Kenya Tours and Safari
A trip to Kenya will leave you smiling from ear to ear for some time to come. Imagine vast savannahs, dramatic landscapes, joyous people and a place where the most incredible, diverse wildlife is allowed to live largely at peace.
Of course, Kenya’s biggest draw is going on safari. It’s full of pioneering conservation projects and is the scene of the great migration, one of the most spectacular wildlife shows there is. But with Mount Kenya, the Great Rift Valley, dense forestation and miles of sun-kissed shore, there is certainly more on offer than this.
It’s also home to many of Africa’s most famous and proudest tribes, whose daily grapple to live in such a traditional way, in the toughest conditions, perfectly epitomises such wider struggles on the continent.
It’s a special place and is so very different from the Western world. For this reason, and so you have the smoothest trip possible, we recommend embarking on an escorted tour with a reliable, reputable tour operator.
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Best places to stay in Kenya
Diani Beach
There are miles of immaculate white-sand beaches and lush forests on Kenya’s beautiful coast, with Diani Beach a particularly worthy spot to stay. It’s a resort town for everyone - with families, backpackers, water-sports enthusiasts and sun-lovers welcome.
If you get bored of lounging on the beach, explore the nearby coral mosques, monkey sanctuary or take a short trip to Mombasa to experience a fascinating mix of cultures from all sides of the Indian Ocean.
Massai Mara
Thanks to a successful conservation project and plenty of vegetation, Massai Mara is home to an enormous ecosystem.
Although impressive all year round, the migration of millions of wildebeest and thousands of zebras in search of fresh grass in July, is one of the most spectacular wildlife shows there is, and one predators also savour.
Look out for waterbucks, elephants, black rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals and the world’s highest density of lions.
Treetops Lodge
This is undoubtedly one of the most atmospheric and iconic game-viewing lodges on the planet. Treetops is the ultimate spot to watch game, thanks to its position directly in front of a natural watering hole and in the path of an ancient elephant migratory route between Aberdare Ranges and Mount Kenya National Park.
You can also enjoy wonderful food and accommodation fit for royalty - Queen Elizabeth ll famously made the transition from Princess to Queen while staying here. A night or two at Treetops is a truly special experience.
Tsavo National Park
Visit Tsavo West National Park for a game-drive with views. Think savannah grasslands, rocky peaks, extinct volcanic cones and rolling plains.
Tsavo East National Park also boasts some great scenery - particularly the sight of elephants grazing beneath Mudanda Rock - but is generally flatter and less dramatic. This, however, makes it far easier to spot that sought-after big cat, and there is also a higher concentration of wildlife here.
Things to do
Early Morning Game Drive
There’s nothing quite like the excitement of an early morning game drive. You’re gently woken up with a coffee and snack before getting on the road. As it’s the cool of the day, it’s a peaceful time to look for animals, and a fruitful one - you’ll catch more predators hunting during this time.
It may take a little time to find what you want, but the investment is worth it when you catch that leopard in a tree or herd of elephants. A truly magical moment.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
A visit here is a truly heart-warming experience, and a chance to get up and close to the animals, in a safe manner. Set in a plot within Nairobi National Park, this haven is home to a number of elephant and rhino orphans.
On a day trip here, you can see a number of these baby elephants getting fed and taking their daily mud bathes - watch out for the spray! The handlers will also tell you the story of each orphan and you’ll have the chance to ‘adopt’ one if you wish.
Boat trip in the Rift Valley
A boat trip on Lake Naivasha or Lake Nakuru is the place to spot birdlife, with over 400 species in the valley overall. Head to Lake Naivasha for a sight of a Goliath Heron, Great White Egret or Jacana, against a beautiful backdrop of Mount Longonot and surrounding forests of yellow barked ‘fever trees’.
Prepare for a myriad of colour at Lake Nakuru, where millions of flamingos fringe the lake in shades of pink. And of course, don’t forget to look out for the hippos wallowing in these waters.
Get a taste of village life
The Massai, Samburu, Turkana, Swahili and Kikuyu live in Kenya, among the 42 tribes in total, and a trip is not complete without seeing their traditional way of life firsthand.
Many escorted tours of Kenya include visits to rural villages where you can talk, eat, dance and sing with locals. It’s also very rewarding to take a guided tour through support projects, see farm work, shop in local markets and join handicraft workshops, for an unforgettable taste of Kenyan life.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, is East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city and a vibrant cultural hotspot. It’s home to fabulous food, great nightlife, an excellent national museum and has a national park on its doorstep. It’s a quirky, memorable place, but visit with caution, as it’s a place known for pickpocketing.
Mombasa is another multi-cultural place where India, Arabia and Africa come together. It’s a colourful, intoxicating experience and is the gateway to many of the country’s most exotic stretches of coast.
Thanks to some fantastic conservation projects, there are many national parks in Kenya brimming with wildlife, which many tourists enjoy each year. There are a number of endangered species in the country however, including Grevy’s Zebra, The Black Rhino, Lesser Kudu, Hunter’s Antelope and Rothschild Giraffe.
The case of Rhinos is particularly sad, as the numbers dropped from 20,000 to less than 300 because of poaching. Conservation efforts have ensured this number is steadying again though, rising to around 600 in recent years.
The 16th-century fort and UNESCO World Heritage treasure, Fort Jesus, is Kenya’s most visited site.
It was built by the Portugese in 1593 to mark their presence in this corner of the Indian Ocean, but changed hands no fewer than nine times between 1631 and the early 1870s, when it fell under British control and was used as a jail. Now a museum, traces of European graffiti, Arabic inscriptions and Swahili embellishment combine to symbolise Mombasa’s past struggles.
Nyari (‘the place broken by itself’), also known as ‘Hell’s Kitchen’, is a fascinating sight around 30km northeast of Malindi. It’s an eroded sandstone gorge where jungle, red rock and cliffs join into a single stunning Mars-like landscape. You can take a day trip there with a local guide who will explain the history of the place.
Local legend has it that this was caused after a rich family became careless with their wealth and bathed themselves in the precious milk of cows. God became angry with this greed and sank the family home instead of the earth - the white and red walls mark the milk and blood of the family painted over the gorge walls. Geological theories also exist if you’re not convinced!
Joy Adamson was an Austrian naturalist, writer and painter who lived between 1910 and 1980. She spent almost 40 years contributing heavily to wildlife preservation activities in game reserves in Africa.
Calling Lake Naivasha her home for many years, Joy Adamson is renowned for many of her books and films depicting her work in Africa, particularly her inspirational book, Born Free.