Mark Smith Nature Tours
Natural History   •   Birdwatching   •   Flora   •   Wildlife   •   Travel Photography
 

EAST AFRICA's
WILDLIFE AND BIRD DIVERSITY

Ten Natural Areas: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater,
Rift Valley Lakes, Mountains, Northern Deserts,
Coastal Forests and Estuaries, Coral Reefs, Kenya and Tanzania

February 16 - March 5, 2009
Indian Ocean Extension: March 4-9, 2009

Led by Mark Smith, Benson Mugambi, and other Regional Naturalists

East Africa is home to the most remarkable large mammal fauna on earth; it is a view into the Pleistocene. This diverse wildlife is set against a magnificent backdrop - volcanic mountains Kenya and Kilimanjaro, vast lakes nestled in the Rift, savannahs of umbrella acacias, and sculpted granite monoliths.

This tour incorporates the best of both countries and a variety of natural history topics. Birdwatchers will see some 450 showy species.

Our accommodations include fully equipped, often splendidly located, hotels and lodges, and two nights in established tented camps, with large standing-room tents and attached bathrooms with flush toilets and showers. We will travel in two vans with excellent local driver-guides. Mark Smith has led over twenty tours to East Africa.

Highlights in Kenya include a stay at Mountain Lodge, high on the forested slopes of Mount Kenya; boating to see hippos and myriad waterbirds at Lake Baringo, and Samburu National Park with its arid-land specialties like Oryx, Gerenuk Antelope and Grevy's Zebra.

In Tanzania we visit Tarangire National Park, its many elephants wandering amongst gnarled, ancient Baobab trees, creating a fairyland environment. Ngorongoro Crater hosts the greatest density of large animals on earth; zebras and Wildebeeste are constantly interacting with prides of lions within this 10-mile diameter volcanic caldera. And of course, the Serengeti, grandest of the parks we visit, where we spend four days. Over a million ungulates make an annual migration around the park following the rains. Our lodge is built into a natural kopje (granite outcrop) that wildlife still inhabit. And finally, on the surprising and idyllic Coastal Extension we fly from Arusha, Tanzania, to Mombasa on the Kenya Coast, then drive north 90 minutes along the coast to Malindi. For four days we swim and snorkel Indian Ocean coral reefs, visit Giriama and Swahili tribes people, and explore coastal estuaries and Sokoke forest, where wildlife and birds are entirely different than in the highlands.

Leadership

Mark Smith has led numerous private, Audubon and Nature Conservancy international tours. Mark has a broad knowledge of natural history, with special emphasis in animal behavior, ornithology and ecology. He is co-author of the book, Oregon Birds. Since his studies at Oregon State University he has worked as a researcher and educator for a variety of organizations including the National Marine Fisheries Service, The National Science Foundation, the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy and the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry. During the last 20 years he has spent over two years traveling, doing research, and leading more than 20 groups in East Africa.

Benson Mugambi, like many Kenyan naturalists, graduated from the naturalist/guide training course conducted by the Kenyan Parks Dept. Then he worked several years as resident naturalist for Block Hotels, including at famous Lake Baringo, where he guided many well-known ornithologists. He has personally explored all corners of East Africa. For 10 years Benson has run his own safari company, guiding most trips. His enthusiasm and attention to detail are much appreciated.

We will have two experienced African driver/guides with us at all times. These guides know birds and wildlife, and will share insights into their culture.

Lodging, Activities and Expectations

Physical activities on this trip are not difficult but there are a few longer drives with fantastic scenery. Some roads are rough for short, slow distances, but in recent years many have been paved or are kept graded. Activities vary from the viewing of wildlife from vans to short nature walks over flat terrain. Accommodations are in lodges, hotels, and one deluxe tented lodge for two nights, where large, standing-room canvas tents have attached concrete bathroom with flush toilet and hot shower. This Tarangire Tented Lodge is famous for its hospitality, innovations, food, and stunning location. Participants often can choose to relax at lodgings while the group is on short field trips. For half of this tour we will be at over 5000' elevation, and mornings and evenings you will want a sweater or coat, and daytime temperatures are usually in the 70's, with the coast warmer but breezy.

