accommodating; I just wish the doors and windows had been a bit tighter to keep out a startling array of large critters (crickets, spiders, and something very large with lots of legs), none of which appeared at any other location. The Lodge at Lake Nakuru was a treat and very unexpected. But I loved the low-key atmosphere of the Pride Inn at Masai Mara -- a lovely location, and again the staff were wonderful. I thought the food offered at the buffets in all our lodges was excellent overall. Thank you for a wonderful experience. I can't wait to go back.
This was a first-rate trip. Itinerary, accommodation, people and , of course, Glen's great leading and bird-finding were all excellent.
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Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game I 2024 - April 2024
Kenya - Birds & Big Game (Relaxed) II 2024 - February 2024
Kenya - Highlights II 2023 - November 2023
Kenya - Highlights I 2023 - October 2023
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game IV 2023 - April 2023
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game III 2023 - April 2023
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game I 2023 - March 2023
Kenya - Mega Birding Tour I 2023 - March 2023
Kenya - Relaxed 2023 - March 2023
Kenya - Highlights 2022 - November 2022
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game V 2022 - September 2022
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game II 2022 - April 2022
Kenya - Mega Birding Tour 2022 - March 2022
Kenya - Highlights I 2021 - December 2021
Kenya - Highlights III 2021 - November 2021
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game III 2021 - April 2021