4 days, private, starts and ends in Arusha
Arusha NP, Meru Forest, Lark Plains & Mererani
This is the slow version of Arusha birding. Instead of squeezing the forest into a morning, we give it a full day on foot-friendly trails, which is when the shy, low-down forest birds start to show.
Nothing on this trip is more than about an hour and a half from Arusha, so you spend your time birding rather than driving.
Times and drives are approximate. Your guide adjusts each day to the weather, the wildlife and you.
Pick-up from your Arusha hotel at 6:00 and into the park soon after the gates open. We start in the forest while it’s busiest, then spend the late morning on the Momella Lakes, where flamingos, grebes, ducks and waders spread across the shallows. After a picnic lunch we drive up to the Ngurdoto Crater rim for views over the forested crater floor, a good spot to scan for African Crowned Eagle, Augur Buzzard and Mountain Buzzard. The afternoon is spent slowly on the glades and forest edge, where Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters hawk from exposed branches and giraffe browse among the trees. We check in to the lodge before dark.
Today is for the birders who like to earn their birds. We walk the lower forest trails of Mount Meru with an armed park ranger, moving slowly and stopping often. Forest birding is about patience: waiting at a fruiting tree, following a call into the undergrowth, sitting quietly while a mixed flock passes. Hartlaub’s Turaco, Narina Trogon, Bar-tailed Trogon, Olive Sunbird, White-starred Robin and a good range of greenbuls and warblers are all possible, and the skulkers that hide from vehicles are much easier to see on foot. We take lunch in the forest and return in the afternoon via the waterfall trail or the lakes, depending on what you still want to see. Expect three to five hours of gentle walking in total.
We’re on the road before sunrise, heading north to the plains at Engikaret. A Maasai site guide meets us, and together we search the short grass for Beesley’s Lark. The birds sit tight and blend perfectly with the ground, so this is careful, quiet work, and a big moment when one finally stands up on a tussock and sings. Once we’ve had good views, we spend the rest of the morning on the other plains birds: Athi Short-toed Lark, Two-banded Courser, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Kori Bustard if we’re lucky, and raptors on the thermals. Lunch back at the lodge, then a relaxed afternoon, with optional birding in the lodge grounds or a rest.
A final morning in a new habitat. The dry bush around the Mererani hills, south-east of Arusha, holds a set of birds that live nowhere else on this trip: Von der Decken’s Hornbill, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, sparrow-weavers and dry-country shrikes. We bird the quiet tracks until late morning, then drive to Arusha or straight to Kilimanjaro Airport, which is close to the Mererani area. Your guide sends you the full trip list by email that evening.
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.
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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