Planning a trip to Kenya … need some guidance from your experience

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Wail

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As the title says, I’m thinking of going off to Kenya and I’ve been doing a bit of research, mostly through reading the various threads off here and Wikipedia.

I was hoping to get first-hand feedback from those who’ve already been there; and a number of questions pop to mind ...

- What are the difference between National Parks and Reserves? Which of the two should I be looking to go to; and which do you recommend for wildlife

- What are the best times of the year to go? From my bit of research, it seems March to June & October to December are rain seasons. While July & August have the coldest climate, and less rain; however, which are the best times of years for wildlife and nature experience?

- What tour operator did you go with, and how do you rate their service?

- What do you consider to be the “must see”, besides the key five creatures?

- Where are the best places to stay?

- What are the things to watch out for?

- What equipment did you take, what did you wish you had?

I guess that sums it up really.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
 
Anyone :shrug:?
 
its some years since we went, but we actually safaried in Tanzania went to the Rift valley, ngorogoro (sp) crater and the serengeti before relaxing for a week in Mombasa, and we went october i think, we went to tanzania because it was quieter then Kenya out on the plains, i think the whole week we only saw another bus when we came across a cheeter with 3 cubs and then it was only 2, where we had been told that in Kenya, you drop on something good and can end up with 10 - 20 buses round it, i also found the people in tanzania a lot friendlier
 
Lizzy,

Thank you for your input. So, you're saying Tanzania would be the better option?!

Do you recall the name of your tour operator and the place you stayed at?
 
i think Tanzania is better, we went late September early October in 1996 (just dug the photos out) and at the time we travelled with british airways holidays on an organised tour, i'm looking at the itinery and we had a day at Lake Manyara in the rift valley, before two days in the serengeti, a day in the Ngorongoro crater and a day in Arusha where we stayed at an hotel that had a bit o a zoo (remember the Elephant that Martin Clunes rescued for TV) we then went on to Mombasa where we stayed at a hotel on a marine reserve.

British Airways holidays are no longer in existence, but have been bought out by Thomas cook Signature, who i have nothing but praise for after visiting the sites of egypt with them, they tend to stick to small groups,
 
Send me a PM with your number and I will call you.

No I won't realised where you are !!!!!!!!!!!!

Kenya everytime for me went 2009 going again Sept this year.

Too much to put on here easier to chat.

Kenya travelled with Somak go early sept migration in progress
 
Last edited:
I went to Kenya in March 2010 on honeymoon.

- What tour operator did you go with, and how do you rate their service?

Thomas Cook.... they were CRAP! we initially did a three day safari, but ended up driving for the entire second day outside of any parks along a really really bumpy road, that wasn't a road! To Tsavo West, and didn't even go in!!! We did however get to do an on foot safari and saw lots of wildlife including, lion, crocs and hippos. If i was to go again i would look at a photography specific company as i would hope they would have ironed out all the little bits.

We did Tsavo East which was great, but in march the trees had started going green giving lots of places to hide.

- What do you consider to be the “must see”, besides the key five creatures?

Wasini Island. Great place to snorkel and dive, also a lovely lunch and the chance to see dolphins. Bit of a drive south of Mombasa though.


- What equipment did you take, what did you wish you had?

Only had my Nikon d50 then, and a cheapy 70-300 non VR. I wished i taken taken a wide angle for lovely landscape shots, and a longer lens :) Possibly a beanbag to put on the roof to steady my lens.

Im sure Nicki will be able to help, but if you need anything else let me know, im no expert but i have been.

some photos here
 
+1 for Somak as well. If you want to relax choose the South coast in Mombasa. North coast is okay if you want to go into the old town.
 
I ought to elaborate, since I live not very far from West Africa; I plan to do these trips a number of times, be it Tanzania or Kenya, or even both. That said, I want to make sure to study well before I go.

Ideally, I don't want to be out there for more than a week, to ten days maximum, at a time; and I'd look to do a couple of trips in the year once I've identified the best times of the year.

