Modern day Kenya is a complex place, one about which it seems easy to eulogise one minute and despair the next.
There is no doubt that Kenya contains some of the best known safari locations in Africa ... the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Naivasha, Samburu ... plus a naturally beautiful tropical Coast.
But in comparison with countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Botswana, the general quality of safari in Kenya is really rather poor. This is the home of the packaged safari, with most of the main parks being dominated by large mainstream lodges and fleets of minibuses.
For a quality safari one has to plan carefully to combine smart raids into these busy areas with more relaxed sojourns in more remote and pristine locations.
For most visitors the starting point should be the Masai Mara, which miraculously still manages to deliver some utterly stunning and surprisingly pure safari.
Or take a look at our full list of lodges for Kenya.
There is no doubt that Kenya contains some of the best known safari locations in Africa ... the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Naivasha, Samburu ... plus a naturally beautiful tropical Coast.
But in comparison with countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Botswana, the general quality of safari in Kenya is really rather poor. This is the home of the packaged safari, with most of the main parks being dominated by large mainstream lodges and fleets of minibuses.
For a quality safari one has to plan carefully to combine smart raids into these busy areas with more relaxed sojourns in more remote and pristine locations.
For most visitors the starting point should be the Masai Mara, which miraculously still manages to deliver some utterly stunning and surprisingly pure safari.
Or take a look at our full list of lodges for Kenya.
1.
Kenya is widely considered to be the home of safari.
During the late eighteenth and early nineteeth century it was Kenya which hosted the greatest and best-known private hunting safaris. It was here that American presidents and European royalty chose to spend their time in pursuit of hunting trophies, immortalised in Hollywood blockbusters such as the 1953 Mogambo with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner.
The move from hunting to photographic safari was also pioneered here during the 1950's and 1960's, with the iconic book and movie Born Free being almost single-handedly responsible for creating an appetite for this new kind of travel to an increasingly mobile audience.
These and other movies, as well as countless documentaries, have served as powerful advertising tools for Kenya, making places such as Masai Mara, Amboseli, Naivasha and Samburu household names.
Kenya is therefore one of the first places that people turn to for their first safari, an obvious port of call for people who who are only just starting to learn about Africa. This effect has reduced considerably in recent years as the internet has proliferated information about safari in other countries and allowed even first-timers to make better informed decisions about where and how to go on safari. But Kenya still remains the historic home of the modern safari, nothing can take that away.
2.
The combination of a week on safari and a week or more on a tropical beach is a magical one, which only Kenya and Tanzania are really well placed to offer.
If you safari in Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe or most of South Africa, then getting to a tropical beach can be very inconvenient and rather expensive, usually requiring a return to the grim world of international airports and even an overnight in Johannesburg, all of which is a bit of a palaver.
Both Kenya and Tanzania have safari and beach in close proximity. An hour or two in a light aircraft can see you fly directly out of a dirt airstrip in a prime game reserves to a small airport down on the palm-lined coast.
In actual fact, Tanzania tends to work this connection rather better, with flights from the northern parks (Serengeti, Ngorongoro etc.) flying directly down into Zanzibar. In Kenya it tends to be necessary to route back through Nairobi, often with a change of aircraft, before heading out to the coast. This really does little to maximise the massive advantage that the country has in this respect, but it is still easier than the southern Africa options.
Kenya is also uniquely positioned to offer safari in combination with beach in the Seychelles and other more remote Indian Ocean islands. This is because Nairobi is the major flight hub for eastern Africa and so connects well to all these places. The Masai Mara and Seychelles combination is a favourite packaged trotted out by mainsteam travel companies, but does once again have that rather fundamental disadvantage of returning you to the world of international airports in the middle of your trip. You tend to need to a really good reason to want to go specifically to the Seychelles in order for it to rate ahead of the closer and much more convenient Kenya and Tanzania beach options.
Flying over the island of Lamu on the northern part of the Kenya coast
3.
The Masai Mara is a relatively small reserve of 1500 square kilometres in the southwest of the country. Across the border in Tanzania lies the adjoining Serengeti, a much larger area of 15000 square kilometres. These two areas, accompanied by several other large tracts of land to the north, east and south make up what is known as the Serengeti Ecosystem, home of the great wildebeest and zebra migration.
Although the Masai Mara is a small part of the overall system, it is particularly attractive for a number of reasons ...
