Day 1: Kilimanjaro International Airport

Pick up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) time (TBA) and transferred to lodge, if and only if all members arrive together there might be an evening birding activity on the way to the lodge. Dinner and overnight in Moshi Town 

Day 2: Moshi to Same (Birding at Nyumba ya Mungu Reservoir)

After Breakfast, pack up and depart to Same area. We will make a little detour to some very nice habitat just short of Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir. Species to be expected here includes Rufous and Scaly Chatterer, Pringle´s Puffback, Southern Grosbeak Canary, Pygmy Batis, Somali Bunting, Pink-breasted Lark, Abyssinian White-eye, Red-fronted Warbler + many more. After that we will head for a small woodland just outside Mkomazi National Park, where we will hunt for species like Tsavo, Black-bellied and Hunter´s Sunbird, Red-and-yellow, Black-throated and D`Arnaud´s Barbets, Grey Wren-Warbler, Fischer´s Starling, Straw-tailed Whydah + many more. Dinner and overnight at Elephant Motel

Day 3: Same to West Usambaras Mountains

Breakfast, Drive to the south Pare road birding en-route at stops near the road for some 500 meter site, We will see plenty of other birds as well. This offers a great diversity of birds. We will enjoy a picnic lunch en-route to West Usambaras. We will arrive at the West Usambara in the evening, hopefully with time for some late birding at the Mkuze forest reserve, prior to arrival at Muller’s mountain lodge. New introductions might be Forest Batis, and more.  Dinner and overnight at Muller’s Mountain Lodge

Day 4:  West Usambaras (highlands) Full day

The West Usambara Mountains, (Magamba Forest, the sawmill forest) supporting good stands of forest support a species on it that is found nowhere else in the world, the Usambara Akalat; it is also home to the very localized Usambara Weaver. Other rare forest gems we shall be looking for include Oriole Finch, Spot-throat, Usambara (Mountain) Greenbul, Fulleborn’s Boubou, Red-capped Tailorbird and many others. Overnights in the quaint Muller’s lodge which offers great birding with homemade meals and colonial atmosphere accommodation. Dinner and overnight at Muller’s Mountain Lodge

Day 5: West to East Usambaras-Amani Nature Reserve (lowlands)

This day we make our way to the northern extension of the ancient eastern arc mountains. Although these mountains are geographically very close to the West Usambaras, the avifauna is dramatically different hinting of an age when Asia and Africa were joined. These mountains are an incredibly exciting birding destination. The lowland coastal forests at Kambai and the Sigi section of the Amani reserve supports a plethora of exciting forest birds including the magical Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike, Red-tailed Ant-thrush and the stunning Green-headed Oriole, and many other on our list  target birds for the day. Arrival Dinner and overnight at Amani Rest Hosue

Days 6: East Usambaras Amani Nature Reserve (highlands): Full day birding.

On this day we shall be concentrating on the magical high altitude avifauna of the eastern arc mountains. This ancient arc of crystalline mountains is jam-packed with real specials such as the Forest and Pale Batis, Banded Green, Amani and Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbirds, Green Barbet, Fischer’s Turaco, Vanga Flycatcher, White-breasted Alethe and the bizarre and exceptionally rare Long Billed Forest warbler (Tailorbird), Meals and overnight at Amani Rest Hosue

Day 7: East Usambaras to Morogoro town

After breakfast depart with picnic box, full day birding enroute, you drive towards the Wami Bridge for Bohm’s Bee-eater, on the main Tanga- Chalinze Highway then on to Morogoro where you will have a few good birding spots on the way. Meals and overnight at, Morogoro Hotel.

Day 8: Morogoro town to Mikumi National Park,

This day we make our way to Mikumi with birding en route, we will keep a look out for raptors, the sought-after Pale-billed Hornbill, White-crested Helmet shrike, Zanzibar, Black-winged and Yellow Bishops and White-winged Widowbird with orange shoulder patches of the distinctive subspecies eques. This is mainly a travel day and we plan to arrive in Mikumi town in the early evening for an evening birding around the cottages. Dinner and overnight at Tan SwissCottages

Day 9: Mikumi National Park (on the Kilosa road)

We have a half day to explore this fabulous reserve on the Kilosa road for some numerous broad-leafed and miombo,  specialties including Brown-necked Parrot, African Barred Owlet, Böhm’s Spinetail, Racket-tailed Roller, Pale-billed Hornbill, elusive Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Cinnamon-breasted Tit, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Green-capped Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Miombo Blue-eared Starling, Kurrichane Thrush Bearded Scrub Robin, Arnot’s Chat, Pale Flycatcher, Shelley’s Sunbird (the subspecies that occurs here may be split) Other species we may see in the park include Crested Barbet, Brown-backed Honeybird, Red-throated Wryneck, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Croaking Cisticola, Neddicky and Yellow-bellied Eremomela. Dinner and overnight at Tan swiss

Day10: Mikumi to East Udzungwa Mountains,

A full day in the West Udzungwa Mountains another exciting location, the Kilombero River floodplain, this lovely area has become famous as recently as 1986 when a survey team located three new species to science, namely: White-tailed Cisticola, Kilombero Cisticola and Kilombero Weaver. These species are confined to the floodplain area of the Kilombero River. Dinner and overnight at Twiga Hotel

Day 11: East Udzungwa Mountains to West Udzungwa.

