7 Best Safari Experiences To Do in Kenya

Kenya, home of classic safaris, has some of the most iconic BIG Five safari experiences, combined with incredible landscape views. African game safaris pioneered in Kenya as hunting adventures during the colonial era. Today, the experience is centered around conservation with a wide range of activities, tour operators, lodges, and transport companies annually welcoming thousands of visitors. Kenya still stands out as a leading safari destination in Africa.

From modified 4×4 safari trucks to large hotel-style lodges offering competitive rates, and luxury camps that rival the world’s top boutique hotels, Kenya provides a varied experience for every traveler.

Walking with a tribesman through their ancestral home to the most remote and isolated natural wonders is one of the most thrilling safari experiences in Kenya you shouldn’t miss.

The classic morning and evening game drives on the savannah plains reveal a host of rich wildlife, rounded off with scenic wilderness sundowners and superb dining. Mobile safari camps set up in the bush or raised platforms in the open grasslands are a stargazer’s heaven.

Wildlife viewing experiences occur on foot, horseback, bicycle, boat, quad bike, or in a customized open safari truck, bringing visitors within arm’s reach of the wild animals. Also, a Kenya safari managed by specialized guides is a perfect trip for a wildlife and nature photography combination. Many safaris include active thrills with the Maasai warriors or hiking up some of Africa’s highest mountain slopes. Birding enthusiasts can lose themselves in many residents and migrant species found in Kenya.

1. The Great Migration in Masai Mara

One of Kenya’s most thrilling safari experiences is the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra crosses into Masai Mara from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The spectacle involves enormous herds of animals plunging across the Mara River during the winter months and braving through traps of some of Africa’s fiercest predators. 

The Great Migration attracts fierce predators, including lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, and colossal Nile crocodiles. Their watchful presence heightens the hunting drama as the predators pounce on the weak, sick, or simply unwary. 

Hundreds of vehicles enter the Masai Mara daily, seeking to witness a lion kill or a dramatic river crossing. The best time times to travel for the great migration experience is when the Wildebeest are crossing the Mara River. Note that you must book accommodation far in advance because every traveler wants to come during that time. 

While tourist numbers are high and sightings are shared with many other vehicles, the wildlife viewing during the migration season is truly spectacular. 

Book in the smaller and more intimate safari camps for a more private migration safari experience in Mara. They set on exclusive concessions or deep in the remote reaches of the national parks to lessen the impact of other tourists while still providing an exceptional wildlife experience.

While the Masai Mara is a definite highlight of any safari experience in Kenya, most Kenya safaris will visit several areas, traveling either by road or by scheduled light aircraft flights. 

2. Nairobi

Visiting the pioneer safari capital, Nairobi City, is one of the best safari experiences in Kenya. Nairobi is one of East Africa’s busiest and most diverse cities, giving a personal experience with what is commonly known as the “Nairobi character.”

Nairobi offers a couple of incredible safari experiences for travelers that want to taste the city’s classic and contemporary cultures. 

The day excursion at the Karen Blixen Museum is one of the tourists’ favorites, with a glimpse into the fascinating world of the pioneer coffee farmer. Karen achieved world fame in the 1970s through her highly acclaimed memoir, “Out of Africa.” After a series of personal tragedies, she left Africa. Her lovely colonial house with expansive gardens is preserved as a museum perfect for an evening stroll.

The renowned Giraffe Centre offers a rare opportunity to get up close to these gentle giraffe giants. The center was founded to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe by Jock Leslie-Melville, a grandson of a Scottish earl born in Kenya. You can take a gentle, serene walk on the forest trail or meet face-close with the resident giraffes and feed them small pellets.

Conservationists will enjoy the experience at Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. Here, they witness the heroic efforts of the dedicated conservation team that rehabilitate orphaned elephant babies and other vulnerable animals. The sanctuary plays a pivotal role in protecting the wilderness. It offers a beautiful experience and the opportunity to adopt an orphaned elephant.

Another exciting experience in Nairobi worth your time is visiting the Maasai Market at the Village Market Mall. The Maasai Market in Nairobi is held on Fridays in the northern part of Nairobi. The market hall features hundreds of artisans specializing in ethnic relics such as iron sculptures, paintings, and batik textile prints. There are also performances from local musicians and weekly art exhibitions to showcase up-and-coming talent.

