Where to go for a safari in Kenya
LOCATION: 300 km from the capital city of Nairobi.
This is the jewel of Kenya’s game parks – Masai Mara located in the northern section of the great Serengeti plains. This is where a million wildebeests and zebra make their perilous annual migration of crossing from Serengeti, Tanzania to Masai Mara Kenya.
They can actually be seen as they cross the Mara River every July and august and this is one of the greatest spectacle, and the biggest wildlife show on earth. The animal’s transverse the landscape to feed on the rich new grass and to give birth to their young. This Game reserve is home to the “Big Five”– elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino, as well as many other species including the cheetah, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, hippo, impala, gazelle. And numerous other wildlife including hundreds of species of birds.
In the morning, you will be awakened before dawn by birds singing, hyenas laughing. The Mara is magical in the morning: the birds are singing, the morning air smells fresh and cool, and the wildlife are just waking up to greet the day. Zebra’s frolic and greet each other, a pair of jackals prance through the grass in search of mice or a rabbit, baboons chatter noisily while curious giraffe watch you as they nibble on their breakfast of acacia leaves. You may even come upon a family of Lions feeding together on last night’s kill, or a leopard snoozing in a tree in search for the “Big Five”. Don’t forget to look for the “little five” – Thompson’s gazelle, jackal, African hare’, monkeys, and banded mongoose. These little animals can be just as exciting and more fun to watch than the more popular larger animals.
Take an early morning hot air balloon ride to watch sunrise and game from the clouds up. And arrive from the air to a champagne breakfast in the bush.
Kenya Safari
The Park is located in the land of the Maasai people. They have a rich culture full of grace. They have undergone very little change and they still live their rich culture. There are stories of a Moran (an unmarried young man) killing a lion as the initiation to manhood, as well as their love for their cattle. To the Maasai, all the cows in this world belong to them. This people have resisted the test and the tide of time and a visit to the Maasai village for a lecture or and evening dance will be inspiring, and is highly recommended.
Facilities
There are all weather Airstrips in the lodges at Masai Mara, and daily flights from Nairobi to Masai Mara. There are plenty of lodges to choose from and the range is far and wide from Luxury tented camps, up market lodges and tented camps, to budget lodges and camp sites for the budget travelers.
You will have a wide variety to choose from. Everyone is catered for at Masai Mara. And below we present some of the best places one can stay on a Safari to Masai Mara.
This park is 250km from Nairobi. This south east of Nairobi towards the Kenya and Tanzania border. The People around here are the Masaai people, one of Kenya’s most colorful people. They have held on their culture living in mud manyatta huts, pastoralists and rigid beautiful culture where on has to kill a lion to qualify to be a mature warrior who can be allowed to marry.
This Park is located at the bottom and in the shadow of the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. And has a canopy of giant yellow acacia trees and gently flowing natural springs and swamps -home to many herds of Elephants. With Mt Kilimanjaro’s 6,000- meter- high snowcapped peaks presiding over the landscape, the setting is unrivaled. All around the park roams the big game that has made East Africa Kenya safari legendary -the elephant, lion, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, baboon, gazelle, hippo, and wildebeest. Almost nowhere else in the continent can more wild elephant be seen at very close proximity than in Amboseli National Park. Here you will inspect a grand parade of in big numbers of elephants as they majestically move past your Safari lodge in a single file past the lodge heading for the swamp to drink water and have an afternoon bath.
There is plenty of wildlife to view. When you go for a game drive watch out for leopard, cheetah, buffalo, rhino, elephant, giraffe, zebra, lion, Oryx, eland and other plains game as well as other small mammals like mongoose, hyrax, dik dik, the laughing hyenas and the nocturnal porcupine. There are over 600 species of birdlife in this national park, which are attracted by the spring waters and swamps.
The Nairobi / Mombasa Road divides Tsavo from north to south into Tsavo East and Tsavo West. In the most part of Tsavo West the game live in an almost undisturbed existence and in quiet seclusion- herein lays the challenge today. At the Tsavo West you also have the Chulu hills, which is home to many bird species.
TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK
This part of the park is dry, and rugged with rolling hilly scrubs. It is remote and laid back and very private. It is the place to experience the real African Savannah grasslands where you can listen to the winds blowing some African tune and talk to your inner self. The river Galana pass through this park on its long journey to the Indian Ocean. This park is only 100km from Malindi giving one the easy access of combining a beach safari at Malindi and catching up with the animals. All in one location.
The views at Tsavo East are out of this world….that of the Yatta plateau, the world’s largest lava flow stretching for miles and miles. These beautiful rocks have given rich to a waterfall the Lugard falls on the river Galana.
At Tsavo one will see red elephants; this is the only place one can see the few remaining hirola antelope.
This park has had encroachment problems by the local people competing with the animals for sustainance and existence.
This park set up sanctuary to protect the rhino from being decimated by poachers.
The elephant has not been spared either but this war is all most over with community involvement to protect the Eco system for sustainable development that is beneficial to all made possible by ploughing some of the benefits back to the surrounding communities.
TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK
KAMPI YA SIMBA—famous for the Man-eaters of Tsavo and a large elephant and lion population before the poachers came. But the park is now under constant surveillance of the Kenya Wildlife service Security.
Tsavo West the largest national parks in Kenya covering about 28,800 square kilometers. It is situated near the majestic Mt Kilimanjaro on the southern part and it is neighboring Amboseli National Park. It takes approximately 01 Hour to cross from one to the other through a beautiful rugged terrain and scenery and through a few Maasai villages. This Park is known for its infamous “man eating lions of Tsavo” whom preyed upon linesmen building the Great Uganda Railway at the turn of the century. This National Park is famed for its ”red” elephants, lions, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, plain game (including the lesser kudu) hippos and crocodiles swim side by side at huge pools of pure mineral water from the springs of Mt Kilimanjaro.
Tsavo is an evocative location if ever there was one. This has been a classic hunting ground for the renowned big game hunters and few so famous as Denys Finch Hatton. Why? What was the attraction? Tsavo is home to the Traditional home for the African elephant.
Tsavo is wild, diverse, and enormous. Its terrain switches from rich gold savannahs watered by riverine forest lined streams which are fed by springs of melted snow from Mt Kilimanjaro culminating at Mzima springs to Savanna bush land. The Mzima springs are the source of water for the coastal famous town of Mombasa. There are forested volcanic hills and mountains offering spectacular panoramas, including the striking lava outcrop of ‘shetani’ meaning the devils lava. This Lava outcrop stretches for miles and it is awe inspiring… kind of giving you a feeling of hell.
Location
This is one of the best places where you can go for trekking safari, Camel safaris, and walking safaris. This is up in the desert and it’s extremely hot. It is in this town where the only camel Derby in the world for both amateur and professionals is held. This is an annual event which takes place in the summer, attracting not only the parctipants but also spectators from all the corners of the earth. Here you will bump into real characters. In the evening everyone retires to Yare safaris club and campsite for a long hard party sure enough to last till down. The event is open to everyone.
Basic Facts
- Size: Approximately 250 sq kms
- Province: Rift Valley
- District: Baringo
- Geographical Location: Set amidst the majestic Ol Doinyo Lenkiyo Mountains in north-central Kenya around the Samburu town of Maralal.
- Altitude: 1,490 m
- Vegetation: Rocky and dry terrain.
- Fauna: Mammals of the dry zone include impala, eland, buffalo, baboon, warthog, leopard, hyena, giraffe and zebra.
- Visitor Facilities: One lodge and campsite.
Safari Details
The Maralal National Reserve is one of Kenya’s little known treasures. Tucked away in the centre of the country amidst the Ol Doinyo Lenkiyo mountains, Maralal completely surrounds the Samburu town of the same name. Within the Reserve’s boundaries, eland, impala buffalo and zebra keep a watchful eye on predators such as the leopard and hyena. Seasonally, elephant pass through the Reserve descending from the forested hills to the north.
The best viewing of wildlife in the Reserve is from the terrace at the Maralal Safari Lodge. Game viewing is both by day and floodlight by night. At the lodge, leopard are baited from a small forest nearby and can be viewed from a specially constructed blind.
In all directions from Maralal, the scenery is beautiful and the processions of wildlife sharing land with Samburu herders is spectacular. Related to the Maasai futher south, the Samburu warriors of Maralal, dressed in their traditional clothing, live in symbiosis with the environment and wildlife around them.