Rigors of Travel and Accommodations

Physical activities on this trip are not difficult. There are a few longer drives with fantastic scenery. some roads are rough for short, slow distances, but, in recent years, many have been paved or are kept graded. Activities vary from the viewing of wildlife from vans to short nature walks over flat terrain. Accommodations are in lodges, hotels, and in one deluxe tented lodge for two nights, where large, standing-room canvas tents have attached concrete bathrooms with flush toilet and hot shower. This Tarangire Tented Lodge is famous for its hospitality, innovations, food and stunning location. Participants often can choose to relax at lodgings while the group is on short field trips. For half of this tour we will be at over 5000 ft. elevation, and mornings and evenings you will want a sweater or coat, and daytime temperatures are usually in the 70's, with the coast warmer but breezy.

Preparation

Reading and bird lists, articles, maps and travel information will be sent to participants well before departure.

Trip Cost and Reservations

A deposit of $500 is required to reserve one of the 14 available spaces.

Ground Fare:  
$5,285
Single supplement: $1075 ($240 for coast extension)

This includes double occupancy accommodations in hotels, and one tented camp, transport in two 7-passenger vans, entrance fees and all but one meal. Not included are airport taxes, excess baggage charges, bar beverages, laundry, tips to drivers, phone calls and other personal items.

Air Fare: $1,800 approximately (from West Coast)
  $1,200 (Approximately from East Coast)
$ 350 (Coast Extension for two internal flights)

Extension Ground Fare: (March 4-9)
$1,185
Snorkeling and Marine Park fees are extra,
but minimal.

Group Limit 12
Small Group Supplement:

This will be charged if the group size falls below eight and will be adjusted according to the number of travelers.

Flights through London with British Air (which accepts American Air mileage) and through Amsterdam with Northwest Airlines and KLM offer excellent connections, but other airlines may also be used.

Pam Davis of Willamette International Travel is the tour air-ticket agent; Mark has worked with Pam for over 15 years. Participants are encouraged to make bookings through Pam, which helps to coordinate our flights and keep leaders informed.

Pam Davis of Willamette International Travel
1314 NW Irving St. #101
Portland, OR 97209-2721
Email: pamd@wittravel.com
Phone: 503-224-0180 or 1-800-821-0401

Participants are encouraged to make flight arrangements through Pam, and travel insurance is also available. Pam will work with you to use your favorite airlines to get to Europe and Nairobi.

Questions, Deposit and final payment can be addressed to:

Mark Smith
PO Box 3831
Portland, OR 97208-3831

phone: 360-566-0458
email, in care of: pamd@wittravel.com

Your deposit will ensure you a place on this tour. Include your address and phone, and the name and dates of the trip. You will be sent a packet of information to help you prepare for the trip. The final payment is due 60 days before departure.

Cancellations and Refunds

Any cancellations for which a suitable replacement is found and any cancellation made more than 60 days prior to departure receives refund in full less $100. Cancellations for which replacements are not found are subject to the following fees: $500 if cancellation is made between 60 and 30 days prior to departure date, and $3000 if cancellation is made fewer than 30 days before departure date. We recommend that participants consider trip cancellation insurance, which can be bought through Willamette International Travel.

ITINERARY

Day 1 & 2 February 16 & 17 US to London to Nairobi

Various flight schedules are possible and Mark or co-leader Benson Mugambi will meet all travelers at the Nairobi Airport. However, most travelers will depart February 9 (West Coast in the morning, East Coast evening) for London, arriving morning February 10. At 10:00 AM we continue on British Air, to arrive in Nairobi at 9:30 PM. We transfer to our nearby hotel for a good night's sleep. Northwest combines with KLM to have a similar schedule.