Of course, by going there I will get the experiences and input that I am asking replies to here; but still, I want to hear what experiences others have had, and what to avoid. Pre-visit research is always good.


lizzy23 said:
i think Tanzania is better, we went late September early October in 1996 (just dug the photos out) and at the time we travelled with british airways holidays on an organised tour, i'm looking at the itinery and we had a day at Lake Manyara in the rift valley, before two days in the serengeti, a day in the Ngorongoro crater and a day in Arusha where we stayed at an hotel that had a bit o a zoo (remember the Elephant that Martin Clunes rescued for TV) we then went on to Mombasa where we stayed at a hotel on a marine reserve.

British Airways holidays are no longer in existence, but have been bought out by Thomas cook Signature, who i have nothing but praise for after visiting the sites of egypt with them, they tend to stick to small groups,
Click to expand...

Thank you, again, for the elaborate feedback. I will definitely be looking into Tanzania as an option. The funny thing, a couple of decades ago I was invited to go to Tanzania (loooong story), but never went.


Briony said:
Send me a PM with your number and I will call you.

No I won't realised where you are !!!!!!!!!!!!

Kenya everytime for me went 2009 going again Sept this year.

Too much to put on here easier to chat.

Kenya travelled with Somak go early sept migration in progress
Click to expand...

PM on its' way :p

I'd really love to hear your input on Kenya; may be we can chat when I am next in London. I fly in for a day, once a month.

Although Tanzania has been highly recommended, I'd like to keep both options open.

Unfortunately, early Sept. may not be possible for me; however, last week of the month is doable. Are the migration period, which you recommend, still ongoing by then?


stokes said:
I went to Kenya in March 2010 on honeymoon.

- What tour operator did you go with, and how do you rate their service?

Thomas Cook.... they were CRAP! we initially did a three day safari, but ended up driving for the entire second day outside of any parks along a really really bumpy road, that wasn't a road! To Tsavo West, and didn't even go in!!! We did however get to do an on foot safari and saw lots of wildlife including, lion, crocs and hippos. If i was to go again i would look at a photography specific company as i would hope they would have ironed out all the little bits.

We did Tsavo East which was great, but in march the trees had started going green giving lots of places to hide.

- What do you consider to be the “must see”, besides the key five creatures?

Wasini Island. Great place to snorkel and dive, also a lovely lunch and the chance to see dolphins. Bit of a drive south of Mombasa though.


- What equipment did you take, what did you wish you had?

Only had my Nikon d50 then, and a cheapy 70-300 non VR. I wished i taken taken a wide angle for lovely landscape shots, and a longer lens :) Possibly a beanbag to put on the roof to steady my lens.

Im sure Nicki will be able to help, but if you need anything else let me know, im no expert but i have been.

some photos here
Click to expand...

Great to get another good reply, thank you very much. I will certainly be spending the next few days investigating all the pointers brought up here.

As for the snorkelling / diving, been doing that since 1988 in the red sea. Have some good and some horrid experiences; I'm just glad I'm now more into photography than diving, although I still enjoy it once in a while but age and mileage have caught up with me!

Thank you for the link to the photos :thumbs:


sep9001 said:
+1 for Somak as well. If you want to relax choose the South coast in Mombasa. North coast is okay if you want to go into the old town.
Click to expand...

Thank you, may I ask what's in the South coast? Not really interested in "old town" as I really just want to do nature and wildlife.
 
I've done Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Botswana and Kenya. The last Kenya trip was with Somak, via Archers Direct in the UK (Voyages Jules Vern do a similar trip). Both Kenya trips were in September, so we did get to see some of the migration in the Mara.

Samburu was probably our favourite place in Kenya, although the floods last year had restricted the areas that could be visited.
 
We went last October a did a 3 day safari with JT Safari's


http://www.julius-safaris.com/index2.cgi?lang=UK&page=1&name=Home

We booked our safari seperte from our holiday and saved about £400 we had a van and driver to ourselves, this was the best part as we saw other vans with people packed like sardines. Julius phone every morning and evening whilst we were on safari to ensure we were ok. The service was fantastic, we are aimimg to go back next year to do a longer safari and less beach time

HTH

Paul
 
Paul,

Wonderful information there :thumbs:; thank you so much for the information.