Despite its beautiful landscape and wide assortment of wildlife, Maralal National Reserve receives relatively few visitors in relation to the Samburu reserves to the east. This helps makes Maralal a truly enjoyable destination.
Transport
Maralal town is 150 kms north of Nyahururu, on the northern edge of the Mount Kenya highlands. The Reserve can be accessed from Nyahururu along the C77 road which is paved as far as the town of Rumuruti. Alternatively, Maralal can be reached from Isiolo along the A2, C79 and C78. Access is also possible from the south-west at Lake Baringo along the eastbound C78.
There is usually one bus a day in either direction between Nyahuru and Maralal and between Isiolo and Maralal. Vehicle traffic is very scarce north of Nyahururu and west of Isiolo, that very few other options exist.
Tours
Tours to Maralal are possible to find, though not as popular as those offered to the reserves further to the east (Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs).
LOCATION: This game reserve is situated in the Northern Province of Kenya. It is rugged and a semi- desert. To get here you will cross the equator at Nanyuki and go to the northern hemisphere by passing the snowcapped Mt Kenya lying astrand the equator line and huge blue mountains serve as a back drop to this game reserve. The environment is enchanting. The river Uaso Nyiro is the lifeline and the nerve center of this Reserve and is bustling with a huge population of crocodiles. The game reserve is renowned for its rare species of animals that can only be found in this park, like –the long necked gerenuk, gravy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and the Beisa onyx. The leopard is a frequent visitor in this park and most evenings it pays a courtesy call to the lodge’s guests as it feeds on some bite on a tree across the river. The Samburu Park has an abundant species of birds and can turn even the most reluctant guest in to an avid bird watcher. It is considered by Ornithologists a paradise for bird viewing. In the evenings, you can watch gigantic crocodiles fight over big chunks of meat as they are fed by the lodge staff at the riverbanks or as they get out of the river to relax. This is a great photo session opportunity as you sip cocktails and watch the African sunset in orange flame sky.
CULTURE AND THE PEOPLE
The Samburu people occupy this area and they are pastorists and nomads. They have resisted the tide and test of time and a rugged environment by clinging to their culture, very colorful with beads and hair dyed with ocre plus the whole body to be beautiful. Interesting ceremonies to a like initiation in adulthood.
This game reserve is accessible by Air and there are daily flights from Nairobi, which take approximately 45minutes.
Lake Nakuru National Park lies in Central Kenya right on the Great Rift Valley area, Northwestern Nairobi. The park is mostly dominated by woodlands and grassland –the major habitat to diverse wildlife including the leopards, Rothschild giraffes, cheetahs, lions, and more.
Lake Nakuru National Park also supports a diversity of birds including thousands of pink flamingos, black-winged lapwings, African fish eagles, hammerkops, white pelicans, grey crowned cranes, pied kingfishers, Hottentot teals, and others.
Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city is the first port of call for many of the country’s visitors. With GREAT LAKES SAFARIS Kenya origins, our local knowledge is unrivalled, and we are best placed to provide our clients with their ideal holiday. Safaris cover the full range of Kenya’s most famous national parks and game reserves in combinations that meet the requirements of most visitors. However, for those who require something a little bit different, is it walking tour or camel trek, a camping safari, flying safari or trekking route, our wealth of local knowledge and infrastructure can assist in putting together the perfect tailor-made itinerary.
Selected this spot, the last totally flat ground before the steep climb up west to the Rift. Spacious exotic tree lined avenues, superb parks and the finest hotels now adorn this important African nerve Centre. Outstanding facilities include the immense Kenyatta Conference Centre which seats 4,000, and recreational facilities include: Racecourse, Sports Stadiums, Cinemas, Theatres, Museums and many Golf clubs.
WINDSOR GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
- Location: On the highlands of Kenya – just 20 minutes from the City Centre.
- Facilities: 18 hole international course in an exotic setting of beautiful wood and parklands, Club and elegant Conference facilities, 2 Tennis and 2 Squash Courts, Croquet Green, Health Club, a variety of Restaurant offering a’la carte and table d’hote menus. Facilities include Pool, an Arcade of Shops, Art Gallery and Boutique.
- Accommodation : 80 Superior Double Rooms, 20 Super Suites and a sweep of 15 Cottages
- Opinion: Period piece accommodation, offering excellent service and cuisine.
