3 days, private, starts and ends in Arusha
Mererani, Arusha National Park & Lark Plains
Three days lets us add a completely different habitat to the Arusha birding. The dry acacia and commiphora bush around Mererani, south-east of town, holds a set of birds you won’t see in the forest, so your list grows quickly.
You still get a full day in Arusha National Park and a dawn visit to the Lark Plains, so the trip covers dry bush, montane forest, soda lakes and open grassland in three days.
Times and drives are approximate. Your guide adjusts each day to the weather, the wildlife and you.
We leave Arusha after an early breakfast and head south-east, past maize fields and Maasai bomas, into the dry acacia and commiphora bush around the Mererani hills. This habitat is completely different from the forest you’ll see tomorrow: thorny, open, grey-green, and full of birds that like it hot. Von der Decken’s Hornbill, D’Arnaud’s Barbet duetting from a dead branch, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Slate-coloured Boubou and several species of dry-country shrike are typical. We bird on foot along quiet tracks while it’s cool, then use the vehicle once the sun climbs. Raptors start soaring by mid-morning, often including Tawny Eagle, Bateleur and Pale Chanting Goshawk. After a picnic lunch in the shade we make a final afternoon loop and return towards Arusha National Park in time for a shower before dinner.
We enter the park at opening time and spend the morning in the montane forest, where the day’s best birding happens in the first three hours. Hartlaub’s Turaco, Narina Trogon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, White-eared Barbet and a range of greenbuls and sunbirds are the targets, and black-and-white colobus leap through the canopy overhead. After a mid-morning break we drive the Ngurdoto Crater rim, watching the forest below for eagles. Lunch is at the Momella Lakes. In the afternoon we work through the lakes one by one: flamingos, grebes, ducks, herons and, in the right season, Palearctic waders. Giraffe and buffalo graze the open glades as we drive back. There’s time on the veranda before dinner to go through the list.
An early start north to the short-grass plains at Engikaret, where a local Maasai site guide joins us to look for Beesley’s Lark. This is one of the rarest birds in Africa, found only on these few square kilometres of grassland, so we search quietly and keep our distance once it’s found. The same plains are good for Athi Short-toed Lark, coursers, sandgrouse and wintering harriers. Once the heat haze sets in, usually by late morning, we drive back to Arusha. You’ll be at your hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport by early afternoon.
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.
Very little is required. Most birding is from the vehicle or short walks near it, and we can add forest walks in Arusha National Park if you’d like them.
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.
18daysThis 18-day Tanzania birding tour is a life-lister’s odyssey, traversing the avian-rich landscapes of Northern Tanzania and the biodiverse Eastern Arc Mountains.
9daysNine days is the length where you stop choosing between birds and big game.
11daysTell us your dates and the birds or animals you most want to see. We’ll reply within 24 hours with a route and a full quote.