... it plays host to a large proportion of the wildbeest and zebra migration during a peak visitor season July to October
... it is a wonderfully pretty area
... it is easily accessible from the main international hub airport for the region at Nairobi
In a country which has been for so long exposed to mass-market tourism, one would fear the worst for the Masai Mara. But for somewhere so relatively small and with such a high density of camps, the Masai Mara continues to be a wonderful reserve ... although you really do have to chose your areas and lodges very carefully as there most definitely are areas which are adversely affected by the large traffic flows and which need to be avoided.
Maasai morani on the plains of the Masai Mara
4.
Many international broadcasters have long had close links with Kenya and the country has hosted more than its fair share of wildlife documentaries.
Choosing to visit a specific area based upon these documentaries is generally not a good idea, since they rarely showcase the negative sides nor the practicalities of travel. But in the two cases described here, this type of motivation can also lead you to some pretty prime spots ...
One of the most popular in recent years has been the BBC's Big Cat Diary, a partially live broadcast largely shot in the Governors and Confluence areas to the west of the Masai Mara. Viewers from around the world have become familiar with the Marsh Pride and various families of leopard and cheetah which have been followed over the years, as well as local celebrities such as the head Maasai guide at Rekero Camp, Jackson Ole Looseyia. Visiting these specific areas and meeting these specific animals and people has become a major lure for visitors. Fortunately these areas also happen to be some of the best in the Masai Mara and contain some excellent camps.
Another massive draw is the whole Born Free saga, the true-life tale of Elsa the lioness and her rehabilitation and release by George and Joy Adamson. Although the original book dates back to 1960, with the film coming out in 1966, interest remains strong and coming to Kenya to visit the various locations featured in the book and in the lives of the Adamsons continues to be a considerable motivator for guests. Top of the list is Elsa's Kopje, a high quality camp in the wonderful Meru national park, from where you can also visit the site of George's camp in Kora. Elsa's Grave is located further north in the Shaba reserve and although there is little to see, the area is again very pleasant. Whether it is worthwhile visiting the Adamsons' house at Naivasha is more questionable, the place itself is reasonably pleasant and interesting, but the greater Naivasha area is rather less alluring these days.
5.
In the next section we talk will dwell in more details on quite how Kenya came to become a home from home for so many members of the British aristocracy and the resultant negative connotations. But for now let us concentrate on the potentially positive consequence that this history may have for today's visitor ... namely the unsually grand and characterful accommodations, the like of which are not generally available in other safari countries ...
The Nairobi suburb of Karen was the neighbourhood in which the colonial aristocracy chose to build many of their grand mansions. As the years go by these houses are being coverted into smart little hotels. Most famous amongst these is Giraffe Manor, whose novelty attraction is obvious but delightful.
Large colonial estates are also to be found around the country, notably around lakes Naivasha and Nakuru in the Rift Valley, where small hotels such as Loldia House, Hippo Point House and Deloraine provide sumptuous accommodation in stunning country house style properties.
The amazing mock Tudor creation that is Hippo Point House at Lake Naivasha
Further north, in the rangelands of Laikipia North, lie wonderful ranch houses such as Sosian, where that same colonial atmosphere can be experienced in combination with safari activities.
Until relatively recently the country also contained a range of homestays, where guests could stay with the original white Kenyan owners on their private estates and get the full double-barrelled colonial experience. But in recent years these have largely diminished as both the demand for them has died down and their owners have died off.
What does remain very much intact is the tradition of horseriding in Kenya. Lodges which specialise in this include the upmarket Deloraine in the Rift Valley, Sosian in Laikipia North, Borana Lodge in Laikipia East and Ol Donyo Wuas in the Chyulu Hills, whilst slightly lower cost and more earthy options include Tassia Lodge in Laikipia East and Tharua Ranch in Laikipia South. There are also at least two companies offering very high-end mobile riding safaris in various parts of the country.
6.
We commonly encounter clients who want to return to Kenya, either to re-live their own personal experiences of pre-colonial days or to trace those of their parents and grandparents.
First are those from the wealthy settler elite. With aristocratic families being such a tight-knit bunch, there aren't many upper class British families which have not had significant connections with Kenya over the decades. Whole areas of the tourism industry in Kenya seem to function exclusively on this trade. The British royal family are serial visitors to camps in Lewa and the Il Ngwesi Valley, whilst other extremely well-known families from Europe and America can be regularly encountered in the lodges of Laikipia North in particular.
