Safari Holidays in Kenya – what to expect

It is on most people’s bucket list to go on a safari in Africa. Well, it really is possible to do this in whatever level of life you may be in. As much as it is made to look like a luxurious event for the rich you can achieve it with your income or savings.

I live in Kenya so my focus here will be on Safari holidays in Kenya and the neighbouring countries making up East Africa. You can achieve this with minimal hustle by connecting with a good accredited travel agent and making your stay memorable.

Why Choose Kenya

Kenya is a country in East Africa which boost of having the best wildlife game reserves and conservancies. It is found on the equator and hence has favourable weather all year round with sunny and rainy seasons alternating through the year.

The capital city Nairobi has an international airport. This makes it easy to get flights from different parts of the continent. One of its many Wildlife parks is also found in the capital city. There are other numerous activities to undertake when on holiday in Kenya.

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Types of Holiday Packages

Well, Kenya is diverse and there are various activities you can undertake while on your holiday. Internationally Kenya is known to have a good deal of wildlife sanctuaries, game reserves and conservancies. This is what brings most people on safari to Kenya.

However, you can incorporate other activities like hiking, beach activities, mountain climbing, sport fishing as well as just relaxing in various hotels and lodges found in the countryside.

Depending on your pocket, the packages range from a luxurious stay in 5-star hotels to budget safaris. You can opt to stay in a lodge, camp or villa. The world currencies like the dollar, pound, and euro rank high compared to the local currency. Hence, if you save up in dollars you can get quite a good holiday package.

Safari Package Ideas

Some package ideas depending on what activities you intend to take include:

  • 3 days to a week game drives, visit conservancies and hiking. I would recommend doing this via road as compared to the air to get a great adventure.
  • A beach stays on the Kenyan coast. Activities at the beach include snookering in our marine wildlife, jet skiing, and visits to cultural villages to learn about the Kenyan culture.
  • Hiking or mountain climbing in various forests and experiencing different flora and fauna as well as wildlife and bird species.
  • And above all the activities, you will get to experience the Kenyan culture and taste the Kenyan food
  • You can also combine your stay by visiting all the three East African countries, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania by road or air with scheduled activities as set by your travel agent.

Safari Essentials in accordance with the weather

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One of the main concerns, before you embark on a safari, is what to pack for your stay. As earlier explained, Kenya and East Africa have favourable equatorial weather hence travelling light would be ideal.

It’s normally sunny from January to March, August to October. Heavy rains are experienced from April to June and short rains from November to December. Generally, the weather goes to a low of 10 degrees and as high as 38 degrees.

During the rainy season, the game parks are normally not busy but it is not ideal to take game drives during this time though most of the rain happens at night. However, there are wildlife conservancies one can visit like the David Sheldon Wildlife Trust which takes care of orphaned elephants and the Giraffe Center all found in the capital city Nairobi.

What would you consider wearing in such weather?

As much as most people recommend dressing in khaki from head to toe for a safari as shown in most photos on the Internet, this is not necessary and may end up being a bit heavy on you.

  • Cotton tops or t-shirts would do fine, some jeans, tights or khaki pants. You can add in one or two jackets for the nights tend to be cold and windy.
  • For your feet, sneakers which are comfortable will do. Add sandals to wear when in the hotel to air your feet as the heat can make you sweaty.
  • If planning for a beach holiday, shorts mostly cotton is advisable plus enough swimming costume. Get comfortable beach sandals as the beach might be a bit rough to walk barefoot.
  • The main thing to put into consideration is your skincare. Get a very good and strong sunscreen as the sun in this part of the world is quite hot.
  • A hat to minimize the heat rays is advisable plus sunglasses. One thing most tourists ignore or forget though very important is a mosquito/insect repellent. This is important, especially when going for game drives or a hike.

Over the requirements, make sure you get an adventurous mind as this will go a long way in your stay on the safari.

Game Drives

If you love adventure, a game drive is one of the best experiences you will ever have. This involves visiting wildlife in their natural habitats. A wildlife lover’s dream is to see the Big 5(Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino and Leopard).

Most game reserves in Kenya have at least three of these species. The Rhino and Elephant are ranked endangered species due to ivory hunting worldwide hence most are kept in protected areas.

One of the best game reserves, the Maasai Mara Game Reserve has all the big 5 in its park. This park always provides a lifetime experience when exploring. The game reserve is also famous for the great wild beast migration which happens once every year in the month of July/August. The wild beast transverse the Mara through to the Mara River from the Serengeti Game reserve in the neighbouring country Tanzania.

There are various wildlife parks in Kenya and all have different experiences. They have wild animals from lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebra, impala, antelopes and many more.

Some main parks to visit include The Nairobi National Park found in the capital city Nairobi a few kilometres from the international airport. The famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Tsavo National Park, Marine parks in the Indian Ocean and many more.

Safari Holiday in Kenya
Tsavo National Park, Kenya

Beaches holiday and hotel bookings

We have a very good coastal strip which has various hotels and accommodates tourists all year round. The weather in this area is mostly sunny with temperatures as high as 30 degrees during the day so it is advisable to dress light when on holiday here.

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However, we do experience rainy storms that are not conducive to beach life. To avoid these, always confirm with your travelling agent the kind of weather in place during your planned visit.

The beach life has various activities which include Snookering as there is quite a long strip of marine wildlife in this area. Sunbathing is advisable to do in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is not too hot.

You can also take a dhow cruise, scuba diving and swim in the Indian Ocean. Kenyan coast has a vast culture and so a visit to the cultural villages can be one of the activities you schedule during your travel.

The Best thing about it is that you can extend your stay to as far as our neighbouring country which has vast beach experiences like the Island of Zanzibar.

