African Safari in Kenya: The Ultimate Guide

How I booked the trip:

As someone who loves animals, going on a real safari has always been on my bucket list. At first, I thought this adventure would take place in South Africa but after doing some research and talking to travel agents, I realized an African Safari in Kenya would be perfect. Since Africa is not a destination I’m familiar with, I decided to use Zicasso to book my trip. This was the same travel website I used to plan my trip to Thailand. Zicasso provides sample itineraries that you can book directly or can completely customize. When customizing your trip, you complete a comprehensive form that asks when, where, and how long you want to go, what you would like to see and do, what your travel style is, and what your price range is. After providing this information they set you up with 2 different travel agencies who will get a better understanding of your goals and will work on an itinerary with you. From here, you chose which agent is a better fit and move forward with planning. We started planning our trip about 6 months before leaving and traveled February 17th 2021 through March 1, 2021. But keep in mind we were traveling during the pandemic. I would recommend planning a luxury safari at least a year in advance during “normal” times.

After connecting with the 2 agents that Zicasso provided, I decided to go with the Travel agent Safari True. They were able to build the perfect itinerary for our Kenyan Safari. Our original itinerary included Cape Town, but 2 weeks before we left concerns about the South African variant of COVID-19 started to rise. Luckily, our agent was able to provide great advice so we ultimately decided to spend our last 3 nights in Diani Beach, Kenya instead of Cape Town, South Africa. We were able to recoup all costs from South Africa and apply them to our new plans. You can read reviews on Safari True here.

Typical day on safari:

A typical day on an African safari in Kenya includes early morning wake up calls with coffee or tea. You will arrange your plans for each day with your safari guide once you meet them. Animals become less active throughout the day as the sun gets stronger and it gets hotter so it is typical to have an early morning game drive. You can either pack breakfast or have it on camp before heading out. When out on safari, your time can go from exhilarating one moment to searching the silent grasslands the next. It is completely unpredictable! Most morning game drives last about 4-5 hours. Then you usually return to camp for a free afternoon before heading back out for a mid-afternoon safari as the sun starts to go back down. At the end of each day, it is normal to have a “sundowner” which is when you conclude your day with a drink and snacks before dinner. It’s so much fun to talk to the camp staff and other guests to tell them about your day and what you saw!

Most camps include all 3 meals and most drinks. Game drives are also included with your stay as well as local airstrip transfers. You usually have the option to add additional excursions as well (included or at an additional cost depending on where you stay), such as community/village visits, bush walks, night game drives, bush sundowners, a hot air balloon safari, bush dinners, and more. Check out the camp websites linked throughout this post to find out more!

Price:

Roughly $6,000-$7,000 per person + international flights. An African safari in Kenya is a bit expensive but totally worth it as it is a once in a lifetime adventure!

To see a condensed itinerary with direct links to all hotels check out my post on Travogram HERE!

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Itinerary Overview:

Day 1: Nairobi

Day 2-4: Amboseli National Park

Day 5-7: Maasai Mara National Reserve

Day 8: Giraffe Manor

Day 9-11: Diani Beach, Kenya

Day 12: Fly Home

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Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi at night. Stay at Four Points Sheraton Nairobi Airport (Traditional King Room).

First off, I want to say that I’m very glad we got to the airport with ample time (3 hours before the flight), especially with all of the international travel restrictions due to the pandemic. The system wasn’t set up the greatest and it was quite hectic, but after about an hour we were finally able to check in and go through security. We flew out of Newark, NJ (EWR) and after 1 layover in Frankfurt we landed in Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) 18 hours later. As soon as we got off the plane we had to display our negative COVID tests and health surveillance form (we also had to show our negative COVID tests in Frankfurt). We then went through customs and were greeted by the hotel staff and transferred to Four Points Sheraton Nairobi Airport. Thanks to our amazing travel agent, all transfers/domestic flights were pre-arranged so everything is stress-free! Once we checked into the hotel, it was around 10:30pm and we decided to check out the rooftop bar/restaurant to grab a drink and something to bite after our long night of traveling. By the time we were finished, we were more than ready for bed as we had an early morning ahead!

Day 2: Head to Amboseli National Park. Stay at Satao Elerai Camp for 3 nights (Deluxe Mountain facing tent). Half day game drive and bush walk.