Also keen to return are people who worked within the colonial government or in business here before independence. We often put together trips for families whose senior members wish to take their children and even grandchildren back to some of their favourite old haunts. The biggest difficulty that we tend to encounter with this kind of trip is the management of expectations. Kenya is not what it used to be. For some people returning after so many years it can be difficult not to take this as a wholely negative statement. Returning to places that they once viewed so fondly, such as Lake Naivasha, may break their hearts. So we end up having to walk a fine line between recommending against some of the old places and instead replacing them with some new and more current locations. It's not so difficult, so long as everyone is sufficiently open-minded about the issues and possibilities.
7.
As so many of the core safari areas in Kenya have become rather busy, quality safari operators have tended to look further afield for the kind of wilderness in which they prefer to operate. Those in the know therefore tend to avoid busy better known locations in favour of more pristine safari areas.
So instead of staying in Amboseli, one can look just to the northeast to a couple of superb lodges in the Chyulu Hills. Instead of Samburu one can stay further south in the Il Ngwesi Valley, east in Shaba or north in the Mathew's Range, all of which contain great high-end lodge options. In the Rift Valley lakes Naivasha and Nakuru have suffered a great deal of development, but lakes Baringo and Bogoria to the north and Magadi to the south remain relatively wild and wonderful. Even in the Masai Mara itself the private concessions to the north and east provide particularly wonderful areas for safari, in stark contrast with the hectic minibus areas of the main park.
So there are loads of really good options and some top quality safari. The only real problem is that most of them tend to be rather pricey.
View of Kilimanjaro from Camp ya Kanzi in the Chyulu Hills
8.
Kenya has long since had a tradition for pioneering conservation projects.
Without doubt the most famous is George Adamson's lion rehabilitation project in Kora, which originally gained fame from the 1966 best selling book Born Free, written by his estranged wife Joy. This project was one of the first to really engage with the issues of human-predator conflict. It started with George's role as District Commissioner in the Laikipia East area, where he was occasionally called upon to protect local people and their livestock by shooting problem lions. It was on one such expedition that he inadvertantly orphaned three tiny cubs, one of which was destined to become Elsa, the most famous lion in Africa. George spent decades working with orphaned and estranged cubs out of his camp at Kora, taking his pride for daily walks across the kopjes and down to the river, gradually habituating them to the wild, always working towards their release. Ultimately it was human encroachment which was to prove his downfall too when he was killed whilst trying to rescue a young female researcher from attack by Shifta bandits. The George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust is now operated by George's old assistant Tony Fitzjohn, who has been working mainly in Mkomazi in Tanzania during the decades since George's death, but who has recently returned to work in Kora, where we are hopeful there will soon be a camp opening to visitors. George is a legend. His first book carries one of the best titles ever ... My pride and Joy
The project which visitors tend to most often want to include in their trip is The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and more specifically the baby elephant orphanage run by wife Daphne in Nairobi national park. This fabulous place has been featured many times on television and there is no denying that the baby elephants are absolutely adorable.
These and other projects may be very well known and worthy, but they do now feel quite old-fashioned, dating as they do back a to an era pre-independence. More modern projects tend to be much less focussed on the personality of the founder and to tend work in close partnership with local people ...
One of the most interesting conservation projects in Kenya at the moment is a pioneering venture called Lion Guardians. All over Africa lions are under serious threat and this is certainly true in the areas around Amboseli. This innovative new approach actually employs the Maasai warriors who traditionally hunt lions to serve as their protectors and ambassadors. Take a look at this fantastic video on the above link to learn more.
Some of the very best camps in the country make it possible for guests to interact with local conservation projects. For example Serian Camp in the Masai Mara works closely with the Living with Lions Mara Predator Project and guests are often able to meet with the researchers, enjoy presentations and even participate by recording their sightings into the project database.
This type of interaction is very positive and we see it becoming an increasing part of safari going forward.
Lion out of Rekero Camp in the Masai Mara
9.
Whilst much of the Kenya coast has seen heavy development by the package tourism industry, the region north of Malindi remains relatively lightly developed and alluring.
