Kenya safari guide

Taking a safari holiday in Kenya is an unforgettable experience, but with a little planning, you can make this bucket list escape even more memorable. While self-drive safaris are possible in Kenya, guided safari holidays tend to be more popular as this gives you the best chance of seeing wildlife in the larger parks or of combining several national parks into a single holiday.

If you’re hoping to see the Great Migration, the best months are usually August and September, although these are also the busiest, so an expert guide can make a huge difference in finding the best places and dealing with the crowds. Certain parks are also particularly good for spotting different animals, so if you have limited time, it’s worth focusing on those for the best chance of seeing the specific wildlife, whether that’s lions, elephants, rhino or birds.

If you’re planning a few days on safari in Kenya, you’ll need to allow at least three days for somewhere like the Maasai Mara National Reserve. With game drives in the early mornings and late afternoon, this gives enough time to visit multiple areas of the park, as well as potentially to return to specific locations if you’re not lucky enough to see the famous wildlife the first time.

But with a variety of different national parks and reserves in the country, it’s also possible to visit several destinations during a single trip, so you could combine several safaris into one holiday. It’s very easy to spend a week or 10 days on safari in Kenya, not only to visit multiple areas, but also enjoying a slightly slower pace and allowing for travel time required between areas.

Rhinoceroses in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

There are five international airports in Kenya, although the majority of direct flights from the UK land in the capital Nairobi, where Jomo Kenyatta airport is the busiest in East Africa. Multiple airlines fly from London to Kenya, mostly to Nairobi but also to Mombasa for those planning time by the Indian Ocean alongside a safari in Kenya. Some other UK airports also have direct flights to Nairobi, such as Manchester.

It’s best to stick to neutral shades, including khaki, beige and greens, when you’re planning clothes for your safari in Kenya. Blue is best avoided as it can attract tsetse flies, as can black (which also gets very hot in the sun). White and cream shades are also fine but aren’t always the best choice during the dry season when it can be dusty, or during the wetter months if it’s muddy.

The dry season also sees cooler temperatures overnight and in the early mornings, although it’s warm during the day, so you’ll also need a mix of layers. A fleece or a hoody is a good idea to keep you warm on morning game drives, as well as a scarf for evenings, but you’ll also need cooler alternatives during the day, such as shorts.

A lightweight rain jacket is also useful if you’re visiting in the period between the rains, or the start or end of the rainy season. High factor SPF, hat and insect repellent are all essential, while a well-stocked first aid kit is also useful, plus swimwear for the hours at camp between game drives.

Comfortable closed-toe shoes are best for game drives or any walking safaris, but you may also want sandals or flip-flops for in the camp.

Binoculars are another essential, in order to get the best views of the wildlife, while a DSLR with a zoom lens is also key for getting fantastic photos. Additional memory cards and batteries are also well worth packing to ensure you don’t run out at a critical moment, as are portable battery chargers for your phone.

Kenya uses the same type G plug and voltage as the UK, so you won’t need a travel adapter, and most camps will use a generator or solar power to provide electricity throughout the day.

A guide to the area’s wildlife is also helpful. While guides will be able to point out the animals in Kenya’s reserves, it’s a fun souvenir as you tick off some of the species to be found in East Africa.

If you’re visiting multiple locations in Kenya, you may need to take smaller internal planes which have a smaller weight allowance than standard domestic and international flights, and will only accept soft-sided luggage, so always check this before you travel.

For more tips on what to pack for a safari in Kenya, check out our ultimate packing guide.

• Practical clothes in neutral shades such as khaki and beige

• Warmer layers such as fleece or hoody

• Shorts

• Lightweight rain jacket (especially if travelling in shoulder seasons)

• High factor SPF

• Hat

• Insect repellent and first aid kit

• Swimwear

• Comfortable shoes with closed toe for safari drives

• Sandals or flip flops for the camp

• Binoculars

• DSLR camera with extra memory cards and batteries

• Wildlife guide

• A suitable suitcase for any additional internal flights (check before you travel)

Along with the vaccinations required for everyday life in the UK, you’re recommended to get vaccinations against Hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid if you’re planning a safari in Kenya. Travellers at extra risk may also need to consider additional vaccinations if advised by a travel health professional. There is also a risk of malaria across most of Kenya, with the exception of Nairobi, so you should take antimalarials as well as using high strength insect repellent to protect against other mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever.

Sunset at Maasai Mara National Reserve

A typical safari day in Kenya starts early, leaving the camp for your first game drive before the sun rises, in order to see the animals emerging as dawn breaks. Sunrise is normally between around 6am and 6.30am in Kenya, depending on the time of year. You’ll then spend a couple of hours spotting the animals as they enjoy the cooler part of the day before breakfast; this may be eaten back at your accommodation or if you’re exploring as part of a guided safari holiday in Kenya, this can include a special bush breakfast, where you’ll eat while out on your game drive.

After breakfast, the day is normally free until around 4pm, with a chance to relax after the early start or lounge around the pool. Some safari camps also offer daytime activities, including other excursions or the chance to visit local communities. Lunch is eaten at the camp, often followed by a much-needed nap.

The animals also tend to retreat during the hottest part of the day, so there’s little point in venturing out on another game drive before the late afternoon when they start to become active again a few hours before sunset. Your second game drive of the day will usually visit water holes as the animals emerge to drink, while nocturnal animals also start to appear as twilight descends and leopards wake from their daytime sleep to hunt or feed.

