Kenya is a birthplace of safari travel, offering stunning natural beauty, cultural encounters, and sensational game viewing. From witnessing the wildebeest migration to encountering legendary elephant herds, a Kenya safari promises unforgettable experiences.
With the option to combine gorilla-trekking adventures or a beach holiday, here are our picks for the best safaris in Kenya.
The Masai Mara
The Masai Mara in Kenya is a beautiful wildlife viewing area known for its diverse landscapes and plentiful predators. It’s the ideal place to witness the Great Migration from July to September, where thousands of wildebeest cross the Mara River.
The region also boasts renowned camps and lodges such as Governors’ Camp, situated along the river and providing an ideal location to track the migration. With its vast grasslands, riverine forests, and savannah woodlands, the Masai Mara offers an unforgettable safari adventure.
Lake Nakuru National Park
Experience the quintessential African landscape at Lake Nakuru National Park, located just 170 km northwest of Nairobi. Witness the spectacle of over a million pink flamingos flocking along the lake’s shores, along with other video-worthy wildlife such as white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, hippos, ostriches, and lions.
Laikipia
The high plains of Laikipia, north-west of Mount Kenya, offer stunning wilderness and wildlife encounters. Laikipia is Kenya’s second-most wildlife-dense region after Masai Mara and boasts a rich population of endangered mammals and endemic species.
The area also has the largest number of rhinos in Kenya, with over 300 of the majestic creatures roaming the plains. Laikipia is increasingly becoming one of Kenya’s top safari destinations, offering breath-taking views and a unique wildlife experience.
Amboseli National Park
The breath-taking Mount Kilimanjaro is an essential stop on any Kenyan safari. Emerging from the mist in the morning, the mountain is surrounded by some of the largest elephants you’ll ever see, grazing at its base, while herds of other wildlife gather at the nearby springs.
With over 370 species of birds and a diverse range of animals including zebras, wildebeest, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, buffalo, warthogs, impalas, jackals, and leopards, this park promises a truly unforgettable safari experience.
Meru National Park
Meru National Park, once neglected owing to rampant poaching in the 1990s, is now a popular wildlife viewing destination. Spanning 870 sq. km, it remains one of Kenya’s least visited big parks, which makes it a hidden gem waiting to be explored. Although it doesn’t attract as many visitors as other parks, Meru’s wildlife population and game viewing opportunities rival any other in Kenya.
The Big 5 are frequently spotted, as well as cheetah and other savannah species. The park’s streams and rivers – home to hippo, crocodile, and African fish eagle – are an integral part of the landscape.
Tsavo National Parks
Tsavo’s two national parks form the biggest wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. Despite being more secluded than other safari parks, the expansive area provides limitless vistas to explore. Witnessing elephants spraying water from the Galana River onto themselves is a breath-taking sight you won’t forget, much like the wins from the bingo Australia offers.
The parks are also home to a diverse array of wildlife, including giraffes, cheetahs, lions, leopards, oryx, gazelles, buffaloes, antelopes, striped hyenas, impalas, and around 500 bird species. Tsavo East features two iconic trees, the baobab and the doum palm.