The island of Lamu has long since been a mecca for cool travellers, with the Swahili village of Shela becoming an increasingly popular location for wealthy families to buy and refurbish old Arab traders' mansions to have as exotic holiday homes. During the season this place buzzes with a very upmarket clientele. This is the height of shabby-chic and there are often some very big movers and shakers discreetly mixing with the in-crowd taking sundowners at the low-key Peponi Hotel.
The islands north of Lamu play host to some similarly shabby-chic but nonetheless upmarket beach lodges, notably Kiwayu Lodge and Manda Bay Lodge. These are great bases from which to explore the island ruins and isolated beaches, to sail and dive the network of waterways.
Further south the great spread of the Tana Delta contains perhaps the most remote and exclusive beach lodge on the eastern African coast, namely Tana Delta Camp.
View from Kiwayu Lodge
10.
One of the most exciting aspects of a safari in Kenya is the chance to meet and interact with local tribespeople ...
In the Masai Mara most lodges employ Maasai morani as guides. Obviously the best guides migrate to the best camps and so you can expect the best interaction at places like Rekero Camp, Serian Camp and Offbeat Mara Camp amongst others.
In the Rift Valley the local people are not generally so obviously tribal, most wearing western dress and living non-traditional lives, but at Lake Baringo, out of the excellent Roberts Camp or Samatian Island, it is possible to visit a very authentic village of Pokot tribespeople, who are famed for their fighting skills and who to this day are apparently often away on raids against their traditional enemies the Maasai and Kikuyu.
Further north the chance to interact with Kikuyu peoples is especially good at Ol Malo Lodge in Laikipia North and Tassia Lodge in Laikipia East, whilst further north at Sarara Camp in the Mathew's Range visitors can also visit the famous singing wells, where Kikuyu warriors work together to draw water for their cattle from deep hand-excavated wells.
Guides at Tassia Lodge in Laikipia East
11.
This item should perhaps feature right at the top of this list, since low cost safari is probably the number one reason that people visit Kenya.
The reason that we have listed it so low is because our clients tend to want to look a little bit deeper than cost alone. Being dragged around busy areas in tiny minibuses from one huge commercial lodge to the next is not what we consider to be a decent safari.
More on this in the next section.
12.
Nairobi is the main transport hub for the whole of eastern Africa. It is therefore very well served by flights from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, meaning that longhaul flights are usually more easily available and better priced than they are into surrounding countries.
With Kenya Airways being one of Africa's leading airlines, the inter-Africa connnectivity from Nairobi is extremely good. There are regular direct connections to most country capitals and larger regional cities, plus most of the Indian Ocean islands. This makes it relatively easy to combine Kenya with other locations within Africa in a single trip ... although we would not necessarily recommend so doing.
The home of safari
Kenya is widely considered to be the home of safari.
During the late eighteenth and early nineteeth century it was Kenya which hosted the greatest and best-known private hunting safaris. It was here that American presidents and European royalty chose to spend their time in pursuit of hunting trophies, immortalised in Hollywood blockbusters such as the 1953 Mogambo with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner.
The move from hunting to photographic safari was also pioneered here during the 1950's and 1960's, with the iconic book and movie Born Free being almost single-handedly responsible for creating an appetite for this new kind of travel to an increasingly mobile audience.
These and other movies, as well as countless documentaries, have served as powerful advertising tools for Kenya, making places such as Masai Mara, Amboseli, Naivasha and Samburu household names.
Kenya is therefore one of the first places that people turn to for their first safari, an obvious port of call for people who who are only just starting to learn about Africa. This effect has reduced considerably in recent years as the internet has proliferated information about safari in other countries and allowed even first-timers to make better informed decisions about where and how to go on safari. But Kenya still remains the historic home of the modern safari, nothing can take that away.
2.
Convenient safari and tropical beach combinations
The combination of a week on safari and a week or more on a tropical beach is a magical one, which only Kenya and Tanzania are really well placed to offer.
If you safari in Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe or most of South Africa, then getting to a tropical beach can be very inconvenient and rather expensive, usually requiring a return to the grim world of international airports and even an overnight in Johannesburg, all of which is a bit of a palaver.
Both Kenya and Tanzania have safari and beach in close proximity. An hour or two in a light aircraft can see you fly directly out of a dirt airstrip in a prime game reserves to a small airport down on the palm-lined coast.