Amboseli National Park

At 6am after breakfast, we left the airport hotel and were transferred to Wilson Airport (Nairobi’s domestic airport) for our short flight to Amboseli. You should be at the airport about an hour before the flight but I would recommend checking the website just to be safe. The aircraft we flew with SafariLink fit 12 passengers. The plane was tiny, the smallest I’ve ever been on! But we were told they are actually very safe. It also has a maximum weight capacity so remember to pack light – 15kgs per person (33lbs) in soft sided bags only (duffle bags work best) – see baggage allowance here. After a short 40 minute plane ride to Amboseli, we were greeted by our safari guide for the next few days. His name was Mwangi. He set up a small table for us and offered us coffee or tea. It was still early in the morning (around 8am), so before heading to our camp, Satao Elerai Camp, we went right on our first game drive! We saw just about everything all on our first day, from elephants and baboons, to lions and hyenas. Along with hippos, wildebeests, gazelle, buffalo and more. It was interesting to learn that hippos and elephants are actually the most dangerous safari animals to humans. More dangerous than lions! Aside from seeing all of these beautiful animals, we were also extremely lucky to have a clear view of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Satao Elerai Camp

After our morning safari around noon, we made our way to the camp, checked in, and grabbed lunch. Then we went back to our tent which had the most amazing views and relaxed for a little before our evening bush walk just before sunset. This was one of many activities to choose from at the camp. After our bush walk we went straight to dinner and had a view of more animals on their private conservation. We also saw a genet cat that you can spot running around the property.

Day 3: Second day at Amboseli. Full day game drive.

The second day at Amboseli we did a full day game drive. We left camp around 7am right after a quick breakfast. We saw a ton of animals again and then had lunch around noon. The place we had lunch was at a nice picnic area with 360 views of the park. It was awesome! As we were leaving lunch, we were hoping to see lions again. Just as we got tired and wanted to head out we spotted one in a tree! It was a female lion who looked like she was looking for food. We sat there for a bit (I could watch and take photos of the cats all day), until she got down from the tree and ventured off. As we continued on, we spotted another one walking across the plains on the other side. It was another female lion who also looked like she might be on the hunt. She was going in the opposite direction so our driver kept reversing to keep up with it, until it finally crossed the road right behind us. Once she ventured off we continued to move on since you’re not allowed to go off-roading in Amboseli National park. Once we got back to the camp we took a nap (safari life is exhausting, plus it was raining) and then went to dinner.

Day 4: Last day in Amboseli. Half day game drive and bush sundowner.

Last game drive in Amboseli

We had another early morning game drive after breakfast. We were lucky because this was the third day in a row that we had the safari vehicle to ourselves due to the pandemic and the parks being pretty empty of tourists. Anyway, every day on safari is different so we were looking forward to getting out there again. This day we saw a huge herd of elephants crossing the road right in front of us and 2 male gazelle fighting for the female pride. Other than that, it was a pretty quiet morning in safari as it rained the whole night before. We made a pit stop at one of the camps inside the park and it was beautiful. It was called Ol Yukai Lodge. It also had Wi-Fi so we were catching up on our phones since we haven’t had it the last 3 days. The camp we were staying at had their Wi-Fi turned off due to the pandemic. It would be nice to stay inside the park since our camp was about 30 minutes from the entrance, but it was also nice to experience the private conservancy we stayed at (the experience here was more customized). We continued to drive around but we weren’t seeing much, until we got a call that lions were close by. We drove over and saw 2 males and 1 female. This was our 3rd day in a row seeing lions!

Bush Sundowner

Not too long after that, we left the park and stopped at a gift shop not too far past the camp to buy some souvenirs. Then we made our way back to camp, took some photos by the pool (which has great views) and then went back to the tent to get ready for our bush sundowner. A bush sundowner is when you go out into the conservatory’s bush to have drinks and some snacks. They gave us a Dawa (Swahili for medicine – this is Kenya’s signature drink) and a bottle of champagne. This was all included with our stay at the camp. They also lit a fire to keep the animals away. There were a few elephants close by. Once again, we had a gorgeous view of Mount Kilimanjaro and got to reminisce on our stay. As the sun started to go down we went back to camp for dinner. Every night after dinner a staff member would walk us back to our tent with a flashlight since it is prohibited to walk back alone in the dark. It’s a nice safety feature! This was our last night at Amboseli so we were sad to leave, but we were definitely ready to head to our next destination.