Shortly before the sun sets, you’ll stop for a traditional sundowner with drinks prepared by your safari guide as the skies turn vibrant orange and red before the African sun vanishes below the horizon. Once darkness has fallen, you’ll return to the camp for dinner and bed, before another early start the following morning.

The best time to visit Kenya is during the dry season. The main dry months run from July to September, which also coincide with the Great Migration as huge herds of zebra and wildebeest arrive from Tanzania into the Maasai Mara.

January and February are another good period for a safari in Kenya, to enjoy the sight of newborn animals and lusher landscapes, as this falls between the country’s two rainy seasons. The ‘short rains’ arrive in November and December followed by the ‘long rains’ during March, April and May, when the wet weather makes some roads impassable, and it’s very hot and humid. You can expect warm weather year-round though, around 25-28C in the Maasai Mara and a few degrees warmer in Amboseli National Park, which is slightly drier than the larger reserve in January and February too.

Wildebeest and zebra

Kenya sits on the equator with a tropical climate year-round. Instead of experiencing defined summer and winter seasons, the year is divided into cooler dry and hotter wet months. Temperatures across most of the country average between 20C and 28C year-round, although it’s warmer on the coast and cooler at higher altitude. Temperatures do drop to around 10C overnight and in the early morning from around June to September, and it can feel particularly chilly in Kenya’s highlands.

The main dry season runs from July to September, as well as a shorter dry period between January and February. The short rains appear during November and December, usually consisting of heavy afternoon downpours, while the long rains run from March to May, when the country experiences most of its rainfall.

There are 23 national parks in Kenya and 28 national reserves, along with other protected areas on land and at sea. The jewel in Kenya’s crown is the Maasai Mara National Reserve, which stretches for around 580 square miles and contains several other smaller conservancies, such as the private Mara Naboisho Conservancy. One of the locations for the annual Great Migration between Tanzania and Kenya, it’s also known for its huge population of lions – as many as 900 live in the reserve.

Kenya’s other top national parks include Amboseli National Park and Lake Nakuru National Park, as well as Samburu National Reserve. Amboseli National Park is around a quarter of the size of the Maasai Mara, but its compact size makes it a tempting option for a short safari holiday in Kenya as it’s possible to see the main attractions within a relatively short time. It’s also known for its wonderful views of Mount Kilimanjaro across the border in Tanzania, and its herds of elephants; around 1500 live in the park in total.

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the most unusual parks in Kenya thanks to the wetlands around lake giving it its name. It’s particularly good for bird-watching, with around 450 species counted in the park, including flamingos, although you can also spot black and white rhino, plus big cats and endangered Rothschild’s giraffes.

Flamingos, Great Rift Valley of Kenya

In the north of the country, the Samburu National Reserve is home to some rare species known as the Samburu Special Five; Grevy's zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, East African oryx, and gerenuk, and also quieter than some of the better-known parks. It’s also a good place to learn more about the local Samburu tribe.

Closer to the coast, Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest in Kenya and the country’s largest protected area, home to most of the larger mammals and around 500 species of bird, while neighbouring Tsavo west National Park is known for its Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, protecting a growing population of highly endangered black Rhino.

The Big Five animals top the wishlist for many visitors on safari in Kenya and there are several places where you can hope to spot all five; lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and cape buffalo. The Maasai Mara is home to all five animals, although they’re often spread out across the reserve, while you can also find these wildlife stars in smaller national parks such as Lake Nakuru and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Lions in Maasai Mara National Reserve

But the country is also home to elephants, as well as critically endangered black rhino, southern white rhino and the last two northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. You’ll also spot more big cats such as cheetah, along with plains animals including various species of giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and multiple antelopes. Hyenas, hippos and crocodiles also make their home here, as do a variety of smaller creatures from tortoises to warthogs. Kenya is also unmissable for bird spotters, with over 1,100 species of bird across the country, living in wetlands, savannah and forests.

You’ll find plenty of international and European dishes while travelling in Kenya, even in relatively remote safari camps where menus tend to be tailored to guests. But it’s also easy to find plenty of traditional Kenyan food along the way, with a wide mix of influences at the coast in particular, thanks to trade across the Indian Ocean.

The country’s unofficial national dish is nyama choma, which translates from Swahili simply as grilled meat. Goat is the classic option, but you’ll also find beef, chicken and fish simply seasoned and cooked over hot coals until tender. You’ll also spot nyama, a stewed beef dish using onions, tomatoes and carrots with spices, with each family and restaurant having their own recipe.

Look out too for kuku paka, particularly along the coast, where this Kenyan chicken curry is popular. Using coconut milk, aromatic spices and tomato teamed with roasted chicken, it’s usually got a bit of a kick.

There’s plenty that’s meat-free too, from staple side ugali, a starchy concoction made using cornmeal that’s used to mop up stews and served alongside meat and fish. Or in Central Kenya, mashed potatoes get a makeover with corn, peas and greens added in to make a dish known as irio or mukimo. Another traditional stew served across the country is matoke, where green bananas are mixed with tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices and simmered.

For something more vitamin-packed, sukama wiki uses leafy greens with garlic, onions, tomatoes and warming spices such as paprika and turmeric, often served with nyama choma and ugali.

Explore our range of Kenya safari holidays to discover the wildlife and grasslands for yourself