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
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.
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!
We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our trip with Greg. He is the ultimate Bird Whisperer. His birding skills are outstanding! He has a great sense of humor and wonderful stories. He shared his extensive knowledge about all the animals and their behavior, which made every part of the trip so much more interesting. This was certainly one of our best trips with Rockjumper. In addition, we sincerely appreciate Rockjumpers flexibility in working with us to reschedule this trip, since we were originally planning to go in March 2020.
Greg de Klerk was very friendly and competent. He worked diligently to ensure we all saw the birds. We were always given sufficient time to look closely and for some to take photos. A most enjoyable tour.
We very much enjoyed our East Africa experience, finding it to be the adventure we dreamed it would be. With Greg de Klerk as our excellent and informative guide and the incredible wildlife, the tour exceeded our expectations. Greg took care of us all throughout the tour and was extremely patient and considerate to make certain that all were able to find the birds we were seeking. We had a group with different levels of birding experience and Greg worked so well with all. Thanks to all who made this wonderful experience happen for us.
Tour Leader: Robert Williams
Tour price (Per person): USD7,495 * GBP5,937 * EUR6,947 * AUD11,503
Single Supplement: USD1,080 * GBP855 * EUR1,001 * AUD1,658
Flight costs: USD130 * GBP103 * EUR121 * AUD200
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
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game V 2020 - November 2020
Kenya - Tailor-made Mega 2020 - January 2020
Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game IV 2019 - May 2019