Day 5: Transfer to Maasai Mara. Stay for 3 nights at andBeyond Kichwa Tembo. (Superior View Tent). Check in and relax. Evening game drive.

andBeyond Kichwa Tembo

After breakfast and saying goodbye to the amazing staff members at Satao Elerai, we went back through the park to get to the airstrip (takes a little less than an hour) for our early flight to the Maasai Mara. We took another SafariLink plane and had a quick stop back in Nairobi. Once we got to the Maasai Mara Airstrip (Kichwa Tembo Airstrip), we were picked up by our safari guide who would be with us for the next 3 days and headed right to the camp. We were staying at andBeyond Kichwa Tembo which was 10 minutes from the strip. Our guides name was Lona, she was awesome! Everyone at the camp was super welcoming. We checked in and had lunch which was delicious! And we had Wi-Fi so we were happy.

Evening Game Drive in Maasai Mara

Around 4pm we had our first game drive in the Maasai Mara Reserve. Lona asked what we were most interested in and quickly got the idea that our main interest was seeing cats. I told her I really wanted to see lion cubs so she took us to where we could possibly find them. It was about 45 minutes away through the reserve so we had to get there quick as we had to be back in the camp by 7pm. This is the curfew every night. It was also rainy and chilly this day so the drive wasn’t the most pleasant, but it was worth it! We saw 4 male lions with beautiful manes. You can also go off-roading in the Mara so we got extremely close. It was the coolest experience. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the cubs or females anywhere nearby but seeing these beautiful male lions was good enough. As we were heading back to camp we noticed a few vehicles surrounding an area nearby. We went to take a look as we still had some time before curfew. There were 3 female lions and 1 male eating their hunt. The male was the one eating and it looked like he didn’t want to share. So a female lion that he was mating with came over to distract him and another female lion stole the hunt right away from him! We then saw the 2 lions mate. It was quite the experience! After that, we got back to camp, got changed since we were wet from the rain, and had dinner which was another amazing meal.

Day 6: Second day in Maasai Mara. Morning game drive. Bush breakfast. Pool break. Evening game drive. Show then dinner at camp.

Morning Game Drive / Bush Breakfast

Today we went on an early morning game drive to search for the lion cubs again. On our way out we got to watch the sunrise. It was one of the most gorgeous sunrises I’ve ever seen. As we continued on we had to drive over a small bridge that had a puddle covering it since it rained heavy the night before. As we were going through a huge hippo ran out! They say hippos kill the most humans in Africa (around 500 a year), glad it wasn’t us that day! As we continued on we saw fresh cub pawprints, but had no luck finding the cubs. After searching and searching we finally took a break and made our way over to the Tanzanian border where we had breakfast. On our way there we also saw a single male elephant who didn’t look happy, which is usually the case when they are alone. We drove by as fast as we could. Once we got to the border, Lona took out a gas grill and made us scrambled eggs and sausage. It was the coolest breakfast – literally right in the middle of the wild.

After that, we were heading back to camp as Lona got a call over the radio from another guide. They said that there was a leopard spotted not that long ago. We followed the other vehicles to that area and didn’t see anything. There was about 4 different groups so we all decided to split up to look for it and it worked! One of the other guides found the leopard and we rushed right over. After taking some pictures, the leopard got up and started moving. It got so close and stared right at us, I thought it was going to jump in the vehicle! Instead, it walked right behind our vehicle and passed us. It was such an adrenaline rush and a great way to end our morning game drive!

