Some of the most common questions I was asked when I told people that I was visiting Kenya included: “What’s there to do in Kenya?” followed quickly by “Are you going on safari?” With this post, I’ll do my best to talk about my safari experience in Kenya and share some of the many photos with you. My reason for going on a safari was to get a chance to experience wild animals in their natural habitat and to get up close to the Big Five mammals – namely lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo. Hopefully, after reading this post, you’d agree that I was able to capture some amazing photos.

The BIG FIVE:

One thing I did not realize before I came to Kenya was how many national parks and wild life reserves are in the country. According to the Kenyan Wildlife Service, 8% of the land in Kenya is protected land for conservation purposes. These “protected areas comprise of 23 terrestrial National Parks, 28 terrestrial National Reserves, 4 marine National Parks, 6 marine National Reserves and 4 national sanctuaries.” In other words, there’s a lot of opportunity to see wildlife and experience nature in Kenya.

When I asked my Kenyan friend which park I should visit, he immediately recommended Masai Mara which made the decision much easier on me as I was considering other parks. However, the more research I did on the Masai Mara, the more I became convinced that this was the best chance at seeing the big 5. I mean seeing zebras and giraffe would be cool, but not nearly as cool as seeing leopards or lions! I think picking the park was easier than picking the style of the safari though. A quick google search of “Kenyan Safari” yields results that range from $500 to $2500 in price. You really need to have an idea of what you want out of the safari. For me, I didn’t need a luxury lodge or comfortable safari vehicle – it was all about seeing the animals. I eventually settled on a 4 day “tent” safari – this included 3 days in the Masai Mara Reserve and 1 day at Lake Nakuru National Park. When I thought of tents, I thought it would be much more primitive than what it turned out to be. The tents are basically wooden framed with running water, hot showers, and electricity. Not bad compared to the prices for more expensive safaris.

My Accommodations:

There’s a few options to get to the Masai Mara – the most common being by vehicle. It’s about a 6-7 hour drive to the park from Nairobi. A word of caution, for the most part, roads in Kenya are well constructed. However, the reserve is in a fairly remote part of the country with dirt roads full of potholes which makes for some interesting riding. I’d recommend not eating a heavy meal right before getting on these roads as I learned why toilet paper is most “valuable” travel asset. I was also surprised to learn that there is an airfield inside the reserve. I would guess it’s about a 1 hour flight from Nairobi to the airfield.  Maybe next time I’ll skip the adventure of the last 100KM of road and fly right in.

One thing that impressed me was the expansiveness of the Mara. The Mara Reserve, located in southwestern Kenya,  is over 1,500 square kilometers and borders Serengeti National Park located to the south in Tanzania. It is actually possible to stand on the border of Kenya and Tanzania within the park.

Upon entering the reserve and getting away from the entrance gate, it felt like you were in the natural habitat of the animals. Although it was the “low season” for tourism in Kenya, there were still a fair amount of safari vehicles in the park. I’m sure the number is much greater during the high season especially during the wilde beast migration. Inside the reserve, there are various animals including – giraffe, hyena, leopards, cheetah, wilde beast, gazelle, jackals, lions, elephants, cape buffalo, zebras, vultures, ostrich, warthogs, impalas, and much more. Spotting some these animals involve a little luck and cooperation from the various safari drivers especially with the harder to spot animals like leopard and cheetah. When someone spots something, they will usually call out on the radio to other drivers what was spotted and where to find it which helps keep everyone happy. Because I was staying outside the park, we were allowed in the park from 6am to 6pm. If I had stayed at a lodge insider the park, I believe I would have been able to go on game drives during the night – which might have increased my chances of seeing a “kill”.

While I am disappointed that I did not get to witness a “kill”, some other highlights include:

- seeing hyena fend off jackals and vultures for the remains of a wilde beast head

- seeing 3 cheetah cubs and their mother

- seeing 3 different leopards

- seeing lions

- seeing the sunrise and sunset at the Mara

Enjoy Photos related to this Post:

Tim is preparing to travel the world on a much needed career break. His travels have already taken him to New Zealand, India, China, Taiwan, and many places in western Europe. On his world trip he hopes to become more fluent in Mandarin Chinese, meet new friends, gain new perspectives, and find new opportunities. Follow Tim on his global adventures.

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