In actual fact, Tanzania tends to work this connection rather better, with flights from the northern parks (Serengeti, Ngorongoro etc.) flying directly down into Zanzibar. In Kenya it tends to be necessary to route back through Nairobi, often with a change of aircraft, before heading out to the coast. This really does little to maximise the massive advantage that the country has in this respect, but it is still easier than the southern Africa options.
Kenya is also uniquely positioned to offer safari in combination with beach in the Seychelles and other more remote Indian Ocean islands. This is because Nairobi is the major flight hub for eastern Africa and so connects well to all these places. The Masai Mara and Seychelles combination is a favourite packaged trotted out by mainsteam travel companies, but does once again have that rather fundamental disadvantage of returning you to the world of international airports in the middle of your trip. You tend to need to a really good reason to want to go specifically to the Seychelles in order for it to rate ahead of the closer and much more convenient Kenya and Tanzania beach options.
Flying over the island of Lamu on the northern part of the Kenya coast
3.
Masai Mara migration
The Masai Mara is a relatively small reserve of 1500 square kilometres in the southwest of the country. Across the border in Tanzania lies the adjoining Serengeti, a much larger area of 15000 square kilometres. These two areas, accompanied by several other large tracts of land to the north, east and south make up what is known as the Serengeti Ecosystem, home of the great wildebeest and zebra migration.
Although the Masai Mara is a small part of the overall system, it is particularly attractive for a number of reasons ...
... it plays host to a large proportion of the wildbeest and zebra migration during a peak visitor season July to October
... it is a wonderfully pretty area
... it is easily accessible from the main international hub airport for the region at Nairobi
In a country which has been for so long exposed to mass-market tourism, one would fear the worst for the Masai Mara. But for somewhere so relatively small and with such a high density of camps, the Masai Mara continues to be a wonderful reserve ... although you really do have to chose your areas and lodges very carefully as there most definitely are areas which are adversely affected by the large traffic flows and which need to be avoided.
Maasai morani on the plains of the Masai Mara
4.
BBC Big Cat Diary, Born Free and other documentaries
Many international broadcasters have long had close links with Kenya and the country has hosted more than its fair share of wildlife documentaries.
Choosing to visit a specific area based upon these documentaries is generally not a good idea, since they rarely showcase the negative sides nor the practicalities of travel. But in the two cases described here, this type of motivation can also lead you to some pretty prime spots ...
One of the most popular in recent years has been the BBC's Big Cat Diary, a partially live broadcast largely shot in the Governors and Confluence areas to the west of the Masai Mara. Viewers from around the world have become familiar with the Marsh Pride and various families of leopard and cheetah which have been followed over the years, as well as local celebrities such as the head Maasai guide at Rekero Camp, Jackson Ole Looseyia. Visiting these specific areas and meeting these specific animals and people has become a major lure for visitors. Fortunately these areas also happen to be some of the best in the Masai Mara and contain some excellent camps.
Another massive draw is the whole Born Free saga, the true-life tale of Elsa the lioness and her rehabilitation and release by George and Joy Adamson. Although the original book dates back to 1960, with the film coming out in 1966, interest remains strong and coming to Kenya to visit the various locations featured in the book and in the lives of the Adamsons continues to be a considerable motivator for guests. Top of the list is Elsa's Kopje, a high quality camp in the wonderful Meru national park, from where you can also visit the site of George's camp in Kora. Elsa's Grave is located further north in the Shaba reserve and although there is little to see, the area is again very pleasant. Whether it is worthwhile visiting the Adamsons' house at Naivasha is more questionable, the place itself is reasonably pleasant and interesting, but the greater Naivasha area is rather less alluring these days.
5.
Colonial mansions, ranch houses, homestays and horseriding
In the next section we talk will dwell in more details on quite how Kenya came to become a home from home for so many members of the British aristocracy and the resultant negative connotations. But for now let us concentrate on the potentially positive consequence that this history may have for today's visitor ... namely the unsually grand and characterful accommodations, the like of which are not generally available in other safari countries ...
The Nairobi suburb of Karen was the neighbourhood in which the colonial aristocracy chose to build many of their grand mansions. As the years go by these houses are being coverted into smart little hotels. Most famous amongst these is Giraffe Manor, whose novelty attraction is obvious but delightful.