Day 3 February 18 Nairobi National Park and Museum

After a late breakfast we'll tour the city viewing the University, markets, and the National Museum, where we enjoy exhibits on regional culture, geology and natural history. After lunch we'll visit Nairobi National Park, a beautiful landscape where we have a good chance to find lion, cheetah, and even black rhino. The park has a diverse birdlife, and we will walk through the Athi River woodlands to the hippo pools. This lunch only paid individually.

Day 4 February 19 Nairobi to Samburu National Park

Following a leisurely breakfast we head north through the homeland of Kenya's largest tribe, the Kikuyu. Their mud and thatch homes are scattered among fields of corn, vegetables, coffee and pineapples. We arrive for lunch at Mountain Lodge, situated beside a pond and natural salt lick high on Mt. Kenya, Africa's second highest mountain at 17,000 ft. The mountain forests of East Africa are endangered, most having been logged and cultivated with tea and temperate vegetables. Rare and shy forest animals can be seen here. Rhino, Elephant, Giant Forest Hog, Suni Antelope, and Bushbuck are but a few. Dozens of birds are limited to these heights.

Day 5 February 20 Samburu NP

The forest around the lodge will be alive with birds this morning. Guenon and Colobus Monkeys are often seen, and we can watch from the many balconies and walk some short forest trails. We continue north to lunch at beautiful Naro Moru Lodge on the western shoulder of Mt. Kenya in a lower-elevation forest. Here we will walk the forested riverside trail in search of Hornbills, Turacos, Parrots, Trogons and Cinnamon-chested Beeaters. After a fine lunch we continue north to Samburu National Park. En route we pass through the frontier town of Isiolo, where the traditionally-clad Samburu, Somali, Turkana, Rendille and Boran tribes gather to trade. We spend two nights at Samburu Park, overlooking the river where animals gather.

Day 6 February 21 Samburu NP

During morning and evening safaris we'll search out the arid-land specialties of Samburu. Unique mammals of the region include the Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx (an antelope), Grevy's Zebra and the long-necked Gerenuk Antelope. Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Cheetah are here too. A river runs through the park and is the focal point of the ecosystem. The birdlife is astounding; Raptors, Hornbills, Bustards and Kingfishers being especially well-represented.

Day 7 February 22 Mt. Kenya to Lake Baringo

After a morning safari in Samburu we continue west across the spectacular arid north and descend into the Rift Valley arriving this evening at shimmering Lake Baringo at 3,000 feet. The Lake Baringo Club is a flowered lakeshore oasis.

Day 8 February 23 Lake Baringo to Lake Naivasha

Before breakfast we walk along the nearby escarpment. On the cliff and in the scrubby forest beneath are found plant and animal species difficult to find elsewhere, including Jackson's and Hemprich's Hornbills, Verreaux's Eagle, Cliff Chat and Bristle-crowned Starling. Following breakfast we walk along the shoreline, where we can approach Hippos, Goliath Herons and dozens of other waterbirds Baringo is famous for. We depart after lunch for freshwater Lake Naivasha, where we overnight. Naivasha lies at 7000 ft., and the area is seething with waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors.

Day 9 February 24 Naivasha to Tanzania, Tarangire NP

At noon we cross the Tanzanian border at Namanga and then continue to Tarangire NP. Wildebeeste, Zebra, great herds of Elephants and myriad birds are attracted to Tarangire's water and rolling grasslands studded with massive Baobabs. Tarangire is one of Africa's most beautiful landscapes, and our tented camp is perched on a bluff overlooking the panorama.

Day 10 February 25 Tarangire NP

Morning and evening wildlife drives in Tarangire NP. Tarangire tented lodge.

Day 11 February 26 Tarangire to Ngorongoro Crater

After a final Tarangire wildlife drive this morning we continue west through the arid Rift Valley and then climb steeply to the 8000 ft. rim of Ngorongoro Crater NP. Two thousand feet below lies the savannah floor of the 10-mile wide volcanic caldera. The Crater supports the densest population of ungulates on earth, as well as lions, Cheetahs and rhinos. Thousands of Wildebeest, antelope and zebras forage the perennially green highland grasses. We spend this cool night at a lodge on the crater rim.