THE NORFOLK
- Location: A five minute walk from the City Centre. Shops, Theatres and Restaurants – Twenty minutes from the airport.
- Facilities: Five Restaurants, the Delamere and Ibis. The Delamere Bar & Terrace, a wide choice of Public Rooms, Beauty Salon, Swimming Pool and Gift Shop, with Golf on request.
- Opinion: Nairobi’s first hotel, an Edwardian classic set in peaceful grounds with aviaries, capturing the atmosphere of the turn of the century.
NAIROBI SAFARI CLUB
- Location: Close to the Centre of town.
- Facilities: 2 Restaurants, 2 Bars, Swimming Pool
- Accommodation: 146 air-conditioned suites.
- Opinion: A modern hotel providing a high standard of accommodation and service.
INTER CONTINENTAL HOTEL
- Location: Centre, close by the Government buildings
- Facilities: 2 Restaurants, Swimming Pool with 2 Poolside Bars, Health Centre
- Accommodation: There are 385 air-conditioned en-suite rooms.
- Opinion: A first class hotel in a convenient location.
THE STANLEY
- Location: At the heart of Nairobi
- Facilities: 3 Restaurants, choice of Bars, Thorn Tree Café, Swimming Pool.
- Accommodation: The Stanley has 217 rooms including suites.
SAFARI PARK
- Location: 20 minutes out of town set within 64 acres of tropical gardens.
- Facilities: Include 7 Restaurants and a choice of 3 Bars, Night Club, Swimming Pool and Sports facilities.
- Accommodation: The Safari Park has 204 rooms including suites.
MAYFAIR COURT
- Location: In a traditional setting conveniently located near Westland’s just north of the City Centre – 40 minutes from the airport.
- Facilities: There are 2 Swimming Pools. Breakfast is enjoyed in the airy White Mischief Restaurant, which offers international table d’hote cuisine at economic prices.
- Accommodation: Twin bedded rooms, each with en-suite Bathroom, TV and Telephone Rooms are located on three levels, with a block of Superior Rooms to the rear surrounding a peaceful garden atmosphere.
- Opinion: A medium hotel offering friendly service
NAIROBI SERENA HOTEL
- Location: Five minutes from the City Centre – twenty minutes from the airport in Nairobi’s facing famous Uhuru Park.
- Facilities: Include a Health Club, Boutiques and Swimming Pool with its comfortable Coffee Shop. The tented ceiling Restaurant also offers a’la carte.
- Accommodation: Totally refurbished 190 rooms are air-conditioned with en-suite bathroom, TV and Video, Mini Bar and Telephone.
- Opinion: Peacefully set in landscaped, tropical gardens, this hotel enjoys the distinction of being included in ‘Leading Hotels of the World’.
HILTON NAIROBI
- Location: The Hilton is located in the heart of Nairobi City shopping area, about 20 minutes from the airport.
- Facilities: You can dine at the Amboseli Grill, the Mara or Watamu Restaurants or enjoy a Bar-B-Que at the Poolside Bar. Also there is the Jockey Bar and the Pizzeria. There is a heated swimming pool and fully equipped health Centre with sauna and steam bath. The Hilton has its own arcade of shops.
- Accommodation: Bedrooms are well appointed with a fully stocked minibar, personal safe and many have a panoramic view of the City Park.
- Opinion: The hotel offers international famed Hilton service: luxurious accommodation and q wide choice of cuisine.
LOCATION: This Park is 314 kms from Nairobi. To get there by air is 45 minutes and by road 5 hours. Shaba game reserve is a semi desert with a rugged hilly terrain, with great rocky kopjes (small isolated hills) and lots of springs supporting the abundant wildlife.
This place is replent with klipspringer and hyrax who love the hills. The specialties that can only be found in this part of the world are the gravy zebra, the Somali ostrich, generuk and the reticulated giraffe and gazelles the lesser kudu leopard and plenty of lion and herds of elephants and plenty of bird life and other small game.
Shaba Game Reserve was made famous by the late Joy Adamson and her lioness Elsa which and is often referred to as the Born free country.
Accommodation here is at the Sarova Shaba lodge. This property is up market with beautiful deluxe rooms in suites, and presidential suite complete with a private Jacuzzi. This lodge offers a luxury seldom found in the African bush.
