A Kenya safari – what can you expect?

A Kenya safari is the ultimate bucket list adventure.

Kenya is synonymous with safari. Kenyan wildlife is the lifeblood of this country, from the beauty of the Maasai Mara and its red-clad tribespeople to the responsibility that the country holds of preserving the last two surviving Northern White Rhino. 

A Kenya safari is romantic and heartbreaking. It can be serenely beautiful and stomach-churningly vicious. Safari is the truest example of survival of the fittest, but all this glorious and gory beauty may not be around much longer. Every day more animals are added to the endangered or extinct list.  

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Dispelling some myths around Kenya safaris

One safari park is the same as the rest

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Each park is different, from chilly Ol Pejeta that sits at the base of Mount Kenya to the red soil and perpetual heat of Tsavo National Park. Each park or conservancy brings its own topography and its different animals with it.

Kenya is dangerous

Kenya is much maligned and unfairly so. I get an email a week from people worrying about safety in Kenya. Crime in Nairobi is very low compared to a lot of other countries. It is usually driven by need and is opportunistic; pickpocketing and petty thievery rather than rape or murder.  

There are some areas of Nairobi that are unsafe to go out at night, but the same can be said of many capital cities. 

As long as you use common sense and exercise caution, then Kenya is fine to visit and travel around. 

Safari is dangerous

Only a fool would be flippant of the dangers of many of the animals on safari. These are natures premier killers on their home turf, but there is no reason to be overly afraid. Animals have plenty of game to hunt in the parks and won’t attack you unless you put yourself in their way. Keep inside vehicles, zip-up tents and lock doors at night. Don’t walk through unfenced camps unless escorted by an Askari, and never try to pet or walk closer to an animal.

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No kids on safari

Kids love safari, enjoy it and are welcome in most camps.  

While some high-end camps may restrict or put an age limit on children, many camps gear their safaris towards kids. Check for Kenyan safari camps that have pools and child-centric activities such as spear making, learning to shoot and bow and arrow, learning to track animals.

My children have been going on safari since they were babies and love it. We self drive, wild camp and take our kids to camps and lodges… there is nowhere that our children don’t go. 

Women can’t travel in Kenya alone

Women can and frequently do travel Kenya alone. I zip all over the country with my 3 young children and rarely feel afraid. 

Stick to the common-sense rules of not walking alone, not flashing expensive jewellery, cameras, phones and stick to safe areas – particularly in Nairobi. 

Kenyan safaris are all expensive

Kenyan safaris can be exorbitantly expensive. Sometimes up to 3000 USD per person night but there are plenty of budget safaris in Kenya. If you opt to self-drive and camp you can go on a safari in Kenya for under 100 USD a night.

Look for budget camps online, there are often very good deals to be had if you go off-season (ie not in the Maasai Mara during migration).

Consider booking flights, transport and accommodation yourself rather than booking a tour. There are links to help you with this at the bottom of the page. The camp or lodge you choose will probably have game drive vehicles and guides of their own, so you only need to arrange transport to the park or conservancy. It’s easy and cheap to hire a car and driver in Kenya. 

Safari is all there is to do in Kenya

Kenya is so much more than safari, although you will find animals wherever you go. The Kenyan Coast is one of the best beach holidays in the world, try the towns of Diani, Malindi, Tiwi and Watamu. Shop for antiques and visit ruins in Kenya’s second-biggest city Mombasa.  

Head to Kericho and visit the tea farms, to Nanyuki and climb Mount Kenya, to Naivasha and visit the hippo lake or to Elementatia or Magadi for the soda lakes. Or simply stay a few days in Nairobi – I’ve written an itinerary here 

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What will I see on a Kenya safari? 

Some tour companies will have you believe that you will see the Big 5 wherever you go in Kenya but that’s not strictly true. The Maasai Mara is famous for the large numbers of cats (lion, leopard, cheetah) but has very few rhino. Similarly, Amboseli has vast herds of elephant but the rhino is extinct there. Nairobi National Park has no elephants but you will find it easy to spot a rhino.

While it is tempting to spend your entire trip searching for that elusive Big 5, Kenya safari is so much more than the celebrity animals.  Look out for wild dog, zebra, giraffe, hippo, bat eared fox, gazelle wildebeest, topi, baboon, warthog, crocodile, waterbuck, antelope, vulture and so much more.  Some of the beauty in safari is in the landscapes, the far reaching savannah, fever trees around a watering hole or the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya.