Large colonial estates are also to be found around the country, notably around lakes Naivasha and Nakuru in the Rift Valley, where small hotels such as Loldia House, Hippo Point House and Deloraine provide sumptuous accommodation in stunning country house style properties.
The amazing mock Tudor creation that is Hippo Point House at Lake Naivasha
Further north, in the rangelands of Laikipia North, lie wonderful ranch houses such as Sosian, where that same colonial atmosphere can be experienced in combination with safari activities.
Until relatively recently the country also contained a range of homestays, where guests could stay with the original white Kenyan owners on their private estates and get the full double-barrelled colonial experience. But in recent years these have largely diminished as both the demand for them has died down and their owners have died off.
What does remain very much intact is the tradition of horseriding in Kenya. Lodges which specialise in this include the upmarket Deloraine in the Rift Valley, Sosian in Laikipia North, Borana Lodge in Laikipia East and Ol Donyo Wuas in the Chyulu Hills, whilst slightly lower cost and more earthy options include Tassia Lodge in Laikipia East and Tharua Ranch in Laikipia South. There are also at least two companies offering very high-end mobile riding safaris in various parts of the country.
6.
Family and colonial connections
We commonly encounter clients who want to return to Kenya, either to re-live their own personal experiences of pre-colonial days or to trace those of their parents and grandparents.
First are those from the wealthy settler elite. With aristocratic families being such a tight-knit bunch, there aren't many upper class British families which have not had significant connections with Kenya over the decades. Whole areas of the tourism industry in Kenya seem to function exclusively on this trade. The British royal family are serial visitors to camps in Lewa and the Il Ngwesi Valley, whilst other extremely well-known families from Europe and America can be regularly encountered in the lodges of Laikipia North in particular.
Also keen to return are people who worked within the colonial government or in business here before independence. We often put together trips for families whose senior members wish to take their children and even grandchildren back to some of their favourite old haunts. The biggest difficulty that we tend to encounter with this kind of trip is the management of expectations. Kenya is not what it used to be. For some people returning after so many years it can be difficult not to take this as a wholely negative statement. Returning to places that they once viewed so fondly, such as Lake Naivasha, may break their hearts. So we end up having to walk a fine line between recommending against some of the old places and instead replacing them with some new and more current locations. It's not so difficult, so long as everyone is sufficiently open-minded about the issues and possibilities.
7.
Great lodges in wild areas
As so many of the core safari areas in Kenya have become rather busy, quality safari operators have tended to look further afield for the kind of wilderness in which they prefer to operate. Those in the know therefore tend to avoid busy better known locations in favour of more pristine safari areas.
So instead of staying in Amboseli, one can look just to the northeast to a couple of superb lodges in the Chyulu Hills. Instead of Samburu one can stay further south in the Il Ngwesi Valley, east in Shaba or north in the Mathew's Range, all of which contain great high-end lodge options. In the Rift Valley lakes Naivasha and Nakuru have suffered a great deal of development, but lakes Baringo and Bogoria to the north and Magadi to the south remain relatively wild and wonderful. Even in the Masai Mara itself the private concessions to the north and east provide particularly wonderful areas for safari, in stark contrast with the hectic minibus areas of the main park.
So there are loads of really good options and some top quality safari. The only real problem is that most of them tend to be rather pricey.
View of Kilimanjaro from Camp ya Kanzi in the Chyulu Hills
8.
Pioneering conservation projects and wildlife sanctuaries
Kenya has long since had a tradition for pioneering conservation projects.
Without doubt the most famous is George Adamson's lion rehabilitation project in Kora, which originally gained fame from the 1966 best selling book Born Free, written by his estranged wife Joy. This project was one of the first to really engage with the issues of human-predator conflict. It started with George's role as District Commissioner in the Laikipia East area, where he was occasionally called upon to protect local people and their livestock by shooting problem lions. It was on one such expedition that he inadvertantly orphaned three tiny cubs, one of which was destined to become Elsa, the most famous lion in Africa. George spent decades working with orphaned and estranged cubs out of his camp at Kora, taking his pride for daily walks across the kopjes and down to the river, gradually habituating them to the wild, always working towards their release. Ultimately it was human encroachment which was to prove his downfall too when he was killed whilst trying to rescue a young female researcher from attack by Shifta bandits. The George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust is now operated by George's old assistant Tony Fitzjohn, who has been working mainly in Mkomazi in Tanzania during the decades since George's death, but who has recently returned to work in Kora, where we are hopeful there will soon be a camp opening to visitors. George is a legend. His first book carries one of the best titles ever ... My pride and Joy
The project which visitors tend to most often want to include in their trip is The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and more specifically the baby elephant orphanage run by wife Daphne in Nairobi national park. This fabulous place has been featured many times on television and there is no denying that the baby elephants are absolutely adorable.