Out of curiosity, what were the other countries / safaris like?
 
Masai Mara has to be my favourite, :thumbs: with doing the balloon ride over the Mara early one morning then followed by a champagne breakfast - absolute sheer bliss, fantastic (Wonder why I saw 4 cheetahs on the way home instead of 2 :D)
 
The best times to visit are often subjective and depend on a persons requirements.

The Mara is Kenya's jewel, and when the migration floods in, so do all the crowds.

As you have probably figured, there are a number of options when booking a safari. In my opinion, I would suggest booking through a dedicated safari planner or in country tour operator, not the Thomas Cook's etc of this world.

Two great websites to check would www.fodors.com and www.safaritalk.net.

I would recommend deciding upon a budget, as that will give you an idea of what options are available to you;

- for a photographer, a private vehicle is a must. Though this may come at the cost of staying in more comfortable lodging or swapping a 4 x 4 for a minivan. The private vehicle gives you complete freedom - sit with lions or go and hunt for something else.

- A private conservancy like Olare Orok that borders the Mara allows off-road driving and is limited to only a handful of camps. The migration passes here, though the costs for the privacy are far higher. In comparison, up to 4000 people may visit the main Mara reserve during the height of the migration.

- What vehicles are available from your T.O ?

- I would also avoid trying to see too many locations in one trip. Stays of 5/6 nights in one location are often the most rewarding. For example, average lion prides hunt on 3/4 cycles in my experience.

I am off to the Mara for 2 weeks at the start of March next year, researching a new location for one of my photo group safaris. Being used to the private reserves of Northern Botswana, I prefer the off-season. In addition, I am happy to pay more for a private vehicle and stay in a private conservancy where I can offroad.

I will be staying at Mara Plains camp.

PS I see recommendations on this thread for Somak. Whilst they may offer a good safari experience, they have also impacted on important Black Rhino habit when constructing their camp.
 
I am fortunate to be able to spend 8-10 days each year in the Lower Zambezi Valley (Mana Pools, camping on the banks of the Zambezi, self catering / self guiding). However, without friends 'in country' this is a difficult & daunting trip to plan, so I'll stick to a few generalities based on my experiences which may assist.

If at all possible, walk rather than drive - viewing animals on foot is a far, far better experience than from the seat of a Landrover/cruiser.

Try to spend time in National Parks rather than reserves. Reserves tend to be privately owned and most are limited in size - meaning they are pretty much the same as Longleat in my book. From a photography point of view, taking pictures free from fences, telephone poles, wires and other signs of human interference can be a challenge!!!

Other than the chance of seeing the great migration in the Masai Mara, I would personally not visit Kenya, there are so many better locations to view animals in Africa. Kenya has a very poor reputation for 'operators' crowding animals. Personally, the last thing I want to see when on safari is other people, let alone other vehicles.

I spoke to David Shepherd (Wildlife artist & conservation activist) a few years ago and asked him where he would go to view animals in Africa. Without hesitation he said 'South Luangwa in Zambia'. I have friends who have spent time here and confirm it is an incredible place.
 
stokes said:
I went to Kenya in March 2010 on honeymoon.

- What tour operator did you go with, and how do you rate their service?

Thomas Cook.... they were CRAP! we initially did a three day safari, but ended up driving for the entire second day outside of any parks along a really really bumpy road, that wasn't a road! To Tsavo West, and didn't even go in!!! We did however get to do an on foot safari and saw lots of wildlife including, lion, crocs and hippos. If i was to go again i would look at a photography specific company as i would hope they would have ironed out all the little bits.

We did Tsavo East which was great, but in march the trees had started going green giving lots of places to hide.

- What do you consider to be the “must see”, besides the key five creatures?

Wasini Island. Great place to snorkel and dive, also a lovely lunch and the chance to see dolphins. Bit of a drive south of Mombasa though.


- What equipment did you take, what did you wish you had?

Only had my Nikon d50 then, and a cheapy 70-300 non VR. I wished i taken taken a wide angle for lovely landscape shots, and a longer lens :) Possibly a beanbag to put on the roof to steady my lens.

