Kenya Safari Trip: 12 Days, 5 National Parks and Going About Planning It

A Kenya safari had been on the cards for a while.

Why Kenya? 

I’d been curiously eyeing up Zanzibar (part of Tanzania) and all those pretty beaches, which then sparked a curiosity for Kenya – given how often people compare the two and how close they are on the map. Kenya won me over for a dedicated safari trip.

A game driver later told me that Zanzibar is nice, but it’s got everything you’d get in Mombasa (Kenya), Zanzibar is just more expensive with a fancier image apparently and getting more and more tourist heavy from what I’ve been hearing.

Book a safari prior or after arrival, book with a safari company or via a third party package, stay a few days or over a week, head down to the coastal resorts afterward, hop over to neighbouring Uganda, Rwanda, or Tanzania for other wildlife experiences…..there seems to be no right or wrong way to go about it when planning a safari, and you’ll be spoilt for choice over which country to choose for an African safari – some are not as tourist heavy as Kenya, like Botswana (still up and coming)….I hear Botswana is one of the most expensive options while South Africa the most budget friendly. East African safaris tend to use closed vehicles while South Africa seems to use a lot of open ones.

Anyway, why a Safari?  

All the reasons you could possibly think of.

Getting close to an array of beautiful wildlife, drinking in the vast landscapes. An African safari is something I’d been researching off and on over a couple of years, partly inspired by that tiger safari I did a few years ago.

Being out in the vast savannahs where ‘animals always have right of way’  is humbling and you’ll be hard pressed not to feel awe-struck watching herds of elephants walk by or a cheetah stalking prey in the long grasses or an eagle flying over a silent lake while you sit and observe hippos from a small boat. 

Seeing animals wild and free where they’re designed to be, living out their lives in a natural way is a wholesome and heartwarming thing to observe. 

We’re disconnected from so much of the world and nature, so much beauty and wonder…… 

Cue Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a wonderful world….’  

Ok, violins away now. 

Where exactly in Kenya did I go? 

The whistle stop tour: 

Kenya’s Capital 

Nairobi: hustle, bustle, colour, busyness, thick traffic, city life – with a twist. There’s also a safari in the city if you fancy it via Nairobi National Park!! Lions, Rhino, Hippos, Leopards… The Sheldrick Wildlife Reserve and the popular Giraffe Centre are also in Nairobi.

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Central Rift Valley 

Lake Naivasha: safari where hippos are the star of the show plus an array of birdlife .

Lake Nakuru: saw my best lion sighting here.

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West Side 

Masai Mara: home to various Masai tribes and the prime location for watching the annual great migration of wildebeest and zebra if you’re around at the right time, as well as all the other safari animals you’d expect to see. 

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A bit further south 

Amboseli National Park: the absolute hotspot for elephant herd sightings, plus all the other game drive animals.

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Early starts every day, no two days the same, driving between locations and national park game drives, bumpy and dusty at times. Never staying in one place for more than one or two nights – living out of luggage, never enough time to settle and get comfortable, so not in the least bit relaxing (which I kind of expected) – but definitely an exhilarating experience that keeps you ever-curious about what you might see next. 

The end of each day is the perfect time to journal the days moments, its surprising how much gets lost when you don’t write it down. That said, I was often too tired at the end of each day for any journalling – early nights were much needed for all the early rises.

I added some extra days for a bit more time in Nairobi to visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage, (plus giraffe centre, bead factory), and to get some extra sleep before the safari and again before the flight home….much needed. 

A first time safari can feel like a minefield of choices and options – the whole planning and researching task might feel a bit tiring as well (even for those of us who love the whole planning and researching side of things 🤪).

Planning this Kenya safari trip – how to get started 

Try and treat it all like an interesting puzzle rather than a stressful task – might make it seem more fun that way!!

Notebooks, pens, post it notes, flip chart paper at the ready (whatever works for you). Research, brainstorm and window shop options widely, including tour companies, deals/packages, hotels/lodges, locations, national parks, things to do, traveller reviews, social media, videos, blogs, travel agents, guide books….no limits. Gather heaps of ideas, inspo and intel.

There’s too much to choose from!!

After some initial research

1. Narrow your focus
2. Know your non-negotiables 

Narrow your focus 

Drill down to what you want the most from your trip, your top two or three things –  e.g 

• Best views from your accommodation/room (being able to see animals) 
• Swahili food and food in general
• Focus on a particular animal or birds (or some other bespoke tour/experience) 
• Private game drives/ vs a group package 
• A hot air balloon safari experience or walking safari experiences 
• Specific national parks you want to visit 
• Specialist photography focused safari 

I just wanted to spend as much time on safari game drives as possible – across two national parks in particular – Masai Mara and Amboseli.

Masai Mara is one of the most renown safari national parks in the world so it was an immediate must, even if it ended up being the only national park on my trip….even though I’d heard you can drive all day and not see anything – it’s so vast.

Then I heard there were lots more elephants in the Amboseli region than the Masai Mara. Well how many elephants did I need to see? Was that really a scale tipping thing? Not as many big cats in Amboseli though. I started looking into Amboseli.

Turns out I wanted a high dose of elephants after all, and a close up of the stunning snow capped Mount Kilimanjaro, yes please! 

Elephants in such large herds, regularly moving from A to B across the dirt road, well that would be a breathtaking sight for sure…..and I do have a bit of a soft spot for them, they seem more ‘human’ socially and psychologically than a lot of other animals – they can live to up to 70/80 years old, highly intelligent, and mature at a similar rate to humans. They grieve in a similar way to us when they lose one of their own, they’re generally gentle giants (unless aggravated), and they’re known for having a brilliant memory, ‘elephants never forget’ right? 