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What is the safari Big 5? 

The Big 5 is a term coined in the days when the British Empire ruled Kenya and hunted animals for sport. The Big 5 were the 5 hardest animals to kill: lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant.

There is also a Kenyan Little 5 which is the Elephant Shrew, Ant Lion, Rhinoceros Beetle, Buffalo Weaver and Leopard Tortoise. 

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The Wildebeest Migration 

Wildebeest Migration or the Great Migration is the largest migration of land animals in the world. Over 1 million wildebeest and hoards of zebra and gazelle migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. The spectacle of so many animals moving across rivers and plains is one of nature’s great marvels.

The Great Migration attracts predators in huge numbers, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, crocodile and other carnivores engage in the world’s biggest and bloodiest feast. The migration is famous for the crossing at the river Mara and Talek where the animals gather in their thousands to cross a river filled with crocodile and hippo, and often with predators lurking on the other side. You are almost guaranteed to see a kill of some kind if you visit the Maasai Mara during the migration.

The migration attracts tourists in huge numbers as the animals line up for a crossing, an overwhelming number of game vehicles gather filled with photo hungry visitors.

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Other types of Kenya safari

Travelling by car is the most conventional form of Kenya safari but not the only one. Car’s allow you to travel long distances, but sometimes the beauty of safari is in taking it slow and spotting all those things you will miss while whizzing along the savannah.

A horseback or camel safari is the ideal way to get close to the animals and spend time in nature. Horseback safari’s take place all over Kenya but the camel safaris are usually only available in the more arid conservancies north of Nanyuki.  

A Maasai Mara balloon safari is a once in a lifetime adventure, nothing gives you a greater idea of the grandeur and spectacle of the Mara than taking off for sunrise balloon ride.

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Additional expenses on Safari

• Flights: to and from Kenya, and around Kenya
• Vaccinations
• Malaria tablets
• Tips: please tip safari and tour staff
• Travel Insurance: see below for good travel insurance for Kenya
• Accommodation before and after your safari. Blog on where to stay in Nairobi, or best 5 star hotels in Nairobi.

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Best time to go on a Kenyan safari 

Kenya is temperate all year round. The highlands (Nairobi & central Kenya) can get cold in the winter months of July / August but days are usually warm. The closer you are to Mount Kenya (Ol Pejeta) the colder it gets, sometimes down to around 0 degrees C.

The Eastern, Southern and Northern regions are hot all year round.

The rainy seasons in Kenya are April – June (Long rains) and October – November (short rains). It’s inadvisable, but still possible, to go on a Kenyan safari during the long rains as the road can become very muddy and there is a strong chance you may get stuck. However, it doesn’t stop Kenyan residents and you will often find us on safari in the thick of a rainstorm.

The best time to go on safari in Kenya’s Maasai Mara is July to October during the Great Migration. 

The wildlife in the other parks is abundant all year round. During the dry season (December to March) the lack of water means you will find more concentrated numbers of animals around the watering holes.

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What to pack for a safari in Kenya? 

Safari dress is casual. The days of dressing for supper are gone and comfort is the name of the game. 

Pack light. You may be flying on light aircraft and there are weight restrictions. 

Pack neutral colours. You don’t need full-on safari gear but it’s an idea to try not to stand out too much. You will invariably get covered in dust or mud. Designer clothes are not required. 

Pack for comfort. Remember you will be sitting in a car for hours. Comfortable trousers, shorts and tops. A hat, sunglasses, and suntan lotion. And good sturdy boots (it’s not unusual to get stuck crossing a stream or lugga and you may have to get out of the car) 

Pack in layers, the mornings can often be extremely cold but by the time the sun comes out mid-morning, it can be sweltering. 

I have written several packing lists for a Kenyan safari. 

Read them here: Female Packing List for Kenya What to pack for Kenya safari

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Health and safety 

Malaria is a risk in some areas, particularly in southern and western Kenya. Speak to your doctor about preventative medication and bring mosquito repellent. Most lodges will have mosquito nets.

Drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen and a hat, Kenya is nearly always hot and the African sun fierce.

Don’t keep food in your tent or room as the smell attracts wild animals.

Don’t walk around camp after dark, even if it is fenced. Wait for an escort to walk with you – again wild animals!

Read this blog on essential things to know before you go on safari.

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