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10+ results in Kenya
Kenya is where the safari was invented and it still does it better than almost anywhere. The Masai Mara is the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem and holds the highest predator density in Africa, with the Mara river crossings drawing the herds from roughly July to October. Around it, the country offers things the Mara does not: Amboseli for elephants under Kilimanjaro, Samburu and the northern rangelands for the dry-country species found nowhere south of it, Laikipia for private conservancies that mix conservation with community land, and the Indian Ocean coast at Diani and Watamu to finish.
The conservancies bordering the Mara reserve are worth understanding before booking. They cap vehicle numbers, allow off-road driving and night drives that the national reserve does not, and they pay Maasai landowners directly for keeping the land open. A conservancy camp costs more and delivers a quieter, closer sighting.
July to October is the peak, dry and busy. January and February are hot, dry and much quieter, and are excellent. The long rains fall from March to May and the short rains in November, both cheap and green, both with some risk to the roads.
July to October for the dry season and the Mara river crossings, which is also the busiest and most expensive window. January and February are dry, hot and much quieter. The long rains in March to May and the short rains in November bring green country, low prices and some road risk.
The national reserve is open to any vehicle with a day entry fee, which is why crossings draw crowds. The surrounding conservancies are leased from Maasai landowners, cap the number of beds and vehicles, and allow off-road driving and night drives. They cost more and the sightings are quieter and closer.
The herds are in Tanzania for most of the rest of the year, so the Mara crossings are a July to October proposition and even then depend on the rain. The Mara holds excellent resident game all year, including lion, cheetah and elephant, so a trip outside the window is still a good safari. No crossing is ever guaranteed.
Yes. Short flights connect Nairobi and the Mara to Mombasa, Diani and Malindi, and three or four nights on the coast after a safari is the usual shape. The coast is warm all year and driest from December to March and again from July to October.
