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If the common perception of a safari experience is all that you wish for, you will find it in Kenya. Exquisite cultural craft markets, rolling plains, the expanse of the Great Rift Valley and convenient access to game drives and spectacular wildlife await. Yet Kenya also has incredible white-sand beaches, rugged ranges, hostile deserts and vast saline lakes only habitable by vibrant swathes of flamingo. You can visit Kenya and see all you wish to see, but to discover Kenya is to experience landscapes, snow-capped mountains and wildlife beyond your wildest imagination.
The iconic Maasai Mara lies a little over five hours’ drive west of the international airport at Nairobi, or a brief light aircraft journey. A tented safari on the renowned Mara presents the opportunity for incredible wildlife watching, including elephant, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, gazelle and several big cats.
On Kenya’s East coast you will find Mombasa, itself a modern city, but offering spectacular coastal excursions to the north and south. Though both Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Natron lie predominantly in Kenya’s southern neighbour of Tanzania, they are still accessible from within Kenya’s borders. Stunning views of the mountain’s snowy peak and the northern tip of the salty lake, home only to bright flamboyances of flamingo, can be gained from Amboseli National Park.
Kenya is a country of surprises. While the Mara is one of its greatest drawcards, its stunning coastline is not to be missed. Likewise, its diversity of lakes offer everything from wallowing hippos and basking crocodiles to uninhabitably-salty shallow-water lakes where flamingo filter-feed upon the plankton that gives them their distinctive color. Africa is not a continent where one might imagine snow, but Africa’s second highest peak, Mount Kenya, is crowned with a gleaming white glacier.
One of the beauties of accommodation in Kenya is its evocative connection to the past. Colonial lodges match tented camps in a fusion of luxuriously rustic venues that could have you questioning the decade or even the century in which you find yourself. Underlying this is an acute contemporary professionalism presenting a sublime yet subtle decadence in every venue.
The Mara is well worth an extended stay, such is the abundance of wildlife and experiences on offer. How you seek shelter is as disparate as Kenya’s landscapes. Enjoy a spectacularly private villa for up to 12 people, complete with its own 25-meter pool and views that can’t be matched. Indulge your adventurous spirit with a night or two under canvas, several venues presenting the minimalism of camping, yet with every comfort considered.
Immerse yourself in the verdant rolling Chyulu Hills in a traditionally-constructed lodge with all the trimmings of a five-star hotel. This region presents eclectic opportunities in the heart of Maasai country with the changing landscapes home to a proliferation of wildlife.
For the wildlife enthusiasts, particularly those in favor of a photographic safari, almost any destination is sure to serve equally as advantageous, though some of the smaller camps, particularly along the banks of the Mara river, allow you a voyeuristic view upon untouched nature from the comfort of your own room.
Romance flourishes in the less traveled Laikipia region to Kenya’s north, while opulence abounds on the coast, infused with a multitude of cultural African and Middle-Eastern influences echoing throughout the former spice trade route. Luxury hotels perch graceful atop the coastal hillside, the pure blue waters of the Indian Ocean stretching to infinity from every window.
BEST TIME: Dec – mid Mar offers superb game viewing. Jun – Oct is also dry and abundant after the longer rainy season
CLIMATE: LOW: 50-75ºF (10-23ºC) Jul – Sep / HIGH: 54-82ºF (12-28ºC) Dec – Mar
SEASONS: DRY: Dec – Mar & Jun – Oct / WET: Apr-May is peak wet season with shorter rains in Nov.
BEST FOR: Safari first-timers, families, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts
Though Kenya is easily accessible and a wonderful destination for your first safari, to truly make the most of all the country has to offer it is well worth discussing a complete itinerary with your travel designer.
We advise spending at least a week in Kenya to take advantage of the myriad opportunities available from bush to beach and mountain to valley.
To truly immerse yourself in this wonderful nation, it is highly worthwhile spending at least a long weekend each in one or two of the many more remote camps and lodges available.
It is advisable not to visit between late March and May, being the height of the long wet season with the rains somewhat relentless. November is also wet and worth avoiding, though only for a few weeks. Temperatures remain comparatively consistent throughout the year.
Kenya is recognized as one of the very best destinations for game viewing. That being the case, you will be in the primed destination to witness many of Africa’s most iconic animals. Two times in particular are worth noting: the Great Migration – taking place between July and September – and November to January to enjoy the cute and cuddly newborns gambolling across the plains.
Kenya offers some of Africa’s premier accommodation options within the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa, but also in some more remote areas. You can easily day-trip from your hotel for some thoroughly enjoyable, though less immersive, experiences. Kenya has a highly respected culinary reputation and you will not be disappointed. Fine dining can be found in many of the more populous areas, while camps and lodges boast exceptionally talented chefs to cater to any palate, with Western dishes, world cuisine and local specialities all on offer. Kenya is one of the most tourist-appropriate destinations in Africa and as such is well equipped for visitors throughout every aspect of your journey.
Visas are required for visitors and inoculations are recommended. We suggest you contact your travel designer or a travel medicine specialist for advice.
Swahili is the national language of Kenya and you may well recognize some now-famous phrases, such as the Lion King song ‘Hakuna Matata’, which really does mean ‘no worries’ (or more directly translated, ‘no troubles’). That said, English is widely spoken. If you plan to shop at any markets, a few courteous words of Swahili (such as jambo ndugu rafiki, or ‘hello good friend’) will save you a few shillings – the national currency.
Kenyan shillings may not be taken from the country, so budget well or donate your remaining currency to charity or offer as tip.