3. The Kenya Coastal Beaches

Kenya’s dominant safari destinations easily disrupt the country’s dazzling tropical coastline. You can be forgiven for not checking Kenya’s beach experience after your safari experiences on the plains. Mainland Mombasa is one of the family-favorite places to go in Kenya for got-it-all beach resorts, including the accent on exclusivity, luxury, and indulgence.

The coastline’s turquoise, deep blue waters are among the few places in Africa that offer the most tranquil romantic safari experiences. The long stretches of palm-fringed white sand and idyllic beach hotels accentuated with adventurous snorkeling and diving experiences are something you shouldn’t miss out on.

4. Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is commonly referred to as the ‘home of the African Elephant.’ It is one of the best safari experiences in Kenya, often combined with the Masai Mara Experience. 

The thundering movement of the majestic elephants is a one-of-a-kind safari experience. The plains of Amboseli lay in the shadows of the magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro with jaw-dropping photography views. 

From Lake Amboseli’s dry bed to wetlands with sulfur springs, Amboseli National Park offers nature lovers incredible safari experiences.

5. Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park was once famous for its flamingo population. Still, it hasn’t lost its luster. It is a three-hour drive from Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley, making it a perfect destination for a one-day safari trip. 

The park’s incredible landscape comprises the Rift Valley escarpment, the expansive lake, and the surrounding vegetation, with patchy grassland. It has seasonal waterfalls depending on the time of year, while the river skirting the lake hosts hippos, waterbucks, rhinos, elands, impalas, and plenty of birds. The best lion experiences in the park occur in the forested area, near the designated campsite – up in the trees.

During the nesting season, Lake Nakuru appears covered in a bright pink blanket of pink plumes from a distance. A crowd of 2 million flamingos can cover the entire lakeshore. These wading birds are drawn to Lake Nakuru to nest on its shores and feed on its rich algae supply.

Lake Nakuru’s flamingos are the park’s primary attraction. However, you also have the chance to see a wider variety of species, including big flocks of pelicans and variable flocks of flamingos.

Lake Nakuru National Park is a great standalone day trip if you don’t have enough time to visit Kenya’s more popular national parks like the Maasai Mara or Amboseli. 

6. Aberdare National Park

Aberdare National Park offers vastly incredible safari experiences within its tinyness compared to its more famous savannah reserves. The park primarily protects the Aberdare Mountains and two of Kenya’s most unique ecosystems: the Kinangop moorland plateau and a swathe of dense rainforest dotted with waterfalls. 

The park’s unique and spectacular landscapes and good game viewing, particularly in the salient, lush rainforest, make it a top safari attraction on a Kenya safari. Game viewing in the Aberdares includes spotting elephants, buffaloes, leopards, hyenas, black rhinos, and even the rare black leopard.

Aberdare National Park is located about 180kms north of Nairobi, making it an easy addition to your safari experiences in Kenya, including the Masai Mara and Amboseli. 

7. Samburu National Reserve

The Samburu National Reserve is an excellent safari experience for travelers that have visited Kenya before or those looking for more of an off-the-beaten-path adventure that still has plenty of creature comforts. 

That park offers unique safari experiences, a magnificent hilly landscape accentuated by humongous termite mounds, and excellent game viewing. One of the top highlight experiences in the park is spotting Samburu’s special five, the gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, and Somali ostrich. The park also harbors quasi-endemic species adapted to the more arid and hillier conditions. 

Bird watchers in Samburu will enjoy ticking off a list of about 450 bird species recorded within the park, including rare ones like the vulturine guinea fowl, kori bustards, and secretary birds.

Walking with Samburu guides through a hilly landscape dotted with magnificent outcrops is a cultural experience like no other.  

Kenya Safari Packages

Encounter Africa safari organizes safari experiences in Kenya for all types of travelers with different budgets. Without local knowledge of the logistics, we can book you into comfortable camps, plan your meals, pay your manage your transport and transfers.

Message us at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda.com to talk with our consultants and get you a favorable price quote.