Shaba lodge has a picturesque scenery, outdoor swimming pool and viewing decks along the river. The tranquil flow of the sparkling spring water throughout the lodge creates an atmosphere of peace and tranquility as it collects and cascades down.
Aqua fresh mountain air, the glorious views, peace and tranquility. This is the country’s highest Mountain with several places of interest….Sweet Waters Game Sanctuary and Tented Camp, Mount Kenya Safari Club, Naro Moro River Lodge and Serena Mountain Lodge. At 5,199 m. high, Mount Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain. It offers easy or challenging ascents with superb scenic beauty.
To the Kikuyu tribes people it is the home of the Supreme Being: Ngai, a name also used by the Maasai and Kamba tribes. In traditional prayers and sacrifices, Ngai is addressed by the Kikuyu as Mwene Nyaga: the Professor of Brightness. The name comes from Kere Nyaga, the Kikuyu name for Mount Kenya, meaning Mountain of Brightness – Ngai’s official home.
Kenya safari
Part of the mountain’s fascination is the variation in flora and fauna as the altitude changes. The lower slopes are covered with dry upland forest, the true montane forest begins at 2,000 m. is mainly cedar and podo. At 2,500 m. begins a dense belt of bamboo forest which merges into the upper forest of smaller trees, interspesed with glades. In this area the trees are festooned with high altitude moss.
These forest belts are host to many different animals and plants with at least 11 unique species. Game to view includes: Black and White Colobus and Sykes monkeys, bushbuck, buffalo, elephant and lower down Olive Baboon, waterbuck, black rhino, black fronted duiker, leopard, giant forest hog, genet cat, bush pig and hyena. More elusive is the bongo, a rare type of forest antelope.
A number of other rare or endangered species can be found here: Sunni Buck, Mt Kenya Mole Shrew, skinks (lizard), and a variety of owls. Occasional sightings have been recorded of albino zebra.
The high altitude heath at the top (3,000 – 3,500 m.) is generally open, dotted with shrubs: African Sage, protea and helicrysum. The peak (above 3,500 m.) is moorland, with little game other than high altitude zebra and eland common in the northern moorland.
There is only one lodge inside the Park, seven climbers’ huts and three self-help banda sites. Just outside the Park there are three lodges and another self-help banda site.
The Aberdares National Park is part of the Aberdares mountain ranges; the mountain range slopes on the western side of the wall, adjacent to the Rift Valley, are steep compared to the eastern slopes. The eastern slopes, due to its contour and altitude make it favorable to the wildlife habitat. The Aberdares Mountain ranges peak at a height of 4000 meters above sea level. Aberdares mountain ranges are part of Kenya’s well-known mountains. Some others are Mount Kenya, Mount Meru, Mount Longonot, and Mount Elgon.
Although African Mecca, Inc. refers to Aberdares National Parks ranges as Aberdares, it has actually been renamed to The Nyandarua(s). In 1884, Joseph Thomson, a British explorer, christened the Aberdares after Lord Aberdare.
Aberdares was confirmed a national park in 1950, two years after Amboseli National Park. The vegetation of the reserve is separated between the high moorland and the “Treetops and The Ark” Salient, where there is an abundance of wildlife. The mountainous moorlands have three peaks namely: The highest, Ol Doinyo Satima located on the northern edge, Kinangop in the south and Kipipiri near the “happy valley” in the west.
The Aberdares Park can be accessed via four gates: Wanderis, Kiandongoro, Shamata, and the Rhino gate.
Because this region of the country is blessed with good rainfall, many tourists also opt for a one day fishing safari on the Karura and Chania Rivers. The controlled swollen rivers put forth a challenge to skilled trout seeking anglers.
The Aberdares also has three falls, the Chania, Gura and Karura Falls created by the above-mentioned rivers. Viewing of the falls can be done, if accompanied by an armed guide. The Karura Falls has the deepest drop, plunging more than 300 meters, and has two viewing stations on either side.