 

Take the Safari

Whether you choose to visit only Kenya or combine your stay with other African countries, you are bound to have an adventurous experience on your own budget. No need to just watch photographs on the internet, experience the safari on your own and have a real story to tell.

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22 Responses

  1. Jasmere says:

    Wow that’s seriously so cool! I think I might freak out if I saw a lion in real life though lol it’d seem so surreal. I have a few questions. First, I know it gets hot in the day, but does it get cold at night? Also what’s the typical cuisine over there as well? Really curious about that.

    • Anita says:

      No Lions are cool, plus you don’t go near them during a game drive. You view them from the tour van just have a good camera to zoom in and capture a good picture. Its get a bit cold and windy at night but not the winter kind of cold depending on where you come from you might not even notice the cold am talking about. For the cuisine if you go to a 5 start hotel you will get local to international dishes. We like meat here so that has to be in the menu then plus so many different African dishes you can try.

  2. Andy says:

    Fantastic information from someone who clearly knows what they are talking about. I have no doubt a lot of people will find this useful!

  3. Melinda says:

    That’s really cool. Have you taken many safaris in the past? I hadn’t thought of taking a safari before, but you got me thinking about it!

    • Anita says:

      That is my aim, to make you have that experience. Can’t say i have done many safaris because there so many places am yet to explore but growing up in Kenya it all started in school excursions when i joined the wildlife club and it grew into a passion.

  4. Jenni says:

    Hi Anita, I have Kenyan friends and they’ve mentioned that Safari in your place is exciting. However, they have not explained it as detailed as to how you did, well done. It makes me want to add this activity to my bucket list! Thanks for the info. Blessings!

    • Anita says:

      Hi Jenni, it’s quite an experience. I will be adding more as time goes by keep checking for more. You should have it in your bucket list maybe even ask your Kenyan friends to join you.

  5. Wow, thanks for this awesome post. I didn’t have any intention to visit Africa but after reading this post, I feel like I can put Africa into my list, LOL. A lot of useful information here. Thanks again!

  6. sarah says:

    Wow, One of the places I want to go is Kenya. I will save this link and forward it to others as well because you have explained everything in such a detail and easy way. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Thank you so much for sharing….great job.

  7. Safari Holidays in Kenya-what to expect is a great article. Thank for sharing.

  8. Hightek says:

    Mу Uncle and I wеrе fоrtunаtе enough tо gо tо Kenya іn 2002. Wе wеrе аlѕо fоrtunаtе thаt we were thе оnlу twо people оn thе ѕаfаrі аnd thus hаd thе whоlе vеhісlе(8 ѕеаtеr bus), thе guide аnd the cook аll to оurѕеlvеѕ for the 10 days оf the ѕаfаrі. Wе саmреd іn thе nаtіоnаl parks and thаt was probably thе bеѕt раrt оf the trір because уоu аrе оut there 24/7 аnd ѕее аnd hеаr еvеrуthіng that hарреnѕ, including having lions аrоund thе tent during the night. If уоu hаvе to go tо the tоіlеt аt nіght, thаt can bе interesting. Thе bеѕt раrt оf bеіng thе only сlіеntѕ wаѕ thаt we соuld ѕtау аnd wаtсh a lеораrd ѕlееріng аѕ lоng аѕ we wаntеd, оr ѕіmрlу wаtсh gіrаffе brоwѕіng wіthоut соnѕultіng аnуоnе еlѕе аbоut their рrеfеrеnсеѕ. Our favourite раrk was Sаmburu where wе gоt tо ѕее Kаmіnуаk thе lioness who tried tо adopt several Oryx саlvеѕ. Sadly ѕhе disappeared just аftеr wе lеft. I аm ѕо looking fоrwаrd tо gоіng bасk ѕооn. Bу the way,our visit tо thе еlерhаnt оrрhаnаgе wаѕ wоndеrful.

    • Anita says:

      Well, 2002 is such a long time a lot has changed while some things specially parks remain the same. Getting a van all by yourself is a good thing but now it has become quite pricey.

      Samburu is a good place to see the rare animal species and behavior since it is one of the parks that has retained it’s natural habitat for long.

      You should come back and experience it in a whole new level 16 years later.

  9. Matt's Mom says:

    Oh yes, I have been wanting to go on a safari and it is definitely on my bucket list. I like the idea of game drives. This sounds so fascinating. The animals are gorgeous and I would just be in total heaven. I am going to fiddle with the travel box to see what I come up with price wise. Then I know how long I have to save up for my trip!

    • Anita says:

      Ohh yes, a safari is quite an exciting event. You can check the different offers provided by different travel agents and you will realize that it’s actually quite achievable.

  10. Steven Cook says:

    Going on a Safari has to be the ultimate vacation. I’ve wanted to do one for many years now and is definitely on my bucket list. This is the only way to see animals in there natural habitat.

    Doing a Game Drive would be my ideal choice as this is the best way to see the Big 3 which are in Kenya.

    I really enjoyed reading your post, and honestly didn’t know you could do snorkeling in Kenya too.

    • Anita says:

      Hi Steve,

      Glad you enjoyed reading my article, safaris are always fun whichever place you choose to visit in Africa.

      Actually in Kenya you get to see all the Big 5 in some parks, but am guessing you are more interested in the Big 3, still achievable.

      We do have marine parks in the coastal region where the Indian Ocean shores touch Kenya hence to enjoy this marine wildlife, snorkeling is aloud.

  11. I’ve never considered going on vacation in Africa. Not until I read you article. It sounds like quite the adventure. Plus the good news of affordability. Thank you so much for sharing this with me.

    • Anita says:

      You are welcome Sherri, am glad that i motivated you to take a vacation in Africa. Yes it is very affordable and can work around your budget. Hope that you will one day visit Kenya as part of your African vacation.

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