More on elephants later….back to the planning!

Know Your Non-Negotiables Before You Book Anything 

Now you’ve shopped around – figure out what you absolutely will not compromise on.

My four non-negotiables for this particular trip: 

1. Direct flights from the UK (BA) – a must. I didn’t want to be chopping and changing flights  
2. In Kenya, land travel only. No internal/domestic flights/fly safari (I didn’t mind doing the long drives on bumpy roads). Sometimes one of your organised safari locations might include a flight transfer…so double check the detail 
3. No tents, no camping. No matter how luxurious some of those tent rooms looked! 
4. Masai Mara had to be on the itinerary (any other national parks would be a bonus)

Plus, I wanted to avoid the rainy season, despite it being cheaper. You can still get lucky with the weather, but potentially more mud and risk of floods – bit of a gamble unless you wait, keep an eye on the weather and try to book last minute. 

The expensive high season didn’t appeal either – not just because of cost but the thought of heaving tourist crowds and too many safari jeeps to contend with.

Once you’ve researched widely, you’ll have a sense of the options and prices.

Now think about how much you’re willing to spend 

Some say a key starting point to planning a safari is budget. If you want a quality experience I disagree, here’s why: 

• It isn’t until you’ve spent time delving into a broad pool of research (accommodation, flights, tours, locations, seasons, packages, activities, extra nights, etc) that you get a sense of realistic costs and the scope to mould plans to bring costs down if need be
• Research done – you’re better placed to decide what you’re willing to spend, what you’re willing to compromise on, or postpone the trip for later date  

What’s Your Budget? 

Again, we get a sense of value for money when we’ve spent time comparing and contrasting – I really hate when sales people try and pin you down to a budget before exploring options with you first. 

One UK tour operator I contacted early in my research did a great job of demonstrating how counterproductive the budget orientated sales approach can be. Despite the draft itinerary I sent them, plus numerous questions I asked over the phone – the only thing they seemed interested in was how much I was willing to spend. I’ll just pluck a figure out of the air shall I? Be all and end all, looking for a quick lazy sale/commission. 

This operator (from reviews I’d read prior) had a reputation for this approach and they certainly lived up to it. Shabby service, despite their high-end reputation and prices. I almost doubled my initial spend figure, unbeknownst to them. 

Tip – don’t let a company with poor service or a pushy approach put you off, there are always better fish in the sea!! 

On costs, the biggest tipping points are usually, time of year, duration and accommodation (like most trips).  Peak/dry season (for the great migration) can see prices triple.

Recap: the planning approach for this trip:

1. Explore and research widely
2. Narrow your focus ( list 2-3 key focus points for your trip) 
3. Know your non negotiables (list them) 
4. Start drafting possible plans/itineraries (you might draft several)
5. Fine tune your itineraries 
6. Ask questions/fill in all the finer detail and get final quotes/prices 
7. Decide whether postpone the trip/ or make any compromises

There are countless websites and videos online advising on how to plan a safari – e.g. https://eastafricatraveltips.com/how-to-plan-a-safari-holiday-in-10-easy-steps/ but I’d say just don’t rush…it shouldn’t be a last min ‘cheap deal’ impulsive booking approach…..especially if its a first safari and you want to make sure you get the best quality experience for you!

OFF TO KENYA 

We took off about 45 minutes late “due to air traffic” said the pilot…..

One seat away from me was a Kenyan woman flying home after spending three months working in the Canary Islands, she said from Nairobi airport she’d be home in 15 mins. Good job, since she spent the entire flight downing bottles of wine, one after the other, she drank bottle after bottle like it was fruit juice, but showed no sign of being tipsy at all….maybe she was celebrating the fact that she wouldn’t have to go back to the Canary Islands to work again until September. Said her family didn’t know she was flying back today – hadn’t told any of them and was going to surprise them – she said her hand luggage was filled with nothing but chocolate (which she almost got off the plane without…must have been all that wine kicking in – I had to call her back to get it), and she was looking forward to a holiday in Cape Town, South Africa in August. Nice quick getaway when you live in Kenya. 

AIRPORT/ARRIVALS 

After gliding over the infinite bright night lights of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, we landed safely.   

Standing outdoors at night, it wasn’t that cold – not bad considering it’s pretty much the winter for Kenya in June. 

Passports, visas and fingerprints out of the way, then the long queue to have your hold luggage security scanned before you can exit the airport. It’s small, no frills (in arrivals), but I lost count of the number of small money exchange booths as you make your way through the building….isn’t it always more expensive to change money at airports??

Outside, you’ll be greeted by a commotion of drivers waiting below as you wheel your luggage down a small but fairly steep slope. They’ll be welcoming you, asking how you are and whether you have a driver, a lively jostle while you’re looking for your transfer.

Another traveller said drivers were approaching her as per, but when she said the name of the company that was meant to be picking her up, some of the drivers were telling her that company had already gone (which was not true). 

Thankfully this lady had her scam antenna up and decided to bellow out the name of her pick up company at the top of her voice – and then found her driver with his card waiting for her!  So – don’t believe everything you hear, and don’t be afraid to shout for what’s yours!!! My transfer was waiting with a card in the air…I didn’t have any issues and didn’t hear of anyone else with issues either.

I’ll be sharing a series of posts from this Kenya safari trip, (trying not to sound like a guide book, as usual lol), so stay tuned if you’re interested.

Happy travels if you’re away or on the move, and have a fabulous week ahead💫