Pool/Lunch Break, Evening Game Drive, Maasai Tribe Show

Our morning game drive was ending so we went back to camp to relax at the pool which has the best views of the Mara and got ourselves a cocktail (a Dawa of course). We told the staff about our experience with the leopard and they were so excited for us. Apparently they haven’t seen one in 3 months! We got so lucky ? We didn’t get to see lion cubs but a leopard is just as cool! We finally had lunch and then got ready for our evening game drive. Our goal this afternoon was to spot a rhino and we did! (they are also hard to spot sometimes). The rhino even had a baby with her. After that, we were heading to the river to look for more Rhinos but ended up getting stuck in the mud. Since we had to call for help to get out (which took some time), we went to find the lion pride we saw the day before instead. They were still mating, so Lona told us to come back in 3 months and they’ll have cubs. Sure wish we could! The sun started to go down and since the lions weren’t moving much we decided to head back to camp. There was a show by the fire performed by the Maasai tribe this night. We enjoyed the show and then had another delicious dinner before wrapping up our night.

Day 7: Last day in the Maasai Mara. Full day game drive.

Full Day Game Drive

Another early morning game drive! This day we were on the hunt to see cheetahs. We were told there is a group of 5 brothers as well as a mother and her cubs. They were located in the outer Mara (we were in the Mara triangle) so it was about a 2.5 hour drive, and a very bumpy one. As we finally started to get closer we saw multiple vehicles off-roading deep into the reserve. We followed them and ended up finding the female cheetah and her 3 cubs. Lona said there used to be 4 cubs though and that in the wild cubs are always at risk. But anyway, the cheetah cubs were ADORABLE!! They were napping when we found them. It looked like they just finished eating as there was a kill nearby and their bellies were very full. Not too much longer they all got up and moved over to a small stream to get some water. After that, they were on the move to find their next spot. One of the cubs was limping and when it got a little behind you could here it calling for it’s family. The cheetahs actually make a chirping noise when they are communicating. It sounds just like a bird.

Bush Lunch

Once they went off, we were off as well to try and find the 5 cheetah brothers. We picked up a park ranger who said they were last seen hunting early that morning. After searching and searching, we never found them. There is so much land that looking for something specific can be extremely difficult. But we were told when you’re least expecting something that is when you will see it! (this was the case for the leopard we saw). We decided to stop and have lunch in the bush. Lona took out the gas grill again and we had a nice lunch before we made our long journey back to the camp.

Heading back to Camp

On our way back to camp we saw 2 more female lions on top of a little hill. We went off road to get really close and I got some awesome pictures. I think this was the closest we got to lions so far. We continued our journey through the local Maasai towns and then returned to camp. Once we changed and finished cleaning up we went to get our air balloon flight for the next morning booked (you can do this on camp). After that and a few drinks, our waiter asked us if we were ready for dinner since he had a nice set up for us by the pool. It was a great way to end our time at Kichwa Tembo.

Day 8: Morning Hot Air Balloon Ride over Maasai Mara. Fly back to Nairobi and transfer to Giraffe Manor for 1 night (Jock’s Room). Lunch, Giraffe Centre, afternoon tea with giraffes, dinner.

Hot Air Balloon Safari

Another early morning to catch our hot air balloon safari for sunrise! We took a short 10 minute ride to where the balloon takes off, had a quick safety briefing, and then went over to watch the balloon get blown up. I would recommend wearing tight pants for this excursion as there were some ants crawling up our legs lol. The take off and landing was pretty smooth, but they do make it sound a little scarier than it is. Next thing you know we were a few thousand feet in the air watching the sunrise and looking over the Maasai Mara. It was really nice to see the safari from a different perspective and to take a break from the bumpy trails! The hot air balloon ride was about an hour. After the ride we had a champagne breakfast in the bush which was included. In addition, you have the option to buy a flash drive that had photos/videos on it from the GoPro they set up. This was $40 and we ended up buying it (the photos weren’t that great though). From here, we went back to camp, finished packing, took care of our tipping arrangements, and checked out. Everyone is so friendly so it was sad to say goodbye. Once we left, Lona took us to the airstrip to catch our flight. It ended up being about 45 minutes late which is apparently normal out there. But finally we made it back to Nairobi and got our private transfer to the Giraffe Manor.