Im sure Nicki will be able to help, but if you need anything else let me know, im no expert but i have been.

some photos here
Click to expand...

Oh No! We are getting married on safari with Thomas Cook :eek:

3 night out of africa safari taking in tsavo east then west (where we marry), am worried now
 
clairelily said:
Oh No! We are getting married on safari with Thomas Cook :eek:

3 night out of africa safari taking in tsavo east then west (where we marry), am worried now
Click to expand...

We went to Tsavo east and stayed at the Aruba Dam that was very nice, we spent out 2nd night at Salt Lick which is in a private reserve between Tsavo East and West that was also very good.

Unfortunately I cannot comment on TC as we booked our safari independantly before we went out
 
clairelily said:
Oh No! We are getting married on safari with Thomas Cook :eek:

3 night out of africa safari taking in tsavo east then west (where we marry), am worried now
Click to expand...

Don't worry - you'll have a great time! Thomas Cook may not be the best option, but that doesn't mean it will be a bad experience. I've been to Tsavo East and West twice and loved it both times - I've got every confidence you will too!

If it's your first time in East Africa, you might appreciate the added reassurance of having travel reps etc available to call.

I did my honeymoon in Kenya and my advice would be to make sure you mention the word honeymoon as much as possible - people will see it as a big thing and may offer room upgrades etc.
 
Meant to also say that there will be a fair bit of driving between Mombasa and Tsavo along normal roads, but I think that is part of the experience of being in Kenya - seeing the landscape, buildings etc - if you can persuade your driver to stop at non-tourist oriented places for the stops so much the better (although most drivers will have arrangements with particular curios shops for their stops)
 
Thank you very much for the reassurance, it is our first time in Africa so nothing to compare it to.

No doubt be plenty of pics on here when we come back
 
"Oh No! We are getting married on safari with Thomas Cook

3 night out of africa safari taking in tsavo east then west (where we marry), am worried now "

We went with Thomas Cook 3 years ago and it was our 1st safari so have nothing to compare it to but it was a great experience- on a 4 day safari we did morning, afternoon and evening game drives/ visited a masai village and a hippo pool(mzima springs).there was a fair bit of driving in between the parks but we saw tsavo east & west also amboseli np.Also stops at roadside shops/cafes but it's part of the experience to meet the locals. It was a packed 4 days and well worth the trip.
 
Excellent feedback here :thumbs:

I am going through all the posts and suggestions; looking them up and trying to plan something. Instead of asking redundant questions, I am doing a bit more research before I come back with a load of silly ones :p

Again, thank you to all who've replied and posted their experience; please don't stop at this.
 
Wail, what is your budget?

If you want the ultimate unspoiled, private safari, then head to the private concessions (reserves) of Botswana.

Completely unfenced, number of guests per hectare the lowest in Africa.

I have worked in the Luangwa Valley, Botswana and travelled all over taking my own personal images.

It costs a lot of money to visit $1.5 - 2k per day in the peak season, but it is probably the best Africa has to offer - and I have been all over.
 
Russell,

Thank you :thumbs:

I have to say, $1.5 - $2k per day is a bit over my budget range :shake:. I am still researching and deciding on how to go about this.

Since starting this thread a number of other country options have come up; Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa, and from work a colleague recommended India too. Between work pressure and down-time, due to poor health, I am trying to research this well. Things like, flight availability, accommodations, tours, operators, remoteness, and wildlife species to see.

The thing is, Kenya isn't that far off from the West coast of Saudi, making it a short hop to get over there. Flights aren't that frequent, but very affordable, economy fares are just about £200 return, and first class about £450.

I am contemplating doing a scouting tour, with the family, first, this will allow me to get a feel of the place. Based on that I'll then decide on how often I want to visit and I can possibly expand from there.

Unfortunately, I don't think there are direct flights from Saudi to Botswana nor to Tanzania; but I will definitely be looking at going to all of the countries recommended here. Besides the normal logistical issues of fitting this with work, my only real constraint is my frail health.

