KENYA

Big cats & migrations

Kenya is one of the world’s great tourism destinations, known for its remarkable diversity of landscapes, wildlife and cultures. Kenya is Africa’s original safari destination, attracting explorers, adventurers and travellers for centuries. It is home to Africa’s famous ‘Big Five’ (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo) and is one of the best places to see these five magnificent species in their natural environment. Kenya also has an incredible range of wild habitats, each one with its own unique range of species. Open savannah, deep forest, freshwater lakes, alpine meadows, coral reefs, caves, beaches, river deltas and more.

The Masai Mara Game Reserve is widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. The vast plains are scattered with herds of zebra, giraffe, gazelle and topi. Elephant and buffalo wallow in the wide Musiara Swamp. Each year the Mara plays host to the world’s greatest natural spectacle, the Great Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti. The Mara has been called the Kingdom of Lions and these regal and powerful hunters dominate the grasslands. Cheetah and leopard are also a common sight in the Mara, as are hyena and smaller predators such as jackals.

Amboseli has one of the most famous landscapes in Africa, with large herds of elephant crossing open plains against the backdrop of the snow capped peak of Kilimanjaro. To the east, Tsavo West and Tsavo East form one of the largest National Parks in the world and at almost 22,000 sqkm, it is the largest in Kenya. The park is famous for its large herds of dust red elephant, along with rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, gerenuk, and lesser kudu to name a few. Sandwiched between, the much quieter Chyulu Hills are surrounded by open plains with good populations of game, but are far less visited and offer a real wilderness experience.

In the northern and central plateau are some of Kenya’s less visited treasures with the Meru and Samburu National Reserves being perhaps the better known. Linking these and other parks are a series of private farms and ranches forming the Laikipia Plateau and Lewa conservancies, which have been converted into community based wildlife sanctuaries, providing a migratory corridor between the National Reserves. All the Big 5 are found here as well as many rarer species and as it is private land, activities are less restricted with horse and camel safaris a highlight.

Lake Nakuru and Naivasha provides visitors with one of Kenya’s best known images: thousands of flamingo, joined into a massive flock, making for a breathtaking sight. At Kenya’s western frontier lies the great Lake Victoria; the second largest freshwater lake in the world at almost 68,000 sq km and the source of the River Nile. The Kenyan coast is lined with pristine white sandy beaches fringing the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Here the wilderness meets the sea, and the ocean itself holds a world of spectacular coral reefs teeming with life and colour.

When To Go

♦ Kenya has a distinct rainy season (March – May) which can have an impact on any safari and means that many camps and lodges close as Parks and Reserves become inaccessible.

♦ There are lighter rains in Nov and Dec but the longer hard rains are from March – May peaking in April and May. Visitors will be rewarded with much lower visitor numbers, lots of young animals and wild flowers.

♦ The famous Great Migration generally starts to arrive into the Masai Mara in July and leaves early October, but this varies dependent upon the rains.