Giraffe Manor / Giraffe Centre

Once we got to the Giraffe Manor we were greeted by the manager who explained our stay as we checked in. Once again, the staff was super welcoming, and not to mention the private property is beautiful!! We had a nice lunch and some wine then stopped at the gift shop where I bought some souvenirs. After that we went over to the Giraffe Centre (this is open to the public but free for Giraffe Manor guests) which is connected to the property. While we were there we got to feed and meet some of the giraffes we were going to meet again later. We learned a little bit about the history of the Rothchild giraffes and took some pictures. Then we stopped at their gift shop before heading back to the Giraffe Manor to get ready for afternoon tea. This is a part of your stay at the Giraffe manor. We got some great shots with the giraffes in front of the house and over by the swing. Our butler took TONS of photos for us and they tell you exactly what to do. They also have some snacks, tea and will bring you wine or whatever you would like to drink. Not too long after that we got ready for dinner and had another amazing meal. We were so full we decided to get to bed early to prepare for our exciting morning to have breakfast with the giraffes!

Day 9: Breakfast at Giraffe Manor then fly to Diani Beach. Stay for 3 nights at Msambweni Beach House. (Master Suite 1)

Breakfast at the Giraffe Manor

Rise and shine! We were up super early (before sunrise) waiting for the giraffes to come to our bedroom window. The sun started to rise and before we knew it they were there looking for some food. We stayed in Jock’s room which didn’t have a balcony but had front view windows that had access to feeding. To see what each room offers look here. You have the best chance of feeding the giraffes from the rooms that are in the front of the main house. We really liked Jock’s room but our second choice would have been Betty’s room. They are both in the Main Manor House which is where all guests have access to stay. They also have the Garden Manor House which is only available to guests who stay at one of the Safari Collection’s other properties in Kenya. You can look here to check availability for all of their properties. They fill up quick so I would recommend booking at least a year in advance. Since we traveled during the pandemic we got lucky and only had to book a few months in advance. Anyway, after feeding them from our room we quickly got ready, put on our robes and went down to breakfast. This starts at 7am and the giraffes usually stay until around 8:30-9am. We wanted to get there early to get one of the best seats (in front of the famous windows where the giraffes pop their heads in). Luckily we made it earlier enough to get one. We took some photos and fed the giraffes, and then ate our breakfast while the windows were briefly closed. If you don’t get there early enough to get a seat in front of the windows don’t worry, they give everyone a turn to get photos there. Our butler also took us outside and in front of the house to get even more photos. As mentioned, we had a TON! After finally getting the perfect Instagram shot, we decided to spend the remainder of our time out front with a bottle of champagne. This was at an extra cost but it was very relaxing and definitely worth it. Before we knew it, it was time to pack our bags, sign our bill, and then check out (check out is at 10am). To see some more FAQs about the Giraffe Manor, look here!

Karen Blixen Museum

Our flight to Diani Beach wasn’t until 2pm so we explored a little bit of Nairobi before heading back to the Wilson airport. Our private driver took us to a Gallery nearby where I bought a painting. Then we took a tour of the Karen Blixen museum and stopped at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant to grab a quick lunch. As we finished it was time to go to the airport to catch our flight to Diani. They boarded us right away as we were running a bit behind. This flight was a bit larger than our other SafariLink flights and was about an hour long.

Msambweni Beach House (MBH)

We landed in Ukunda and took a 45-minute drive to our resort, Msambweni Beach House. We had a another warm welcome and quickly went over some information such as our drink package. We pre-purchased the drink package but since it only included house drinks we decided to cancel it since most of the nice cocktails we wanted weren’t included. We finished checking in and then got changed for the beach. They have a small beach area at the resort where you can relax and call for drinks. The area itself is small but it was nice to take walks down the rest of the beach. After exploring, we got ready for dinner which we had down by ocean. There are multiple tables around the resort to choose from for dinner. This was the perfect spot to gaze at the full moon for our first night (although it was quite windy). You had a few options for dinner here including fish, chicken or meat, and a vegetarian option. You can also choose one night to do their all crab menu. This was really good!

Day 10: Second day in Diani Beach. COVID tests in the morning. Mangroves and Sandbank boat tour.

Diani Hospital for COVID tests

We had to get up early again to have a driver take us to the Diani Hospital (about 35 minutes away) to get our COVID tests which were required to get back into the United States. Our travel agent arranged this for us which made it a seamless process. Just don’t forget to bring your passport to the hospital! We were hoping this would be quick since we were going on a boat excursion when we got back but unfortunately it took longer than expected. We ended up waiting for about an hour. Once we were done we just had to wait for the results which would be emailed to us within the next day. The staff at MBH (especially Terry) were also super helpful in case we had any questions or concerns.

