As the first rays of the golden sun hit the Mara, life begins to thrive all around you. An illuminating hue cast across the vast expanse of the savannah warming your heart in spite of the chilly winds at dawn. Deers, Wildebeast, Zebras start to graze. Lions stretch nonchalantly and step out for a walk outside the bushes. Leopards still lounge on the barks of the trees hoping to snooze just a little longer. Birds chirp to announce the onset of a bright, sunny, and glorious day. Mornings amidst the wildlife in their natural surroundings are magical, surreal almost. That was how our trip began when we set out to watch the Great Migration in August in Kenya.
Before, I go into our experience further, here’s all you need to know to plan the best Kenya Safari experience.
Is Kenya your kind of travel destination?
Kenya offers two kinds of vacation – Bush or Beach. If you have time and are up for an adventure, you could do both. Bush primarily refers to a Safari Trip across Kenya’s diverse national parks (read: Masai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo) and savannah. Beaches are well the beautiful coastline that adorns Kenya (read: Diani Beach, Malindi, Watamu)
We were keen on catching the wildlife in Kenya and decided to make an all bush trip this time around. All information below will be related to safaris. If you’re keen on a beach vacation – you could read the following links
Go2Africa – Kenya Beach Guide
Bigworldsmallcoast – Kenya Coast
Now, if you are looking to spot sensational wildlife in your Kenya safaris read on
Best time for Kenya Safari?
The best time to travel to Kenya is the months of January, February, or July to October. The months of April to June are usually monsoon season and are best to avoid. July to October is the most popular season given the migration season.
Planning travel for a Kenya Safari
There is always an option to arrive in Nairobi and drive yourself with rented cars. However, I would not recommend this because
1. The roads are not the best for self-drive. The approach road towards even the largest parks such as Masai Mara is terrible with mud roads stretching for 2-3 hours. Also, within the parks, it is advisable to have a local guide to take you around as they use a transistor to stay updated of sightings within the park.
2. There is hardly any electricity in some national parks and relying on Maps is not the best of options
We chose to book our Kenya Safari with a tour agency and guide
Since this was our first time in Africa, we decided to go with a tour guide. Most of these are an end to end safaris with pick up and drop from Nairobi airport.
How to select the right Kenya Safari agency
Read online reviews on Safaribookings and TripAdvisor. I would also advise taking references of folks who have already visited Kenya for a positive or negative experience. I went ahead with Explorer Kenya after a few positive reviews from travelers on the facebook group Girls Love Travel.
Ideally, reach out to 3-4 agencies to seek quotes over email for costs, things covered in the itinerary, sample list of hotels booked, and availability with the agency. Availability becomes a concern during peak season or migration season in Kenya.
Things to note before booking a Kenya Safari
Itinerary is negotiable
When you request the agency for a quote for say 8 days, they will give you their standard itinerary, but it can be negotiated. For instance, given Masai a Maaras exorbitant prices, agencies usually include only one day for it. However, that is grossly insufficient for the beauty in this park. I would recommend a minimum of 3 days and 2 nights in Masai Mara
Pay minimal advance
Kenya is notoriously famous for fraudulent transactions. We have heard of a few instances where the drivers do not show up on arrival in Kenya. To avoid this, it is preferable to negotiate and pay only 10 or 20% advance. Assure the agency that you will pay the rest once you arrive in Nairobi that should work.
Kenya Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi and stay in Nairobi
There are direct flights from Mumbai to Nairobi through Kenyan and Ethiopian Airways. We usually fly Emirates and took a flight via Dubai that was slightly longer but comfortable for us. The immigration in Nairobi airport can take a while as the counters are limited and they take a while to process each passenger.
Arrive in Nairobi and stay the night in the hotel. Some safari packages provide for this with an additional charge while others include it in the package. Be sure to verify that. We booked it ourselves with the IBIS chain to be sure of standards and service. We were not disappointed. IBIS Nairobi was the perfect stay for a night’s transit.
Day 2: Rise early and leave for Mara
Wake up early and begin your journey to Masai Mara. We kept the best first, and it did not disappoint. The journey is a long one about 6 hours without stops. The first few hours have good roads, but after that, be prepared for a bumpy ride. We were thrown up in the air, so many times as the roads suddenly seem to disappear. On our way to the hotel though we already spotted zebras and wildebeest. We were already excited for what awaited us.
Reach Mara, have lunch, enter your tented camps and unwind. Head for your first ever safari in the grasslands for an evening safari till sunset.
Day 3 & 4: Masai Mara Safari
The Mara park is gigantic. The next two days just use it to explore different segments of the park and take in all the wildlife you can. We did one full day of Safari with a picnic lunch packed and another half day of a safari along with visits to the local Masai village.
The visit to the Masai village was great as well with the tribe hospitable in welcoming you with their tribal dances, houses, and craft. We picked up a beautiful handcrafted painting hand painted by the beautiful women of Masai.
