Safari Trips to Kenya Guide – Our Packages, Top Destinations, & FAQs

The Top 8 Destinations for Safari Trips to Kenya 

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to having your Kenya Tours, as many tourist destinations in Kenya offer a different experience. But you can’t claim to have a safari in Kenya and miss these top 8 places, especially if you are interested in seeing some of the unique wildlife in the world.

 1. Masai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara National Park is located in the southwest part of Kenya at the border of Kenya and Tanzania and in the same ecosystem as Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The park is a unique wildlife conservation haven famous for its annual wildebeest migration. The phenomenon is one of the seven wonders of the world.

However, there is a variety of wildlife that you will find in Masai Mara even when the season for wildebeest migration is not there. Animals that you will easily spot include lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, and leopards- though only at a specific time of the day.

 2. Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is one of the most famous parks in Kenya, mainly due to its large number of African elephants that makes it easy to see them at close range. The park is relatively large, with an area of 395 sq km, allowing it to accommodate large herds of elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, and other large animals.

You will also find various birds, mainly around the numerous water sources in the park. Amboseli has more than 400 species of birds. Birds species in Amboseli include Taveta golden weaver, yellow-necked spurfowl, heron, flamingoes, African swamphen, and common redshank.

In addition to the rich wildlife, Amboseli also offers one of the best scenic views of Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.

 3. Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya’s favorite tourist destinations due to its abundant wildlife and captivating vegetation surrounding the salty water lake. The park’s proximity to Nairobi and its small size makes it possible to have a one-day game drive and enjoy coming across almost all animals found at the park.

Animals that thrive in this park include black and white rhinos that graze around the lake, Cape buffalo, zebra, African wild dogs, eland, waterbuck, and lions. But it’s not all about animals, as you will also have an excellent opportunity of watching thousands of pink and white flamingoes and other types of birds that reside at the park.

 4. Tsavo West National Park

Tsavo West is Kenya’s second largest park covering an area of 9,065 square kilometers, and it is adjacent to Kenya’s largest park, Tsavo East National Park. Although Tsavo East is more extensive than Tsavo West, the latter is more popular as it has an abundance of magnificent sceneries and wildlife. It also has better roads.

Other activities at Tsavo West include a guided walk along the River Tsavo, rock climbing, and visiting the natural waters of Mzima Springs. Wildlife includes elephants, hippopotami, Cape buffalo, lions, leopards, and black rhinos. There are also varied species of birds that, include guineafowl and eagles.

 5. Lake Naivasha & Crescent Island

Another popular place you must visit during your Kenya tour is Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island, as they will give you a different kind of experience from the parks. Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake within the Great Rift Valley and is located near Naivasha Town, which lies northwest of Nairobi.

The main activity at lake Naivasha is having a boat ride to Crescent Island, apart from watching animals found near the lake. Once on the island, you will enjoy a guided walking safari as you interact with wild animals and learn more about the various vegetation that inhabits the island.

 6. Samburu National Reserve

Samburu National Reserve is found on the banks of Ewaso Ngi’ro river in Samburu County and has an elevation of 800 to 1230m above sea level. The reserve is popular with tourists due to its rare species of animals and birds. Most species in Samburu Reserve are not found in Kenya’s other parks and reserves.

These rare animals found only in Samburu National Reserve include Somali Ostrich, Grevy Zebra, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, and Reticulated Giraffe. Apart from the special five, there are also many other animals, such as elephants, cheetahs,s and lions –  this is home to Kamunyak. This lion was famous for adopting a baby oryx,

 7. Ol Pejeta Conservancy

If you have visited Kenya before and are a rhino enthusiast, you must have heard about Ol Pejeta Conservancy.  Ol Pejeta Conservancy is East Africa’s most prominent black rhino sanctuary and is home to the only two remaining northern white rhinos in the world.

The conservancy is also a sanctuary for abandoned and orphaned chimpanzees and is the only place you can get to see chimpanzees in Kenya. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a popular destination because it hosts all the big five and other varieties of wildlife and livestock.

Common animals at the conservancy include giraffes, gazelles, impala, hippos, hartebeest, buffalo, elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, and wild dogs.

 8. Aberdare National Park

Aberdare National Park is another top tourist destination in Kenya that carries the British royal family history in addition to its diverse flora and fauna. It is at a hotel known as Treetops within this park where the Late Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne after her father’s death, King George VI, in 1952.

Wildlife present at the park includes mountain reedbuck, giant forest hog, lion, leopard, East African wild dog, suni, and the rare sighted African golden cat. You will also see different bird species, including sparrow hawk, Aberdare cisticola, African goshawk, plovers, sunbirds, and Jackson’s spurfowl.