Why Kenya
The country runs from sea level to five thousand one hundred and ninety-nine metres — Mount Kenya, Africa's second summit — and is crossed by the Rift Valley. That gives four very different environments a few hours apart.
The Masai Mara, in the south-west, is the continuation of the Serengeti and the stage for the great migration. Amboseli offers elephants in front of Kilimanjaro, which is in Tanzania but is watched from here. Lake Nakuru and the Rift lakes hold the flamingos. The Swahili coast — Mombasa, Diani, Lamu, the last World Heritage listed — is an Indian Ocean world more than an African one.
June to October: the dry season, the best for safari, and the migration crosses the Mara between July and October. January–February is a second dry window. The long rains fall from March to May.
Entry and stay
Requirements depend on nationality. Check yours with the local authorities before booking.
No duration is quoted here, for want of an official source verified at the time of writing — 22 September 2026.
One practical point applies to many visitors: Kenya operates an electronic travel authorisation to be applied for online before departure, distinct from a conventional visa. Arrangements and fees change; check with the Kenyan authorities.
Getting around
The standard gauge railway links Nairobi to Mombasa in about five hours, which is far faster and safer than the road. It must be booked ahead and it fills up.
Domestic flights serve the park airstrips — Mara, Amboseli, Samburu — in small aircraft, with low baggage allowances, often fifteen kilos in a soft bag.
Matatus, shared minibuses, cover everything else. On safari, a four-wheel drive with a driver-guide is the norm; self-driving is possible but uncommon.
Money
The Kenyan shilling. Mobile payment through M-Pesa is everywhere, including with the smallest traders: it is the country's dominant means of payment, more so than cards.
Cash remains necessary in the parks. US dollars are accepted by lodges.
Health
A yellow fever vaccination certificate may be required depending on where you travel from, particularly when arriving from a risk country. Check against your actual itinerary, stopovers included.
Malaria is present on the coast and in the lowlands, less so in Nairobi, which is at seventeen hundred metres. Prophylaxis should be discussed with a doctor.
Serious facilities are in Nairobi. From a park, the question is air evacuation.
Before you go
National park entry fees are high, vary by nationality and season, and are almost never included in the advertised price of a safari. Asking about them before booking avoids a nasty surprise at the gate.
Park gates close at fixed times, usually in the late afternoon, and night driving inside is prohibited.
Photographing government installations, soldiers or police is forbidden and is penalised.