2 days, private, starts and ends in Arusha
Arusha National Park & Lark Plains
If you have a couple of spare days in Arusha, before or after a longer trip, this is the birding we would do ourselves. Arusha National Park puts montane forest, open glades and soda lakes within half an hour of each other, and the Lark Plains to the north hold a bird that lives nowhere else on earth.
It’s a short trip, but it isn’t a rushed one. We start early, stop wherever the birds are, and keep a running list for you as we go. One solo guest counted 22 raptor species over these two days.
Times and drives are approximate. Your guide adjusts each day to the weather, the wildlife and you.
Your guide collects you from your Arusha hotel at 6:00, flask of coffee in the car, and 45 minutes later you’re through Momella Gate as the forest wakes up. The first hour is all about sound: the rolling bark of Hartlaub’s Turaco, the soft hoots of a Narina Trogon, the chatter of a mixed flock working the canopy. We walk short stretches of forest track with a park ranger, then drive slowly to the Ngurdoto Crater viewpoints, where African Crowned Eagles sometimes sit above the colobus troops they hunt. Lunch is a picnic by the Momella Lakes. Each lake has a different mineral balance and a different set of birds: Lesser Flamingos on the shallows, Cape Teal and Red-billed Duck, waders along the edges, and, from November to April, migrant sandpipers from Siberia. In the late afternoon the glades fill with giraffe and buffalo, and on a clear evening Kilimanjaro floats above the cloud to the east. Your guide goes through the day’s list with you over dinner.
Breakfast is early and quick, because the Lark Plains reward first light. We drive north towards Engikaret, where the short-grass plains open out under Mount Meru and Longido, and meet our local Maasai site guide. Beesley’s Lark lives here and nowhere else in the world, and the search is slow and quiet: a loose line across the grass, stopping for every flicker. When we find one, we watch from a respectful distance, take photographs, and let it go about its morning. The plains also hold Athi Short-toed Lark, Two-banded Courser, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and, in the northern winter, Pallid and Montagu’s Harriers hunting low over the grass. By late morning the heat haze makes birding difficult, so we head back towards Arusha, stopping for anything interesting on the way. You’re at your hotel by early afternoon, or at Kilimanjaro Airport in time for an evening flight.
We quote per person, based on your group size, season and accommodation level. Send an enquiry and you’ll have a full price within 24 hours. There’s nothing to pay until you confirm.
Yes. Every trip we run is private, so you have the guide and vehicle to yourself. We quote the price for one person.
No wild bird is guaranteed. We work with local guides who know where the birds are holding territory, which gives you the best chance there is, and we’ll tell you honestly if conditions look poor.
Most days start between 6:00 and 6:30, because the first hours after sunrise have the best light and the most active animals and birds. We usually take a picnic lunch in the park or return to camp for a midday rest, then head out again in the late afternoon. Parks close at sunset, so evenings are at the lodge.
Yes. Every trip is private, so we can add days, swap parks, change the accommodation level or slow the pace. Tell us what you’d like, and we’ll send a revised plan and price.
A 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for viewing and photography, charging points and a window seat for everyone. The vehicle and guide are yours alone for the whole trip.
Send an enquiry and we’ll reply within 24 hours with a tailored itinerary and a full quote. Once you’re happy, we take a deposit to confirm, with the balance due before you travel. We’ll give you the exact terms in writing.
Just tell us. Lodges and our camp cooks regularly cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal and other diets.
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