Day 12, 13, 14 & 15 February 27, 28, March 1 & 2 Ngorongoro and Serengeti NP

This morning we descend into the Crater via a rugged one-way road. Watch for Lions and Rhinos. The Crater has one of the few secure Black Rhino populations in East Africa. At mid-day we drive up to the cool rim and continue down the western slope of the Ngorongoro Highlands and across the Serengeti Plains to Lake Ndutu Lodge located at the edge of Serengeti National Park where we spend three nights. A small, personal lodging, Ndutu is the closest accommodation to The Migration on the plains in every direction

The Serengeti ecosystem protects the worldÕs largest population of ungulates; over one million Wildebeeste and nearly half a million Zebra annually follow the rains from plains to savannah to woodland. It is a view into the Pleistocene. WeÕll find Lions and Hyenas, and probably Leopards and Cheetahs. Antelope include Topi, Hartebeeste, Dikdik, Eland, Steinbok, and GrantÕs and ThompsonÕs Gazelles. We spend one night at the splendid Seronera Lodge, built over and into a Kopje (ancient granite outcrops) where Hyraxes and Baboons still reside. Two nights we are at famed Ndutu Lodge, beside a flamingo lake and in the heart of the plains where two million Wildebeeste, Zebra, and gazelles are raising young and avoiding predators. Fabulous.

Day 16 March 3 Serengeti to Lake Manyara NP

This morning a final safari across the Plains to reach Olduvai Gorge at the base of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Olduvai is the most famous site in anthropology. An African excavator who aids the international researchers with their Olduvai digs will provide an informal lecture, and there is an excellent museum. Afterwards we continue east over the highlands to the Lake Manyara Hotel, perched at the edge of the Rift Valley escarpment overlooking Lake Manyara.

Day 17 March 4 Lake Manyara to Nairobi or Extension to Mombasa and Coast

After an early walk on the delightful hotel grounds we continue to Arusha, where those on the Coast Extension will board their plane for Mombasa. Those not extending will continue to the border at Namanga, and on to Nairobi for dinner before catching the late-evening flight back to Europe.

Day 18 March 5 London to Home

We arrive in Europe this morning and connect with flights arriving in the US this same evening.

THE COASTAL EXTENSION

Day 1 (17) March 4 Arusha to Mombasa, to Malindi on the Indian Ocean

At 11:00 a.m. we fly from Arusha to Mombasa, where we are met by our drivers and take a short tour of Mombasa before continuing two hours north to Malindi and our beautiful hotel on the beach overlooking the Marine Park where we will snorkel. This afternoon and the next three days we will have a variety of relaxing options.

Day 2-5 (18-21) March 5, 6, 7 & 8 Coastal Highlights

These days we will visit the market in the old town of Malindi and walk through a Giriama village to the home of friend, Rodgers Karabu. At least one early morning we will have a bird and nature walk in relict Sokoke Forest to search for rare lowland birds and Golden-backed Elephant Shrew with talented local guides. Nearby is Mida Creek, one of the largest mangrove-lined estuaries on the East African coast and home to thousands of interesting waterbirds, many wintering from Europe. There is also the ruined 14th century Arab city of Gedi, set amidst the encroaching forest. And each day we can swim and snorkel. In the afternoon of the last day we fly to Nairobi, and in the late evening our flight leaves Nairobi for London.

Day 5 (22) March 9 London to US

We arrive in London this morning and connect with flights arriving in the US this same evening.

Red-lored Parrot, photo by Jack Ostlind
Home Page
Tour Destinations
Tour Destinations
Feedback from Travelers
Contact for more information or to sign up
Beautiful Sunbird
ostrich chicks

Home |  Destinations |  About Mark Smith |  Feedback |  Contact

© 2008 Mark Smith Nature Tours