Kenya is a year-round destination and it is possible to see wildlife at all times of the year. Depending on your interests, certain times may be better than others. For instance, if you want to see the Great Migration, this tends to travel through Kenya between June and October. However, even this can be difficult to determine, as the movements of the wildebeest depend on rain and weather conditions.
Adventure in its purest form, Kenya safari tours are imbued with more than a century of nostalgia, steeped with tales of romantic journeys, perilous expeditions and pioneers of conservation. Add to this the modern principles of sustainability and community involvement, as well as Kenya’s warm and welcoming people, and you are virtually guaranteed a holiday or vacation filled with unforgettable moments and extraordinary adventures.
From the craggy majesty of Mount Kenya to the sultry white beaches of the Swahili coast and the sweeping plains of the Masai Mara to the rugged scenery of the Rift Valley, even Kenya’s landscapes appear surreal and dreamlike, as though conjured from sheer fantasy by a magician. In the Laikipia district deep in the heart of Kenya, cattle ranchers and tribal elders work shoulder by shoulder, united by a passion to preserve Africa’s precious wildlife. The open, sweeping lands of the interior welcome the adventurous at heart, who set off into the wilderness on foot, accompanied by a camel train carrying their mobile camp and led by Samburu warrior-guides who know every inch of the land with the sure certainty of someone who has walked it since birth.
Sharing unfenced borders where wildlife wanders free, the linked parks of Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs are home to the unusual variety of species known as the Samburu Five, showcased against the backdrop of their striking scenery. Famed for its heart-warming story of Elsa the Lioness, Meru boasts rich birding and rewarding game sightings. Further south, the lush mountainsides of the Mathews Ranger invite hikers to lose themselves in tranquillity. In nearby Sarara a ritual older than Kenya itself takes place as half-clad warriors dig for water in the dry riverbanks, summoning their cattle down to drink with ancient songs, each herd responding to the individual melody and voice of its owner. Critically endangered black rhino roam the plains in safety in the picturesque sanctuary of Lewa.
As magnificent as they are, none of these other nature sanctuaries can compare to the fabled Masai Mara, home to swaggering lion, elusive leopard and stately elephant, where vast herds of antelope stretch as far as the eye can see and birds of every shape, size and colour dazzle with their plumage. Home to Africa’s Big Five, this is also the land of the Maasai, regal overlords and striking custodians of an ancient culture. As endless as they appear, for a few months each year the Mara’s wide open spaces are thronged with the massive herds of wildebeest and zebra that make up the Great Migration, known as the Greatest Show on Earth. Whether from an open safari vehicle, close enough the taste the dust and hear the grunts of the jostling beast or encountered from a different angle while serenely gliding above in a hot air balloon, the Migration is a sight never to be forgotten.
Great glistening mirrors of water, Lakes Nakuru, Naivasha, Elementaita and Baringo are scenic havens for big game, as well as the backdrop for pink swathes of stately flamingos. Just south of the border yet still clearly visible, snow-capped Kilimanjaro, towers over the open plains of Amboseli, with its mighty elephant herds. Guided horseback safaris pick their way through the twisted volcanic rock of the Chyulu Hills, taking your breath away with the striking contrasts in the constantly changing landscape and the intimate game encounters. A truly enormous wilderness area, Tsavo sweeps towards the coastline, a remote and lonely landscape inhabited by elephants painted red by its ochre dust.
Climate
Summer (September – April)
34˚C/94˚F 20˚C/68˚F
Winter (May – August)
25˚C/77˚F 11˚C/52˚F
Rainfall: April – May (long rains), November – Mid December (short rains)