Day 5: Leave Mara for Lake Nakuru
The drive is again for 6 hours. However, this time the roads are much better with the beautiful Rift valley on both sides of the way, making it a brilliant couple of hours. Leave by dawn to reach before lunch at Nakuru.
Nakuru is their third-largest city, and they have a national park amidst the city with its tall scrapers which offers a contrasting scenery for the wildlife. Head out for an evening safari at Lake Nakuru. The view is just beautiful by the lake, and the experience along with the sightings is fabulous.
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Kenya Safari Lions Walking in Masai Mara -
Kenya Safari: Lioness yawning in Masai Mara -
Kenya Safari: Lioness at Masai Mara
Day6: Leave Lake Nakuru for Lake Naivasha
This is the day you can wake up at ease for Nakuru and Naivasha are just 1.5 hours away. Leave at 9 and reach the hotel in Lake Naivasha by 11. There is not much to do apart from boating in Lake Naivasha where you see a few hippos and birds in the lake (we were told). We are usually not a fan of these touristy boating escapades, so we decided to skip this. You could also go to Crater Lake Camp where you could walk in the forest and have lunch on the tiny lake restaurant.
Naivasha is usually used as a pitstop day to rest for tourists commuting between Mara and Amboseli and can be skipped for budgetary and time constraints.
Day 7: Leave Lake Naivasha for Amboseli
This one is going to be a long day. Leave at dawn to head for Amboseli which is a 7-hour drive. Reach the hotel and unwind before getting a first look with an evening safari in Amboseli. Be prepared for dust flying everywhere. Amboseli, with its volcanic top-soil, is famous for flying all over the place. A scarf or a hat is your best friend here.
Day 8: Mt. Kilimanjaro and Amboseli National Park
Wake up before sunrise to go to Amboseli National Park and catch the infamous view of the Mt. Kilimanjaro. The view usually lasts only for an hour, before the peak is covered in fog and clouds again. Enjoy the rest of the day roaming around Amboseli National Park known for its elephant density and diverse birds.
Day 9: One last safari in Amboseli and drive back to Nairobi
We went for a quick morning safari to say goodbye to the wildlife until we met again and left for Nairobi.
Local sightseeing in Nairobi
Day 10: Leave for India
We stayed an additional day in Nairobi because we had something planned, but that is totally discretionary. It is time to say goodbye to the savannah. Enjoy the last bits of Nairobi in the morning and head over to the airport to get on that flight back home.
Kenya Safari : Tentative Budget
Kenya Visa for Indians
It is a quick online approval. You need to create an account here. You will need the following documents
Latest passport photograph
Passport scan – Front and Back
Itinerary Details – Would be given by the safari agency
Hotel Details – Would be provided by the safari agency
For submitting the application, online payment of 51$ per person is required. It is processed with a few working days. They do not send the visa on email, however. You will need to log in to the portal to download the approved permit. Remember to take a print out of the document.
Kenya Vaccination formalities
To enter Kenya, you need a Yellow Card (as its called). It is a certificate issued by the Indian government upon receiving your yellow fever vaccination shots. They usually check that on entry/exit in Africa
India Immigration also needs an Oral Polio Vaccination certificate on entering India from Africa. All flight tickets issued come with this message “A certificate of vaccination with Oral Polio Vaccine is mandatory for entry VISA.”
We missed this notification and did not get our certificate. Usually, the polio vaccine certificate is also issued by the same authority issuing the Yellow Fever card, be sure to get both in the same visit.
Things to keep in mind for a Kenya Safari?
1) Vaccination – Be sure to get both yellow fever and polio vaccination done on time. They need to be issued 2-3 weeks before the date of travel so check the rules and plan accordingly to avoid last-minute stress
2) Safety- The neighborhoods in Kenya are not the safest, be cautious while traveling. While we did not have any bad experiences, we were constantly reminded to reach back before 6 pm for our own safety. Also, be sure that you do not pay the safari agencies the full amount in advance. Pay once you arrive, and the agency picks you up from Nairobi
3) Vegetarians – do not fret. There are several vegetarian food options. Most safaris include lunch and dinner with vegetarian options – Chapati/Rice with curry. The food eaten though is a little uncooked and raw (Both vegetables and meat) with less salt. So be sure to carry some dry chutney and spicy bhujia to spice up the food for your taste buds. I unashamedly poured bhujia onto my plate for every meal.
4) Scarf/Hats – There is a lot of dust in the safari across from Mara to Amboseli. Do not forget to carry a scarf or hats to protect the semblance of your hair. It is challenging to maintain it in all the winds and dust.
That’s all folks! For more information on our experience, check out my Instagram highlights called “Kenya Safari.” Feel free to drop your questions in the comments section below. And I hope you create a memorable Kenya safari experience in the savannah soon!