Today we will depart early to Mikumi National Park. We will again have chance to search for Uhehe Fiscal and Kipengere Seedeater on the way out. Travelling north, we pass through a wonderful Baobab Forest and stretch our legs and enjoy some open country birding. Species we may encounter here include impressive endemic Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill. We should arrive in the afternoon for an evening birding in the park, a rest and overnight at the Chui camp

Days 12 West Udzungwa Mountains – Camp 1.  We have two full days to explore the various forest patches and forest edge. We have an entire day dedicated to searching the forests for the Udzungwa Forest Partridge and another. The forests in this area are generally quiet, but despite this, a number of other very special birds can be found. The mornings are generally the most productive for birding and we will attempt to track down some of the serious skulkers that inhabit these forests such as the rare Dappled Mountain Robin, Iringa and Sharpe’s Akalats, White-chested Alethe, Spot-throat and Swynnerton’s Robin. Other great birds include a number of flockassociated species such as White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Grey Cuckooshrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Shelley’s and Yellow-streaked Greenbuls and Black-headed Apalis. The forest edge is often home to Black-lored Cisticola and Waller’s and Slender-billed Starlings. An evening excursion may produce African Wood Owl. Mammals we may encounter in the Udzungwas include the highly localized Iringa Red Colobus.

Days 13 & 14 & 15 West Udzungwa Mountains – Camp 2. Today we transfer to another camp for two nights. The walk out will take considerable time but we will look for species we may not have seen. For a pleasant change from tough interior forest birding we’ll take a short drive through surrounding woodland in the afternoon. This can be particularly productive and our prime target will be the localized Uhehe Fiscal. Other species we may see include Harlequin Quail, Dusky Turtle Dove, Moustached Tinkerbird, Marsh Tchagra (sometimes split as Anchieta’s), Tropical Boubou, Singing Cisticola, Brown Warbler, Cape Robin-Chat, African Firefinch and the mega Kipengere Seedeater. Both nights at Skink Camp

Day 16 West Udzungwa Camp 2 to Mikumi town

We make our way down the Uluguru Mountains today where we meet our waiting vehicles ready for the long drive to Mikumi town. En route we will keep a look out for raptors which may include Brown Snake Eagle and Bateleur. Other interesting species that are possible include the dazzling Lilac-breasted Roller, Giant Kingfisher, the sought-after Pale-billed Hornbill, Southern Ground Hornbill, White-crested Helmetshrike, endemic Ashy Starling, Zanzibar, Black-winged and Yellow Bishops and White-winged Widowbird with orange shoulder patches of the distinctive subspecies eques. This is mainly a travel day and we plan to arrive in Mikumi in the early evening. Overnight at Tan Swiss.

Day 17 : Mikumi town to Bunduki Camp

An early start on our second day here will see us heading up into lush montane forest with many trees covered in moss and festooned with orchids and epiphytes. This higher lying area has larger primary forest and thus a variety of different species of birds. Our key targets here will be Rufous-winged and Moreau’s Sunbirds. Other gems we will search for include Lemon Dove, Olive Woodpecker, endemic Yellow-throated Greenbul, Bar-throated and Chapin’s Apalis, African Hill Babbler, reclusive Olive-flanked Ground Robin, beautiful Orange Ground Thrush and Dark Batis.

Most of the lower slopes have unfortunately been deforested; however there are still large tracts of unspoiled forest on the higher ground of the mountains. While walking in the open areas on the way up, we will keep our eyes open for White-eared Barbet, Angola Swallow and Bertram’s Weaver.

Day 18: Bunduki Camp to Tegetero Camp

We will be camping at Tegetero Camp for the next two nights and this camp gives us excellent access to prime montane forest on the Uluguru Mountains where a number of severely range restricted species can be found. The Uluguru Bushshrike is one such species that is endemic to these mountains; it is an endangered, uncommon and shy bird that is a mega in every sense of the word.  

Day 19: Tegetero Camp to Dar es Salaam.

Breakfast, Drive to the Dar es salaam, birding en-route at stops near the road for some 500 meter site, We will see plenty of other birds as well. This offers a great diversity of birds. We will enjoy a picnic lunch en-route under a nice big tree. We will arrive in the evening, for dinner and overnight in Dar es Salaam city.

PEMBA ISLAND EXTENSION

Day 20: Dar es Salaam to Pemba Island:

Pemba, one of the legendary Spice Islands, is laden with cloves, which are spread out on the streets throughout the island. The friendly people and laid-back culture encapsulate what Zanzibar must have been like before tourists overran it. Pm birding around the lodge shores. On the seashore possible species include the spectacular Crab Plover as well as Sooty Gull, Saunder’s, Gull- billed and Lesser Crested Terns and waders. Dinner and overnight at Pemba Paradise Hotel.

Day 21: Ngezi Forest Reserve Full day birding activity.

We shall head to the exciting Ngezi Forest Reserve to look for the island’s other endemic birds tiny Pemba Scops Owl, Pemba Sunbird, Pemba White-eye and Pemba Green Pigeon, and may be one of the introduced species (Java sparrow) and other interesting species.  At a mere 14km², Ngezi Forest Reserve is the largest remaining forest patch on the island. Meals and overnight at, Pemba Paradise Hotel

Day 22: DEPART THE HOTEL DRIVE TO PEMBA AIRPORT

This day you will drive to Pemba airport and connect with your scheduled domestic flight to Dar es Salaam upon arrival you will connect with your Outbound International flight back home.

Thank, Ahsante