Again, thank you for the suggestion and I will definitely be looking into the suggestion you've made. May be spoil myself, we only live once :p
 
I'm off to Kenya in September for 3 weeks, I'm lucky that I'm staying with a uncle who runs a tourist lodge in the Kenyan side of the Masai. So I'm at one location for 3 weeks but it has most of the game I want to see, so no need to move about.

I'm taking a photographer friend we are going to borrow a vehicle and enlist the help of a local guide and that will probably be the biggest expense! But we will have total freedom on where, when and how long we stay at a location.

So if you can get your own vehicle and driver!
 
I was on safari the week before last and visited the samburu game reserve for 2 days and stayed at the samburu simba lodge, which included 3 game drives.

We then drove on to the treetops hotel, which is situated between 2 watering holes and stayed there overnight. there isn't a game drive at the treetops as the wildlife comes to you, and you can view it all from the roof of the hotel.

We then drove on to the lake Nakuru national park for 2 game drives and an overnight stay.

We then drove on to the Mara Simba lodge for a 2 night stay and 2 game drives. On the last day we went on a balloon flight over the masaai mara with a champagne breakfast.

In all we had 7 game drives and saw:-
white and black rhino.
leopards.
cheetahs.
hippo.
2 pride of lions.
hyena.
warthog.
elephant.
zebra.
giraffe.
water buck.
pink flamingo.
.........pretty much everything.

The holiday was booked through virgin and the safari company was called Rhino safaris.
The whole safari was beyond anything I imagined it would be from start to finish.
You can't go wrong with these guys!!!!

When I have gone through the 1000 or so shots I took I shall post them for you to see.
As for the equipment, everything on my signature.
 
jabbermack said:
I was on safari the week before last and visited the samburu game reserve for 2 days and stayed at the samburu simba lodge, which included 3 game drives.

We then drove on to the treetops hotel, which is situated between 2 watering holes and stayed there overnight. there isn't a game drive at the treetops as the wildlife comes to you, and you can view it all from the roof of the hotel.

We then drove on to the lake Nakuru national park for 2 game drives and an overnight stay.

We then drove on to the Mara Simba lodge for a 2 night stay and 2 game drives. On the last day we went on a balloon flight over the masaai mara with a champagne breakfast.

In all we had 7 game drives and saw:-
white and black rhino.
leopards.
cheetahs.
hippo.
2 pride of lions.
hyena.
warthog.
elephant.
zebra.
giraffe.
water buck.
pink flamingo.
.........pretty much everything.

The holiday was booked through virgin and the safari company was called Rhino safaris.
The whole safari was beyond anything I imagined it would be from start to finish.
You can't go wrong with these guys!!!!

When I have gone through the 1000 or so shots I took I shall post them for you to see.
As for the equipment, everything on my signature.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for a wonderful feedback :thumbs:

The research into this is taking me longer than I anticipated, but this is mainly due to family and work overload at the moment; but I have a strong feeling that it will be Kenya that I will visit first, and then plan to go to the other countries only because Kenya is just conveniently close to where I live.

Looking forward to seeing the photos :).
 
As promised some images from my recent safari.
All five images taken at the Samburu game reserve in Africa 2 weeks ago.
The Leopard killed the gazelle moments before we arrived and dragged it up a tree.
IMG_58381W.jpg


After a good 40 minutes he'd had enough.

IMG_58461W.jpg


looking me straight in the eye.

IMG_58481W.jpg


IMG_58501W.jpg


IMG_58521W.jpg
 
Hi wail did a safari to Tanzania last year got a lot of good advice from this site

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ListForums-g6-i9112-Africa

As for where to go that’s up to you and what you want from the trip. If you want to guarantee that you see and photograph certain animals then a game reserve in some where like South Africa is the place if you want the migration then its Tanzania- Kenya and so on there is a different part of Africa for every taste and it’s up to you to choose the one that suits you. No matter where you go I’m sure you will enjoy.

taric
 
Thanks Dean; I am still trying to sort out the logistics, not wanting to over-complicate things, but it's getting a bit of a tight schedule for me.

I'll certainly be looking at the link you've suggested :).
 
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