Kenya safaris

Kenya packs the classic safari into a small, drivable country. In one week you can go from the open grasslands of the Maasai Mara, to elephants wandering below Kilimanjaro at Amboseli, to the red-earth country of Tsavo, to the northern specials (reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra) that only Samburu and Laikipia hold.

Then there’s the migration. From roughly July to October the wildebeest herd crosses into the Mara from the Serengeti, and the river crossings are the single most-watched wildlife event on earth. We time itineraries around it without ever promising a crossing. Anyone who does is guessing.

Kenya is also the easiest country in the region to travel in: most parks are 3–6 hours from Nairobi by road, many have scheduled flights, and the infrastructure means your itinerary can change course mid-trip without drama.