Kenya Safaris

Kenya Safaris: African game safaris and wildlife tours are biggest attractions in Kenya, drawing many visitors to the country each year. Kenya manages more than 20 national parks and national game reserves, where visitors can view some of the country’s most spectacular wildlife, including the “Big Five” animals. In fact, the “Big Five” are the central focus of the majority of safari tours and wildlife expeditions offered within the parks. Kenya’s most popular game park is the Masai Mara, which borders the Serengeti plains in Tanzania. Between July and September, visitors can witness the remarkable annual wildebeest migration which takes place at the Mara.

The major places to visit during safaris are; Masai Mara national reserve, Tsavo East and West, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Samburu, Buffalo Springs, And Shaba National Reserves, Lake Naivasha among others. Choosing the travel destination is based on the traveler’s interest; the kind of wildlife or birds they wish to see and their travel budget. However, the most popular wildlife reserve in Kenya is Mara due to its amazing annual wildebeest migration.

The cheapest national park in Kenya for safaris is Nairobi which charges an entry fee of $40 per person per day, others like Meru, Tsavo West and East charge entry fee of $52 per day and the Masai-Mara and Amboseli charge $60 park entry fee per day.

Yes, booking wildlife safaris in Kenya through game drives is always a very memorable experience however, you may engage in other activities such as hot air balloon, horse riding, river rafting, guided nature walks, night game drives, community encounters and these experiences come at an extra cost.

The best time to visit Kenya for wildlife safaris and tours is during the dry season that runs from late June to October. The wildebeest migration normally reaches Masai Mara game reserve in August and remains until October when they move back to the Serengeti in Tanzania. Otherwise, wildlife viewing is good throughout but this can differ for some parks.

Besides wildlife safaris, Kenya is among the best destinations in Africa for bird watching experiences with over 1,100 recorded bird species. Various endemic and near-endemic species can easily be spotted on any birding tour in Kenya. The European migrants are always present from September to April. The endemic & near-endemic bird species in Kenya include; Abbott’s starling, Aberdare cisticola, Amani sunbird, Clarke’s weaver, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Hinde’s pied babbler, Jackson’s hornbill, Jackson’s francolin, Montane white-eye, Sharpe’s longclaw, Sokoke pipit, Sokoke scops owl, Taita thrush, Tana River cisticola, Taveta golden weaver, Williams’s lark. Other special birds to spot on your bird watching safaris are; Abyssinian crimsonwing, Bar-tailed trogon, Blue-headed bee-eater, Friedmann’s lark, Golden-breasted starling, Golden-winged sunbird, Great blue turaco, Kori bustard, Red-naped bush-shrike, Secretary bird, Somali courser, Somali sparrow, Taita apalis, Turner’s eremomela, Vulturine guineafowl and Yellow-bellied wattle-eye.

The best birding places in Kenya include; Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Bogoria, Samburu, Arabuko-Sokoke and Kakamega Forest. The bird watching in Kenya is good throughout the year, but the best time runs from September to April when the migratory birds from Europe and north Africa are present. During this period, many resident bird species are nesting and are in breeding plumage.