Mangroves and Sandbank Boat Tour

Once we got back to MBH we went on the Mangroves and Sandbank Boat tour that left right from the resort. This took us out into the mangroves and then stopped at a small island to have a picnic breakfast. The set up was awesome! We were also the only guests on the tour that day. MBH has multiple excursions to choose from – check them out here.

Afternoon at MBH

Once we got back we had lunch and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon by the pool. We had the chance to talk to the owner Frederick who was also extremely nice! Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner and get to sleep before another eventful day.

Day 11: Last full day in Diani Beach. Whale Shark Excursion.

Whale Shark Excursion

Today was our last full day in Diani Beach and it was an exciting one! We woke up early once again, had a quick breakfast, and had a driver take us to the where the Whale Shark excursion is based. This was run by Whale Shark Adventures. You can also check out their Facebook here. The whale sharks are only spotted during a certain time of the year as they are migrating through the Indian Ocean, usually mid-February to mid-March. And luckily enough the weekend we went just so happened to be the most active! (it was Feb 28th when we went). Once we got dropped off, we picked out fins and snorkel gear, signed some paperwork, paid, and went over the rules and the plan for the day. Then we started heading to the beach and hopped on a boat with about 14 other travelers. There is a guide on a spotter airplane who flies above the water to look for the whale sharks. Once they spot one, they let the boat driver know and we head that way. He will then let us know what direction the whale shark is in and will give us the “okay” to get in the ocean. At that point it is a rush to get in so you don’t lose the shark! Luckily this one stayed in the area for about an hour. The water here was about 60 feet deep, you couldn’t see the bottom at all! There were 2 volunteers in the ocean with us keeping track of the shark. Although it was very hard to keep up with them! Once I got too far behind, I had the boat pick me up (you just wave them down). On my way to the boat I felt a sting all over my body. I had no idea what was happening and was in such a rush to get out of the water! Once I got in the boat, some other guests noticed the sting marks in a few places and I soon realized it was from a jelly fish. Thankfully they carry vinegar on the boat which takes the sting away. After a little while it went away and I bravely jumped back in with the whale shark. It wasn’t long though before I got behind again. Keeping up is very hard!! Once the shark ventured off we went to a reef close by to do a little bit of snorkeling before heading back to base.

Once we got back, I purchased a video from the photographer that was in the water with us for $50. It took about 3 weeks until I received it and it ended up being the same video they posted on their Facebook here. So technically I didn’t even have to buy it that time! We did get some cool pictures on our GoPro too.

Afternoon at MBH

Once we got back to MBH we were starving!! They had a buffet style pizza for lunch and it was fantastic. I think I had 3 personal pizzas to myself haha! We spent the rest of the day hanging out by the pool (hiding from the sun as we were very sunburnt by this point) and took a stroll on beach. There are a good amount of hagglers around here so be prepared. After that we had some time to rest before another delicious dinner.

Day 12: Last day in Diani Beach. Some free time in the morning before heading home.

We had some time to relax in the morning and finally got to sleep in since our flight wasn’t until 6pm. We had breakfast without being in a rush for the first time, went to the pool, and actually had a chance to check out the private villas at MBH. We originally wanted to stay in one but they ended up being booked during our stay. They were only a couple hundred more per night and in my opinion, definitely worth it! Check out some photos below. After checking them out, we finished packing and headed to Mombasa airport for our journey home. This was about 1.5 hours from MBH and was an interesting drive as you go through the towns in Diani/Mombasa, and prepare for traffic! Once we got to the airport we had to show our negative COVID tests results as we checked in. We had 2 layovers, one was 4 hours long in Ethiopia and one was 5 hours long in Frankfurt. It took a total of 33 hours from the time we left MBH to the time we got to our apartment, yikes! We sure were exhausted. As far as traveling during COVID and masks go, the plane to Ethiopia wasn’t strict about masks. At least half of the people weren’t wearing one. But the airports and planes to Frankfurt and the U.S. were much more strict. Overall, our African Safari in Kenya was a trip of a lifetime and I definitely recommend it!

Check out more on what to wear, what to pack, tip guidelines and more here!