Kenya is the birthplace of the safari and still the greatest. The Masai Mara wildebeest migration is the most spectacular wildlife event on Earth — and it happens every year. Add Mount Kenya, the Lamu archipelago, and Samburu's camels, and you have Africa's most complete travel destination.
📅 Day-by-Day Itinerary
📅 Nairobi
The Giraffe Centre (feed Rothschild giraffes at eye level). David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (baby elephants at 11am feeding). Nairobi National Park — the only game park inside a capital city. Karen Blixen Museum in her old farmhouse from Out of Africa.
📅 Masai Mara
Kenya's crown jewel — the Big Five, cheetah hunts at dawn, and the river crossings (Jul–Oct) where 1.5 million wildebeest plunge into crocodile-filled water. Hot air balloon at sunrise over the endless plains. Sundowners with Maasai warriors. Night drives in private conservancies.
📅 Samburu National Reserve
North Kenya's red-dust wilderness — unique animals found nowhere else in East Africa: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, and the gerenuk (giraffe-necked antelope). Guided camel trek through the riverine forest.
📅 Mount Kenya
Africa's second-highest peak (5,199m). Trek to Point Lenana (4,985m) — a 3-day technical trek through moorland and the Lewis Glacier. Or stay at Serena Mountain Lodge — wildlife visits the waterhole below your window at night.
📅 Lamu Island
Kenya's best-kept secret — a UNESCO medieval Swahili trading port with no cars. Dhow sailing to Manda Island. Fresh tuna and coconut rice at a rooftop restaurant. The Lamu Museum for the world's finest Swahili heritage collection.
🏨 Where to Stay
Angama Mara, Masai Mara
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Clifftop lodge from which Out of Africa was filmed — the greatest view in Africa
💡 Key tips: Yellow fever vaccine required. Book the Masai Mara for Jul–Oct for the river crossings — otherwise Jan–Feb for fewer crowds and lower prices. Private conservancies adjacent to the Mara (Olare Motorogi, Naboisho) offer night drives and walking safaris not permitted in the main reserve. Tip guides generously — they earn most of their income from tips.