There is a wide variety of animals seen at the Aberdares National Park. Some of the most commonly see are: bongos, buffalos, elephants, lions, serval cat, warthogs, bush pigs, eland, bushbucks, reedbucks, Sykes monkey, and rhinoceros. A note about rhinos: the Aberdares National Park contains one of the fewest surviving population of black rhinos as opposed to the white rhinos. The Rhinoceros are mostly “looked after” by the Kenya Wildlife Service. Your safari vehicle driver normally drives you to the location of these wonderful creatures, where they were last seen.
Finally, the Aberdares National Park also holds a place in history. It was a hideout location for the Mau-Mau rebels in their struggle for an independent Kenya from their colonial rulers.
The great migration is a great opportunity for you to witness millions of wildebeest plus other grazers as they move in search of pasture and grass. More than 1.5 million wildebeest plus 200,000 zebras as well as several other grazers can be encountered in their powerful movement.
The most moment of the Great Migration is the Mara wildebeest migration when most of the wildebeest forcefully cross the infested crocodile Mara River and on crossing, there are several predators like lions waiting to hunt them.
The best time to experience the most of the Great Migration is from late July, August to September. These are the months of the year when wildebeest arrive in the stunning Maasai Mara National Reserve from the vast Serengeti National Park plains.
Western part of Kenya has many attractions; the countryside is beautiful with rolling hills, green bushes of vast tea plantations.
In the far west is Lake Victoria with the city of Kisumu on its shores with tempting possibilities of many activities. To the south are the islands of Rusinga and Mfangano, and a short distance gets to the North lies the Kakamega Forest with is lush vegetation and abundant wild life. Close to the regional town of Kitale are the National parks of Mt Elgon and Saiwa swamp, and further north are the Cherangani hills, which drop dramatically to the Kerio Valley.
Busia and Malaba are the gateways to Uganda and Isebania sits on the Tanzanian Border. This makes this place ideal for combining trips to our neighboring countries.
Kenya safari highlights
- Exploring the tiny island of rusinga and mfangano on lake Victoria
- Staying at rodo treat and exploring the birdlife, flora and fauna.
- Trekking through the cherangani hills and down kerio valley.
- Discovering the caves at Mount Elgon.
- Camping in Ruma National Park.
The city of Kisumu is accessible many flights landing and taking off to and from Nairobi. This new city has an easy town life with plenty of vibrate entertainment life. The lake is a big link for the 3 East African countries; a small harbor and one get ferry services to Uganda and Tanzania. A tour of the city will give show you what a typical African life can be.
Attractions
- Impala sanctuary
- Bird sanctuary
- Ndere Island National Park
- Kisumu museum
- Ruma National Park
Here you will see the last of Kenya’s Roan antelope, go for trekking, climbing, safaris and fishing. Camping sites available.
RUSINGA, MFANGANO & TALAWIRI ISLANDS.
These islands are rugged, beautiful and a must to explore, visit the Mt Kwitutu and the mausoleum of Tom Mboya in Rusinga.
KAKAMEGA FOREST RESERVE
Kakamega forest is a superb slab of virgin tropical rainforest the heart of an intensely cultivated agricultural area. It is the home to a huge variety of birds and animals and it is real a must see. Here you will find exotic species like the rare De Brazza’s monkey, other forest primates include the red-tailed monkey the colobus and blue monkey. In the night you will see the hammer-headed fruit bat or a flying squirrel.
The biggest attraction to this reserve is the abundant bird life the best months being June, August and October when many migrate species arrive. More than 300 species of birds have been recorded, you are most likely to see black and white casqued horn bill, Ross’s Turaco, greater Turaco. Wild flowers and butterflies are wonderful in October.
This is an excellent place for walking trails the best way to appreciate the forest and there are established trails.
MT ELGON NATIONAL PARK
Mt Elgon sits astride the Kenya –Uganda borders 169 sq km. It has excellent terrain for trekking due to the lower altitude the conditions are not extreme. This Mountain is an extinct volcano and with a peak and a crater and there are hot springs in the crater itself the floor of which is around 3500m above the sea level.
The biggest attraction here are the elephants, renowned the world over for their predilection for digging salt, the major source of which is in the caves. Stories abound that the elephants have dug all the cave in Mt Elgin. There are four many caves open to visitors, Kitum this is the place to see the elephants if you get there before dawn, Chepnyalil, Mackingeny has a cascading across the entrance.
