Kenya | Doug Macdonald Safaris

Experience the classic Kenyan safari

Located in the heart of East Africa, Kenya has been well-known as the home of the African safari made famous by Ernest Hemingway and Theodore Roosevelt. The country boasts a variety of eco-systems ranging from Montane forests, through to arid areas and everything in between along with a beautiful coastline and rich diversity of wildlife and famous cultures. This is the spiritual home of the African safari.

Get a taste of it all

Explore the lakes dotted along the Great Rift Valley home to thousands of flamingos, go on safari in the Masai Mara and witness the frenzy that abounds during the Great Migration, climb to the peak of Mount Kenya or search amongst the forests for some of the 1,100 recorded bird species here. Going on safari may be Kenya 's biggest attraction, but it also has over 500km of coastline along the Indian Ocean with some of the best beaches in Africa. Take the time to unwind on picture-perfect white sandy beaches after your bush adventure and marvel at the marine life or just kick back and relax.

What you need
to know

Things that are worth knowing about when traveling to Kenya

Kenya is considered the economic, financial and transport hub of East Africa. Nairobi is its capital and largest city. There are many different cultures - 43 different tribes of Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic origin, but the predominant languages you will hear here are English and Swahili. Most famously home to the Masai Mara, Kenya has a number of national parks and reserves, 61 in total including marine national reserves.

Best time to go

All Year Round

Language

Swahili, English

Currency

Kenyan Shilling (KES)

Getting There

Kenya’s main international airport used for tourism is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. This is the major airport of this region and so many airlines from around the world fly in here. It is possible to link with other countries regionally quite easily and there is a good domestic network of routes. The domestic flights mostly fly out of Wilson airport which is a one-hour drive from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Meru National Park

350kms east of Mount Kenya is this relatively small National Park. This park however has a great reputation for excellent game and bird viewing and is home to sizeable populations of Buffalo, Rhino, Oryx, Elephant and Reticulated Giraffe. Lion, Cheetah, and Leopard are also commonly seen here in the open plains and along the edge of the swamps. This Park is where the famous life of Elsa the lion happened as told in Joy Adamson’s book – Born Free.

Mount Kenya

For our adventure-seekers, this is Kenya’s highest peak (5199m) and Africa’s second highest. To ascend the highest peak here you do need to have technical climbing expertise however you can climb Point Lenana (4985m) and this only requires a good level of physical fitness. Many people when comparing this to climbing Mt Kilimanjaro that Mt Kenya is a more pleasurable experience from a scenery perspective with its many small lakes and changing vegetation and has a better wilderness feel with far less people joining you in the experience.

Lake Turkana

Lake Turkana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the world's largest permanent desert lake. Found in the northern reaches of Kenya, this is a destination for those looking to explore off the beaten path. Widely known as the Jade Sea, the lake is a life-source for wildlife and some of Kenya’s remote tribes. While this is not a prime wildlife destination, one can see some north Kenyan specials such as reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, lesser kudu, gerenuk and Grevy's zebra. The impressive scenery, hominid archaeological sites and bird colonies are the main attractions.

Weather

Kenya has a tropical climate, with temperatures ranging from hot and humid in the coastal regions to cooler temperatures in the highlands. The best time to go on safari in Kenya is during the dry season between July and October, when wildlife is more visible in the parks and reserves. Rainfall is common during the wet season between April and June, however, the wildebeest migration is best seen during this time. The hottest months are usually January and February, and the coldest months are usually July and August.

January to March

These are the main summer rainy season months for this part of Africa, all of the parks are accessible at this time however the road network within certain parks might be quite limited. It is, however, an excellent time to see the parks when animals, birds and plants are at their best. The usually dry areas like the Central Kalahari come to life during this time of year so a good time to visit.

June to August

The dry winter season is well set in by this time of year, the vegetation is thinning out and wildlife becoming more focused on particular feeding and watering areas. This is the height of winter as well and the mornings and evenings can be surprisingly cold even dropping below freezing in the early morning, so you’ll make good use of the camp fire at night, but during the day the temperatures warm up to the mid twenties Celsius and the skies are generally always clear and blue. A really popular time to be on safari and the Okavango Delta is now starting to recede and expose the grasslands.

November to December

These months are really hot during the day and it’s when we expect to see our first rains and the incredible change that happens almost immediately. This transformation brings with it the drama of tropical rain and lightning storms, amazing cloudscapes, clear dustless skies and many of the animal species begin their birthing. This can be one of the most beautiful times to be in the bush and often you can get some good special accommodation rates.

April to May

You can still experience some rain at this time but usually quite limited, if at all. These months mark the start of the bush drying out and the beginning of the long dry spell that will go through to November. The bush is usually quite thick at this time so sightings can be difficult but the animals are still there and you can have huge wild areas all to yourself which is excellent in itself and you can get some great accommodation specials. The Okavango Delta - Chobe and Linyanti Rivers are at peak height during this time of year.

September to October

These months are when the temperatures start to climb and the wildlife concentrates at the last available feeding and watering sites. September is probably the best of these months from a temperature perspective as October can be really hot during the day going towards the 40 degrees Celsius mark but it does cool off at night time. At this time many species of tree start to flower and migratory birds start arriving. For some, these are the best months to be on safari in Botswana when looking for big predators and prey animal drama.