Best Kenya Safaris Tours

When is the best time to visit Kenya?

The best time to go for Kenya tours is during the dry season from June to October. During this time of the year, the weather in Kenya is normally dry, and most of the safari trails are open. This also concurs with the Great Wildebeest Migration in the Masai Mara National Reserve. During this time, water sources for animals in the parks tend to become fewer, and some dry up, attracting animals in numbers to those that remain.

The disadvantage is that high-season prices apply during the Dry season, and crowds are larger in some game parks. The queue of safari vehicles can also take away something from your safari experience, and some parts of the Masai Mara National Reserve can be totally overwhelmed with safari vehicles during the Great Wildebeest migration.

June is one of the best months to visit Kenya in the dry season. Taking a Kenya safari from November to February also has its devotees.

During this time of the year, migratory birds arrive, the rains rarely disrupt safaris, and the country is transformed into a lovely shade of green. Most travellers avoid March to May because heavy rains are always possible and can transform safari trails into muddy bogs.

However, prices are lower, and you can find very few other visitors and clear skies.

Why visit Kenya?

Exceptional wildlife viewing safaris are the main reason to visit Kenya.

Although many tourists come for the Great wildebeest migration, Kenya is an excellent year-round safari destination, with a variety of world-class national parks where superb game viewing is almost guaranteed. Kenya is a Big Five destination, with healthy populations of Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, buffalo, and elephants.

Birding in Kenya is also outstanding, as are the community cultural tours. Kenya is the land of the Maasai people, Samburu People, Turkana and several others.

The great number of habitats, too, makes for wonderful scenery in Kenya – endless horizons in the Masai Mara, the snow-capped Mt Kenya, Great Rift Valley lakes, tropical forests, the starkly beautiful parks of the north, and peerless Mount Kilimanjaro views from Amboseli.

How much does kenya safari cost?

The cost of a Kenya safari depends on what sort of safari you want and can afford. Kenya is the original home of the African safari and offers something for everyone.

The highly exclusive Kenya safaris can cost more than $1,000 per person per night. Easily arranged mid-range Kenya safaris cost from $300 to $600 per person per day. And budget adventures start from just $125 per day.

Although safari accommodation is partially what will determine the Kenya safari price for many travellers, it can also depend on how you wish to travel between the various Kenya safari parks. Flight transfers, usually through Nairobi city, can be expensive, but dramatically reduce the amount of time you will spend on the road; thereby maximising the amount of time you will get to spend in the parks themselves.

Remember also that most Kenya safari packages will include accommodation, transport, all meals and activities such as game drives.

Is safari cheaper in Kenya or Tanzania?

A Kenya safari, on average, is slightly cheaper than a Tanzania safari, especially if you want to take in very special reserves like Ruaha National Park, Nyerere National Park, Gombe National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park. Kenya is a far smaller country when compared to Tanzania.

Nearly all travel outside the famous Tanzania Northern safari Circuit includes transfers by light aircraft, but the distances are shorter in Kenya, and most parks can be explored on cheap road trips. But any price differences are marginal, and both offer great value for your safari money.

How safe is Kenya for tourists?

The superb safari destinations of Kenya are safe to visit and its warm, friendly people will make your safari tour a memorable one.

Although there is a long-standing travel advisory from the US State Department, it relates to very specific and strictly non-tourist areas – typically in the distant east of the country.

It is not a blanket ban and the majority of Kenya is safe to visit. In fact, thousands of American tourists visit Kenya’s incredible wildlife areas every year without incident.

But Kenya, like many other democracies across the globe, occasionally goes through short periods of political change. This is centered around the city of Nairobi, far from the country’s sensational safari areas. In fact, in some instances you will leave Nairobi immediately after landing, heading to the Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu or Laikipia.

Another potential danger comes from traveling on the country’s roads – the accident rate is high. You can minimize this by not traveling at night and by flying between the parks.

The danger from wild animals is minimal; most Kenya safari tours and tour operators have excellent safety records, and you should be fine if you follow the safety briefings and instructions from guides.

What Can I Expect From A Safari In Kenya?

Most days out on Kenya safaris begin with a quiet African voice waking you well before sunrise.

After dressing quickly, and taking a good coffee or tea, you go out for a few hours in a safari vehicle (with other guests, a driver, guide and sometimes a tracker) looking for wildlife – this time.

You will return to the lodge or camp mid- to late morning for a proper sit-down breakfast. A few hours of relaxation, followed by lunch, then a few hours more doing very little or siesta occupies the hottest part of the day, when even animals retreat into the shade.

Afternoon tea, often known as High Tea in a nod to colonial-era safari traditions, happens around 3 PM or 3:30 PM, then its back out looking for wildlife until after dark.

Just before sunset, you will stop for another safari institution, the ‘Sundowner’, when you will watch the African sunset while enjoying drink of your choice. You arrive back in camp in time to freshen up, then it’s dinner and off to bed, before it all starts again very early the next morning.

What accommodations can I expect during my Kenya safari?

As a general rule, the higher the price of your Kenya safari, the better you can expect your safari accommodation to be.

• Campsites: At the lower end, campsites are typically basic, sometimes crowded and not always in the best locations within the safari national parks or wildlife reserves, but they are well priced and often offer ample facilities such as toilets and showers.
• Lodges: Lodges are the mainstays of the safari scene in Kenya and the quality differs significantly. Many Kenya safari lodges within the reserves and l parks have superb locations but are aging and in need of renovation, while others are luxurious and recently overhauled.
• Tented safari camps: In tented safari camps, including mobile camps, you will sleep in large, walk-in tents – they are like lodge rooms in terms of size but with canvas for walls and floor. Canvas tents mean that you can hear the sounds of the African night.

Is Uganda or Kenya better for safari?

Kenya is a better Africa safari destination than Uganda when it comes to quality Big 5 game viewing and plains wildlife generally. Its game parks tend to be far more extensive than those of Uganda and offer a more varied selection of safari lodges and tented camps.

Equally, a safari in Uganda offers several key attractions not found in Kenya or, indeed, most other safari destinations.

Foremost among these is the chance to track mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park.

Generally, Uganda offers far greater diversity when it comes to primate viewing safaris, and it matches Kenya for general birding tours. But, it tends to be stronger on forest bird watching that are difficult to see elsewhere in Africa.