​ Safari to Kenya really does it all from the diverse and authentic cultures, game rich grassy plains, topped off with pristine beaches, it is no surprise tourists have been coming on safari to Kenya for many decades. The word safari is Swahili for “Journey” and many believe this is where the concept of the safari first began.

Kenya is most famous for the Masai Mara and the annual wildebeest and zebra migration that cross back and forth over the Mara River. Every year millions of wildebeest and zebra make their way north from the Serengeti National Park to the Masai Mara in search of fresh grasses after the rains. As the herds move north, they cross over the crocodile infested waters, often with dramatic consequences. Outside of the migration season, the Masai Mara is still one of the best safari destinations in Africa. When the herds have moved off, it gives the animals a chance to come out and so it often offers guests a more diverse Kenyan safari experience.

Aside from the famous Masai Mara, a safari to Kenya offers a wide variety of safari options including Amboseli National Park with its iconic Kilimanjaro backdrop to the arid north, home to the colorful and proud Samburu people.

A safari to Kenya offers guests one a unique opportunity to stay in small, owner run safari camps and lodges that support local communities and conservation projects.

With its central location, Kenya is a safari destination that easily combines with many other African destinations. Nowadays Nairobi acts as a hub for people looking to combine their Kenyan safari with other African safari destinations. Combine a safari to Kenya with a lemur holiday in Madagascar, a gorilla safari in Rwanda or the Congo, a wine and culinary experience in Cape Town or a visit to the mighty Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Zambia. You could even combine a safari to the incredible Masai Mara with a safari in Botswana and the Okavango Delta. Kenya combines very well with the stunning beaches and private islands of The Seychelles creating the perfect Bush & Beach Safari. ​Speak to one of our safari experts and see how we can create the perfect Kenyan safari experience for you. The possibilities are endless.

Luxury Safaris to Kenya

Kenya is the home to the original safari and have perfected this art over the years. Whether you are looking for the ultimate wildlife safari, want to see the great migration on the grassy plains of the Masai Mara, want to take your family on the ultimate family safari or looking for a romantic honeymoon Safari, Kenya has the ability to accommodate it all. Add to this incredible cultural experiences, helicopter safaris, conservation success stories and some amazing landscapes and you have a safari destination in one….

All our luxury safaris to Kenya are all completely tailor-made to suit the individual interests of our guests, so please take a look through some of our Kenya Safari Ideas and then get’s planning your dream Kenyan Safari.

Where are the best areas to go on safari in Kenya?

The Best Safari Areas of Kenya

Safari areas of Kenya
Most people visiting Kenya will head straight to the world famous Masai Mara as it offers some of the best wildlife safaris in Africa. But there is so much more to a safari in Kenya that really compliments safaris in the Masai Mara.

Masai Mara and conservancies
The Masai Mara Game Reserve is one of Africa’s most well-known wildlife reserves and rightly so. The Masai Mara is a relatively small reserve, so can be explored quite easily and with a wide range of camps and lodges to choose from, it can get quite busy, especially during the busier migration months. Even when the great migration is not in the Masai Mara, the game viewing can still be incredible with some of the best big cat viewing in Africa. Generally, when the migration is in the Masai Mara, the other animals are forced out as there is limited space for all the animals. So typically, once the wildebeest and zebra start moving back south, general game viewing in the Masai Mara can be extremely rewarding.

Being a government reserve, activities inside the Masai Mara are limited to morning and afternoon game drives. For this reason, we try and offer our guests the camps that are located in the private or community concessions that border the Masai Mara. There are no fences between these conservancies and the Masai Mara and so the animals move freely between the areas, so game viewing can still be spectacular. The benefit of staying in these community conservancies is that you can do walking safaris, night drives as well as drive off-road and only vehicles from the camps within the conservancy can do game drives there, so you get a more exclusive safari experience. Usually the camps will still offer at least one day inside the Masai Mara so guests can get to experience the Masai Mara proper during their Kenyan safari.

Amboseli and Chyulu Hills
I am sure we have all seen those iconic images of a herd of elephants walking across the savanna with Mt Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. Those were taken from Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Amboseli is a dry, barren part of the country and would probably not support much in the way of wildlife if it weren’t for the wetland that sustains large herds of animals, including elephants, giraffe, zebra, lion, cheetah and leopard.

Chyulu Hills is an area in the hilly area back from Amboseli and offers private wildlife viewing from a luxury lodge that offers walking safaris, horse riding safaris as well as game drives.

Laikipia
Formerly the area known as Laikipia was made up of large privately owned cattle ranches, but slowly over the years, the farmers have taken down their fences and started to reintroduce wildlife back to the area, making this one of Kenya’s most successful conservation success stories. What makes a safari to Laikipia worth it is the fact that these large privately owned wildlife reserves are home to some of Africa’s most endangered and unusual animals including black and white rhino, gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated giraffe, wild dogs. Lion, leopard and cheetah are all closely monitored to better understand their movements as most of the ranches still have heads of cattle. Being private, the ranches of Laikipia are a playground for adventurous tourists looking for walking safaris, camel safaris, fly-camping and so much more. Guests here can explore the area without pumping into other tourists, making this the perfect combination with a safari to the Masai Mara. Laikipia is an ongoing conservation project as the wildlife is monitored and more and more cattle ranches turn to eco-tourism in the area.

