Masai Mara with Zebras at Sunset
Kenya is probably the best known and most affordable African safari destination. The National Parks and Reserves occupy 7% of Kenya's land mass with new protected areas being set aside every year. The Masai Mara, an extension of the Serengeti plains, is Kenya's premier wildlife reserve. Kenya is an excellent choice for your first safari and for those who prefer the comfort and amenities of lodges (although camping is also available). For those whose interests include relaxing on a beach and watersports the Kenya coast and the Seychelle islands are easily accessible extensions.
The Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is regarded as the most favorite and is definitely the most popular game reserve in Kenya, having over 140,000 visitors per year. The reserve lies approx 270km west of Nairobi and covers an area of approximately 1,510 sq km, bordering with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The landscaped is mostly open Savannah grasslands and acacia shrubland.
Starting any time from late July the wildebeest follow the rains and grazing to the wide and open grasslands of what has become known as "the Mara". They may be late, but they will always make the trip, driven by dry conditions in the Serengeti and led by the lightning and thunder to the north. Come November they start the homeward leg, bound again for the Serengeti.
At this time of the year you will see a large number of lion, hippo, crocodile and vultures all of which prey on the weak and young migrating animals. Other game to be found in the Masai Mara at any time of the year include; elephants, cheetahs, baboons, gazelles, giraffes, jackals, leopards, hyenas, water buffalo, ostriches, zebra and a large variety of antelope and birdlife.
Meru National Park
The park is situated approximately 360km northeast of Nairobi and covers an area of 870 sq kms. This park was the setting for Joy Adamson's book "Born Free" and it remains one of Kenya's most unspoilt parks. The scenery is varied, wild and beautiful, from woodlands at 3,000 ft on the slope of Nyambeni Mountain Range to wide open plainns with many rivers running through. Game found here includes; lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, antelopes, and buffalo. In the many rivers hippo and crocodile are found in abundance. You may be lucky to spot Kenya's only colony of the rare white rhino.
There are several other parks which can be visited from here within a day, they include Bisandi National Reserve, Kora National Park, Rahole National Reserve and Mwingi National Reserve.
Mt.Kenya National Park
High on the slopes of Africa's second highest mountain, The Mount Kenya Safari Club straddles the Equator in a glory of luxurious cottages and elegant buildings set amid manicured lawns and decorative ponds. The club was founded in 1959 by the late film star William Holden, eccentric American Ray Ryan, and Swiss financier Carl Hirschmann.
Wildlife within the forests below the park boundary includes elephant, buffalo, lion, several species of antelope including the rare bongo and occasionally the melanistic forms of both the leopard and the serval. Much of this wildlife can be seen from the safety of the Mountain Lodge, which lies just inside the forest on the south side of the mountain.
Our Guide and His Wife