The mountain” fauna and flora are also a great attraction, a rain forest at the base, the vegetation changes as you ascend to the Bamboo jungle and finally alpine moorland with bizarre giant groundsel and giant lobelia
Is home to the blavckand white colombus, crowned crane, queen of the marsh, cape clawless and spot-throat otters. This park is only accessible on foot on walking trials.
There no lodges at Mt Elgon, people stay at a campsite or some simple
Hot air balloon safaris are a perfect adventure any wildlife enthusiast shouldn’t miss to enjoy on Kenya safaris. These offer the best aerial game viewing experience in the finest protected areas in Kenya. The best places that offer hot air balloon safaris include Maasai Mara National Reserve and you can go for the morning/sunrise balloon tour or sunset session.
Ol Pejeta Safaris Kenya, Days Trips, Packages & Things to do
Read our travel guide on Ol Pejeta Safaris in Kenya and things to do in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Plan your private and bespoke Ol Pejeta Safari Tour from experts. Ol Pejeta day trips ad Packages
Ol Pejeta is a private wildlife conservancy located between the foothills of the Aberdares and the majestic snow-capped Mount Kenya. It features one of Kenya’s greatest wildlife densities and an incredible variety of animals, including the “Big Five.” It has a wide range of safari activities, including day and night game drives, guided bush walks, and camel rides on its animal-rich plains. Those interested in our closest cousins might pay a visit to the nearby chimp sanctuary.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta is also an excellent base for exploring the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, and the Solio Game Reserve. Solio is a private wildlife conservancy located between the Aberdares foothills and the spectacular snow-capped Mount Kenya. It is home to approximately 70 Black and more than 150 White Rhinos, as well as buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and plains species such as Eland, Oryx, impala, waterbuck, gazelle, and warthog.
Ol Pejeta Day Trips
Ol Pejeta is one of Kenya’s top wildlife conservancies for a day trip for those short on time or on a whim. This is due to the fact that it is vast enough to support a variety of unique activities, game drive routes, and wildlife, but small enough that you can complete practically all of them in eight hours.
After a morning game drive, visitors can see the chimps and endangered species enclosures before stopping for lunch at Morani’s Restaurant, the Safari Dinner, or parking at a designated campsite for a picnic. The afternoon can be spent visiting Baraka the blind black rhino, piqued at the teaching center, and possibly winding down with another game drive before departing.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya
Activities in Laikipia – Ol Pejeta/Solio
Game Drives in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
On game drives in Kenya’s Central Highlands, you’ll see incredible animals against the evocative background of Africa’s Great Rift Valley. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers stunning views of the Aberdares foothills on one end and Mount Kenya on the other. It is abundant in large and small wildlife, as well as exotic birds such as the Big 5.
On exhilarating game drives, expect to see endangered rhinos, Savanna elephants, lions, buffalo, endangered chimps, zebra, giraffes, gnus, ostrich, ibis, pelicans, eagles, and many more! Game drives are best in the early mornings when the animals are most active, and in the late afternoons, when the sun paints incredible colors across the horizon. If you stay overnight within the reserve, you may also go on exciting night drives to see rarely seen nocturnal wildlife.
Game Drive in Solio Ranch
Drive through the Rhino Sanctuary in your 4WD vehicle to see the rare black and white rhinos. While you’re there, look for buffaloes, lions, zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, leopards, elands, warthogs, and other species in their natural habitat. Nothing beats the thrill of spotting these gorgeous creatures walking freely across their own territory. Grab a pair of binoculars and discover a plethora of birds that are distinctive to this natural area. With a little help from your experienced guide, you might even be able to identify their individual calls!
Kenya is one of the best places in Africa where you can experience exotic beach experiences. The most popular beaches to explore on beach safaris in Kenya include Malindi, Diani Beach, Bamburi, Che Shale Beach, Manda Bay, Kikambala, Nyali Beach, and others. Beach safaris in Kenya can be combined with wildlife tours in Maasai Mara or any national park in Kenya.
Over 1158 bird species are in Kenya alone making it a diverse ecosystem. The abundant bird population thrives in the rainforest, savannas, deserts, highlands, mangroves, wetlands, and the Great Rift Valley Lakes.