Samburu
In northern Kenya lies a dry national park, home to some of Africa’s more unusual animals like the long-necked gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich and the Beisa Oryx. Between them they form the Special Five. Samburu is a great add-on to your safari in Masai Mara as it offers something completely different in terms of landscape and animals. It is also a great destination to learn more about the local Samburu culture. Most of the wildlife is seen along the main Ewaso Nyiro river as it forms an oasis amongst the desert landscape.

Sarara
Up in northern Kenya is one of our favorite places, Sarara. Covering an area of 850,000 acres of pure wilderness of rolling hills and mountains covered in forests. Working in partnership with the local Samburu people, Sarara is the perfect community conservation success story. The Samburu still live and access Sarara, herding the goats and camels to their water points. The reserve is home to good numbers of elephants, wild dog, leopard, lion, reticulated giraffe. Aside from walking safaris, photographic hides, game drives and fly-camping, guests can experience the incredible culture of the Samburu. One of the highlights of a stay at Sarara is the unique opportunity to witness the Samburu people at the “singing wells”. The herders bring their goats and camels to the riverbeds during thre dry season and over the years have dug wells into the sand to access the ground water. These wells are quite deep and require several men to get the water in buckets to the surface. As they do this, they all sing in unity helping maintain rhythm, but also to let their animals know which well is theirs.

Kenyan Coast
Unfortunately, the main coast of Kenya has become overcrowded with large resorts and so the beaches have become a magnet for hustling beach boys. For these reasons we do not recommend the main beaches north or south of Mombasa, but rather recommend Lamu Island for a mix of beach, snorkeling, diving and culture or the Funzi Keys a small, private island south of Diani Beach. Alternatively take a short flight from Nairobi to the Seychelles for the ultimate in tropical beaches.

The Masai Mara

Home of the Great Migration

​The Masai Mara is Kenya’s top safari destination, and rightly so. The Masai Mara is a small park, but it certainly packs a punch in terms of some of the best game viewing in Africa. The main reason people to the Masai Mara is witness the dramatic river crossings during the great wildebeest migration that happens every year. Millions of wildebeest and zebra migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania up into the Masai Mara, following the rains. As they head into the Masai Mara, they cross backwards and forwards across the crocodile infested Mara River.

From about July, the herds start arriving into the Masai Mara from the Serengeti in Tanzania. The wildebeest and zebra move between the Serengeti and Masai Mara over the next couple of months, until about September/October time when they start moving back south again. This is an incredible time of the year to be in the Masai Mara, but it can get busy with vehicles from all the camps, lodges and even from Nairobi converging on the main river crossings.

Outside of the migration time, the Masai Mara is still an incredible wildlife reserve. With most of the animals, including the big cats, elephants, buffalo, giraffe and more remaining behind. During the migration in the Masai Mara, because there are so many animals in the area, the resident animals like elephants, buffalo, giraffe etc. all move out to the quieter parts of the reserve or into the community concessions bordering the park.

Being a government run reserve, there are regulations in terms of the activities guests can do, and these are limited to morning and afternoon game drives. Surrounding the Masai Mara Game Reserve are community lands, owned by Masai. Together with some of Africa’s top safari companies, these community lands have been opened for eco-tourism benefiting the local communities and expanding the areas the wildlife can be safe. These private conservancies offer guests a more private safari experience as only vehicles from the camps on the land can conduct activities there. Being private, guests can enjoy morning and afternoon game drives as well as walking safaris and night game drives. There are fences separating the Masai Mara from these conservancies and so the animals move freely between the area. Guests staying at safari camps in the conservancies, still have the chance to do a game drive inside the Masai Mara to experience the difference.

When is the best Season to go to on a safari to Kenya?

Kenya Seasons

The best time to visit Kenya for a safari is during the dry season from June through to October. Similar to the seasons of Tanzania, Kenya has 2 rainy seasons. The long rains happen in March, April and May, while the short rains happen in November and into December. This is also dependent on where in Kenya you go on safari.

Being on the equator, the temperature varies little between the months, so it is more the rain and game viewing that should determine when you want to go on safari in Kenya. The average maximum temperatures in the Masai Mara range between 25°C (77°F) and 28°C (82°F) throughout the year. Average minimum temperatures vary between 11°C (52°F) and 14°C (57°F).

Generally, when it does rain, it rarely rains for long periods of time and is more often a quick downpour that last 30minutes to an hour before the sun comes out and dries everything up.

Most people coming to Kenya want to visit the Masai Mara to see the great migration. The wildebeest and zebra are constantly on the move following the rains and fresh grasses that sprout afterwards. As the rains in Kenya take place in March, April and May, the grasses sprout, and the wildebeest start their long trek north from the Serengeti in Tanzania. They usually reach the Masai Mara around July and then move backwards and forward between the Masai Mara and Serengeti until about October when they start the trek back down south to the Serengeti to give birth. Travelling to the Masai Mara outside of the migration is still an extremely rewarding safari experience with incredible big cat sightings, so don’t rule this out as an option.