Kenya Safari Holidays

Kenya Safari Holidays

Unrivalled wildlife abundance, reliable Big 5 sightings, remote and rarely visited reserves, family-friendly lodges, and rugged bush and pristine coastlines ensure Kenya appeals to almost every type of traveller.

Highlights

• Take front row seats for one of nature’s finest shows on earth, the great wildebeest migration Mara River crossings.

• Visit Laikipia for excellent wildlife viewing and luxury accommodation, perfect for honeymooners and families alike.

• Reliable and abundant wildlife make it an ideal location for first timers.

• Recognised as one of the best places in the world for observing black rhinoceros in the wild.

• Beat the crowds by escaping to the country’s northern reserves to view the Special 5.

• Take advantage of Kenya’s 425 kilometres of coastline by combining traditional safari with beach relaxation.

• Combine safari with mountain gorilla trekking over the border in Uganda.

Kenya is synonymous with safari, the very mention of the word conjures up images of endless plains littered with a myriad of wildlife. Being the birthplace of the concept and endlessly used in early wildlife documentaries there is little wonder why.

However, as Kenya’s popularity grew so did the number of tourists, lodges, safari minibuses and ultimately crowds around sightings. Elsewhere, neighbouring countries were developing their own more sustainable, more exclusive and more authentic safari models. Kenya would soon be recognised as the home of the mass safari market offering fairly standard fare by comparison to its neighbours.

Thankfully, although these weaknesses still apply to some parks and reserves, a new and improved Kenya has blossomed. These reserves are one of authenticity, variety, conservation and generally high quality operation. The one thing that thankfully has never been in question is Kenya’s ability to deliver extremely large numbers of wildlife sightings.

Kenya is a great country to visit and in our opinion remains one of the best wildlife destinations on the continent. However, care has to be taken when designing an authentic and high quality trip. The last thing we want is for you to be surrounded by tens of other vehicles when observing a lion or leopard. Therefore, we only recommend a handful of national parks and game reserves that we feel are able to offer you a high-quality experience.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve, the country’s flagship wildlife reserve, is world renowned for its sheer abundance of wildlife and relative ease of Big 5 sightings. Its ecosystem is a continuum with the larger Serengeti National Park across the border in Tanzania. This means the Maasai Mara gets its fair share of the wildebeest migration from approximately late July through October, with the usual abundance of opportunistic predators hot on their tail. Quite literally. The Mara can get busy and dampen the authenticity so we choose a handful of camps within the national reserve or make use of the more exclusive adjacent private conservancies.

If you are looking for authenticity and seclusion then heading into the northern region of the country is recommended. Meru National Park, Samburu Game Reserve, Buffalo Springs National Reserve and Shaba National Reserve are all arid, dry country reserves which offer excellent game viewing with very few other tourists. Being in the northern part of the country it is home to what has been called the Special 5, of which the animals are the gerenuk, Somali ostrich, Grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx and reticulated giraffe.

The Laikipia Plateau, a region in Northern Kenya, is seen as a blueprint for the success of locally driven conservation. The result is previously arid cattle ranches being transformed into prime wildlife habitat. It is one of the best places in the world to see endangered black rhinos, white rhinos, African wild dogs and a host of other predators and herbivores. It is based on exclusivity with accommodations well equipped to host those seeking luxury and tranquillity or those wanting to enjoy a wild but child-friendly family safari.

Kenya is an excellent choice if you want to combine beach and bush. With 425 kilometres of Indian Ocean coastline there are places to suit all tastes and budgets. We particularly enjoy Lamu Islands for that quieter and more exclusive option but Malindi and Watamu still have excellent offerings.

Kenya is a destination we are happy to recommend to a wide variety of travellers. However, it just takes a little more care in getting to know you so we can recommend locations ideal for your specific needs and requirements. But whether you are looking for honeymoon ideas, family holidays or just simply want to travel to Kenya we have the knowledge to design an itinerary that is perfect for you.

Contact us to discuss designing your perfect Kenya wildlife adventure or peruse our suggested itineraries below for more information and inspiration.