Some of the birds to spot on birding tours in Kenya include the superb starling, lilac-breasted rollers, vulturine guineafowl, Abyssinian rollers, hammerkop, flamingos, turacos, and more. The best birding sites in Kenya include Lake Nakuru, Lake Baringo, Lake Naivasha, Samburu Buffalo Springs National Reserve, etc.
Best remembered as the setting where Elsa, Joy Adamson’s lioness, was returned to the wild. Meru provides a stunning combination of diverse habitats. On the lower slopes of Mt. Kenya, it remains an unspoilt wilderness. Dense riverine forests attract Leopards, and a full complement of ‘the big five’ including Black Rhino, in a dramatic setting adorned with doum palms. Over 300 species of birdlife have also been recorded. Wooded thorn bush and grasslands in volcanic rock, give way to open red soil grasslands over in the east. Highlights include Mulika Swamp, and the noisy Adamson’s fall where the Rojweru and Tana rivers converge.
Kenya Safari
Meru is untamed expanse, for many years the kept secret amongst travelers passionate about beauty, peace, and true wilderness. Landing there you feel part of the landscape, vibrating with hidden sights and unfamiliar sounds. You become aware of underground dwellers…. amazing insect life with sophisticated rites and rituals. You will follow the fresh tracks of animals….then suddenly your standing stark still, watching a lesser kudu watching you or giraffe testing the air only yards away from you and your guide.
Here you will encounter many species than in any other park in East Africa. Meru is famous for its birdlife with forest and riverine as well as the arid species. Regular sightings include elephant, white rhino, eland, Beisa, Oryx, Gerenuk, grevy’s Zebra, reticulated Giraffe, grants gazelle and their predators lion, leopard, cheetah and the hyena.
Activities
Guided nature walks, exploring the park on foot, bush breakfasts on the plains, sundowners at the hippo pools, line fishing, and swimming in the horizontal pool cleft in the rocks.
Best Kenya Family Safari Holidays & Child-Friendly Tours
Kenya is a perfect destination for a family safari holiday and Packages. Plan your Kenya Family Safari with Safaria. Best Kenya Family Safari Holidays & Child-Friendly Tours. The safety of the country in recent years has manifested in its ranking as one of the finest family destinations in Africa. The all-year good weather conditions, abundant wildlife, the family-friendly beaches, and the country’s vast experience in catering to the needs of families with youngsters further boost the country as a fine destination for family safari holidays.
A Kenya Family Safari Package creates unforgettable memories that can’t be found anywhere else, with the country having a lot to offer to the visitors. The real feel of Africa can be experienced with travel to Kenya, forgetting the rest of the world, Africa offers the real experience of the wilderness where the youngsters can have great opportunity to unleash their imagination and explore the real world. Driving almost within arm’s reach of elephants, lions, and the cheetah is an experience that will last in your child’s memories forever and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
What are the major highlights of a family safari holiday in Kenya?
The abundant wildlife in Kenya including all the Big Five will offer a great opportunity for wildlife sighting on game drives on Masai Mara Safari, in addition, you can also have a chance to watch abundant birdlife that is usually splayed over the glittering lakes of the rift valley, drifting over the vast plains on a scenic hot air balloon flight, going on guided bus walks led by red-robed Maasai warriors and hand-feeding giraffe at the well – known Giraffe Manor and when not within your reach, kids can also participate in junior rangers programs that offer unforgettable experience such as learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, making fire with sticks or casting animal tracks in plaster. A family can have a view of the spectacular sunrise over Mount Kenya or else relax on long miles of sand beaches along the Indian Ocean.
How special is Kenya?
Kenya is one of the two countries in East Africa where unaltered Annual Migration of mammal grazers occurs. Annual Migration is an all-year event where mammal grazers with over a million wildebeest, thousands of zebra and gazelles move in pursue fresh water and pastures to graze on. In Kenya, the Great Migration occurs in the Masai Mara National Reserve, located in the southern part of the country at the southernmost boundary that doubles as an international boundary between Kenya and Tanzania.
The long journey of the Annual Wildebeest Migration with other mammal grazers is usually concluded in the Masai Mara National Reserve, and they congregate here in large numbers before they migrate back to the Serengeti in Tanzania. The great migration can be seen all year round however, the Wildebeest Migration in Masai Mara reaches the climax between the months of June to November, and many visitors visit the Reserve during these periods of the year.