These and other projects may be very well known and worthy, but they do now feel quite old-fashioned, dating as they do back a to an era pre-independence. More modern projects tend to be much less focussed on the personality of the founder and to tend work in close partnership with local people ...
One of the most interesting conservation projects in Kenya at the moment is a pioneering venture called Lion Guardians. All over Africa lions are under serious threat and this is certainly true in the areas around Amboseli. This innovative new approach actually employs the Maasai warriors who traditionally hunt lions to serve as their protectors and ambassadors. Take a look at this fantastic video on the above link to learn more.
Some of the very best camps in the country make it possible for guests to interact with local conservation projects. For example Serian Camp in the Masai Mara works closely with the Living with Lions Mara Predator Project and guests are often able to meet with the researchers, enjoy presentations and even participate by recording their sightings into the project database.
This type of interaction is very positive and we see it becoming an increasing part of safari going forward.
Lion out of Rekero Camp in the Masai Mara
9.
Lamu and wilder coastal areas
Whilst much of the Kenya coast has seen heavy development by the package tourism industry, the region north of Malindi remains relatively lightly developed and alluring.
The island of Lamu has long since been a mecca for cool travellers, with the Swahili village of Shela becoming an increasingly popular location for wealthy families to buy and refurbish old Arab traders' mansions to have as exotic holiday homes. During the season this place buzzes with a very upmarket clientele. This is the height of shabby-chic and there are often some very big movers and shakers discreetly mixing with the in-crowd taking sundowners at the low-key Peponi Hotel.
The islands north of Lamu play host to some similarly shabby-chic but nonetheless upmarket beach lodges, notably Kiwayu Lodge and Manda Bay Lodge. These are great bases from which to explore the island ruins and isolated beaches, to sail and dive the network of waterways.
Further south the great spread of the Tana Delta contains perhaps the most remote and exclusive beach lodge on the eastern African coast, namely Tana Delta Camp.
View from Kiwayu Lodge
10.
Tribal interaction
One of the most exciting aspects of a safari in Kenya is the chance to meet and interact with local tribespeople ...
In the Masai Mara most lodges employ Maasai morani as guides. Obviously the best guides migrate to the best camps and so you can expect the best interaction at places like Rekero Camp, Serian Camp and Offbeat Mara Camp amongst others.
In the Rift Valley the local people are not generally so obviously tribal, most wearing western dress and living non-traditional lives, but at Lake Baringo, out of the excellent Roberts Camp or Samatian Island, it is possible to visit a very authentic village of Pokot tribespeople, who are famed for their fighting skills and who to this day are apparently often away on raids against their traditional enemies the Maasai and Kikuyu.
Further north the chance to interact with Kikuyu peoples is especially good at Ol Malo Lodge in Laikipia North and Tassia Lodge in Laikipia East, whilst further north at Sarara Camp in the Mathew's Range visitors can also visit the famous singing wells, where Kikuyu warriors work together to draw water for their cattle from deep hand-excavated wells.
Guides at Tassia Lodge in Laikipia East
11.
Low cost safari
This item should perhaps feature right at the top of this list, since low cost safari is probably the number one reason that people visit Kenya.
The reason that we have listed it so low is because our clients tend to want to look a little bit deeper than cost alone. Being dragged around busy areas in tiny minibuses from one huge commercial lodge to the next is not what we consider to be a decent safari.
More on this in the next section.
12.
Good international flight connections and prices
Nairobi is the main transport hub for the whole of eastern Africa. It is therefore very well served by flights from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, meaning that longhaul flights are usually more easily available and better priced than they are into surrounding countries.
With Kenya Airways being one of Africa's leading airlines, the inter-Africa connnectivity from Nairobi is extremely good. There are regular direct connections to most country capitals and larger regional cities, plus most of the Indian Ocean islands. This makes it relatively easy to combine Kenya with other locations within Africa in a single trip ... although we would not necessarily recommend so doing.
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