Do you dream of observing wild animals in their natural environment? Discover the 11 best places to go on safari in Kenya!
If Kenya is so famous for its safaris, it’s because the country is home to all the great species of African fauna. These include the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo… all the animals that so inspired Hemingway, Joseph Kessel and Karen Blixen. A safari in Kenya means exploring these vast savannah lands by 4×4, on foot or mountain bike in search of wild animals. All in all, an unforgettable experience…
With 26 national parks, 35 nature reserves and a host of private reserves, there’s plenty to do! The best time for a safari in Kenya? December to March and June to October, when the dry season brings animals to waterholes.
Looking for an unforgettable experience? Follow the guide to the country’s best safaris!
1. Amboseli Park
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Park plus: exceptional photo opportunities of Kilimanjaro’s eternal snows. Early mornings are best, before the clouds cover the famous peak.
It is one of the oldest parks in East Africa and one of Kenya’s most famous safari destinations. Ideally situated opposite the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is famous for its mythical setting. Indeed, it was here thatErnest Hemingway is said to have found the inspiration to write The Snows of Kilimanjaro!
The wild plains and acacia forests are prime natural habitats for the local wildlife. Covering more than 380 km², the park is home to Kenya’s largest concentration of elephants! There are also giraffes, gazelles, impalas, wildebeests, cheetahs…
2. Lake Nakuru
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Park bonus: Home to Kenya’s largest population of white rhinos.
Located 160 km north of Nairobi, Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya’s must-see safari parks. This Unesco-listed park boasts the highest concentration of wildlife in the country. Almost 400 species of birds live side by side in an area of just 200 km². A host of other animals live here, including giraffes, buffaloes and climbing lions. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a leopard!
Lake Nakuru offers an idyllic setting for your safari. The backdrop is a turquoise lake, volcanoes, grasslands and forests…
3. Samburu Estate
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Park bonus: It’s one of the least visited nature parks in the country!
In the very north of the country, the Samburu Nature Reserve joins the Shaba and Buffalo Springs reserves to form an immense territory of over 800 km². The park offers the advantage of being less crowded and more sparsely populated, making animals easier to spot. In this vast ecosystem, the Ewaso Nyiro River is home to elephants who come to bathe, while crocodiles bask in the sun on its banks. Rare species such as the gerenuk, the Grevy’s zebra and the unicorn-like oryx beisa inhabit Samburu Park.
Of all the different safaris in Kenya, this is certainly where you’ll have the best chance of seeing a leopard.
4. Lewa Downs private reserve
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The park’s plus point: its efforts to involve local communities in the management of the area.
Located in the Laikipia region, Lewa Downs is an 18,000-hectare private reserve, with a further 6,600 hectares from the adjacent Il Ngwesi reserve. Facing Mount Kenya, it is covered by cedar forest to the west and plains to the east, as far as the Ndare River. The family who own the land have turned it into a reserve with exemplary management. The Masai and Samburu communities are involved in the park’s conservation. Among the many species you will be able to observe are :
- Black and white rhinos
- Zebras
- Giraffes
- Gazelles-giraffes
- Somali ostriches
- Leopards
- Lions
- Jackals
- Elephants
- Oryx
5. Méru park
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Rich Carey
The best thing about the park: very few people – a rare commodity for safaris in Kenya!
With a surface area of 870 km2, it is one of the least-visited parks on a Kenyan safari. A victim of poaching in the 1990s, animal reintroduction campaigns were launched. Since then, the effort has paid off, and many species can now be found in the park.
In this region, 350 km from Nairobi, the rains can be heavy. It is therefore essential to leave during the dry season (austral winter). The area’s high humidity contributes to an unusual landscape, with numerous swamps and tall grasses. Rivers provide year-round water for wildlife. The varied biotope allows us to observe a wide range of wild animals, such as beisa oryx, gerenuks and lesser kudu.
6. Masaï Mara Reserve
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Park attraction: the chance to observe one of the world’s largest herbivore migrations, from mid-July to late September.
On the border with Tanzania, the wide-open spaces of the Masai Mara form a magnificent national reserve, perched between 1,500 and 2,100 meters above sea level. Its immense, often treeless plains are ideal for observing wild animals, notably the Big Fives.
The Masaï Mara reserve is also the preferred location for the great migration of millions of herbivores. Together, wildebeest, zebra and gazelle cover more than 3,000 km in search of better pasture.
7. Tsavo Park
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Park plus: We come here as much for the breathtaking beauty of the landscapes as for the animals.
Tsavo National Park covers 4% of Kenya, making it the country’s largest national reserve. It is also one of the oldest. The park is divided into two main areas. To the east, the great red plains dotted with baobabs are home to elephants, giraffes, zebras and leopards. To the west, crocodiles and hippos.
Unfortunately, the size of the reserve can make observation difficult, and you’ll need to be patient. Fortunately, the scenery is breathtaking!
8. Nairobi Park
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The park’s best feature: unquestionably easy access!
If you’re planning a safari in Kenya with children, the Nairobi Park is the easy choice! Admittedly, it’s considerably smaller than the others (114 km²), and there are no elephants. The advantage? It’s only a few minutes from the city center.
The park is home to rhinos, giraffes, zebras, elands, ostriches, hippos, lions and leopards. All in a vast space that looks nothing like a zoo!
9. Aberdares Park
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The park’s best feature: you can enjoy a different experience by observing the animals on foot or from your lodge (you can even be woken up at night to go out on the terrace to see an animal).
This off-the-beaten-track park will appeal to lovers of tropical vegetation. Culminating at an altitude of 4,000 metres, it is made up of dense forests and moorland, punctuated by waterfalls.
Although it’s sometimes difficult to spot animals in this bushy landscape, Aberdares Park is home to many species: elephants, rhinos, guibs, buffalo, lions and leopards. It’s also one of the few reserves where you can see colobus monkeys.
10. Shimba Hills National Reserve
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Park plus: You can combine a luxury safari with action to help the local flora and fauna.
Would you like to combine a safari in Kenya with a good deed? By taking part in an excursion to Shimba Hills, you’ll be helping to safeguard an ecosystem made fragile by the proximity of human populations. The reserve is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Reserve, and entrance fees are used to fund conservation and protection initiatives.
It’s more like a mini-safari, lasting around 2h30, during which you’ll see many wild animals: elephants, buffalo, sable antelope (an endemic species). Observation posts are ideal for exploring on foot.
11. Lake naivasha
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Park plus: You can hire a boat to sail along the shores of the lake and observe the animals.
Naivasha is a freshwater lake in the Great Rift Valley, making it a veritable ornithological paradise. Located at the foot of the Longonot volcano, it is also home to numerous mammals, including zebra, giraffe, buffalo and monkeys. As there are few, if any, large predators, the safari can be enjoyed on foot.
Now you know the best safaris to do in Kenya. So which one will you choose?