Safari
The Kenya safari, planned around the season
The Migration is in the Maasai Mara from July to October. Amboseli's swamps keep game close all year, with Kilimanjaro behind. We match the regions to your month, then the camps to how you like your days.
Safari is East Africa's headline draw, and Kenya is where Bushking runs it at its best. Kenya's Masai Mara puts you in the thick of the Great Migration's river crossings and private conservancy game drives. Every safari itinerary here is built around game drives, conservancy access and board-basis choices tailored to how you actually want your days to run, not a fixed departure date.
What the days feel like
Photo: Danijel Mihajlovic / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 The river in August
Crossings of the Mara River are likeliest in August and September. They are the herds' to give, though. We plan for the best odds, and nobody can promise you a crossing on a given day.
Photo: Naturaltracksafaris / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Fewer vehicles, more ground
Private conservancies surround the reserve: Naboisho, Olare Motorogi, Ol Kinyei, Mara North. They keep vehicle numbers lower and allow night drives, walking safaris and fly camping, none of which the reserve permits. Split your nights between the two for the best chance of a crossing, and the quiet.
Photo: Ninaras / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Elephants under Kilimanjaro
Amboseli's elephant herds have been studied without a break since 1972. Go out early. Kilimanjaro is clearest in the first hours of the day, and the cloud usually builds by midday. The park's swamps hold water through the dry months, so the game stays close.
Photo: Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 The dry north
Samburu looks nothing like the Mara. The Ewaso Ng'iro runs through doum palms and sun-baked semi-arid country. The animals change with it: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich. Leopard sightings here are among the most reliable in Kenya.
Who it suits
First safaris that want the Maasai Mara at the centre.
Photographers timing a trip to the Migration or Kilimanjaro's mornings.
Returning travellers ready for Samburu, Laikipia or Tsavo.
Good to know
- For the Mara between July and October, book 12 months or more ahead.
- Light aircraft from Nairobi's Wilson airport reach the Mara airstrips in 45 to 60 minutes. Bags must be soft, typically 15 kg per person.
- April and May bring the long rains. Some Mara camps close, and park fees are lower.
Suggested journeys
Real, priced sample itineraries: a starting point you can customise stop by stop.
5 nightsFamily Mara and NaivashaBig game in the Mara, then a gentler pace by the lake with room to run around.Maasai Mara National ReserveLake Naivasha
4 nightsAmboseli and TsavoElephant herds beneath Kilimanjaro, then the red-dust plains of Tsavo's red elephants.Amboseli National ParkTsavo National Parks
5 nightsMara and Lake NakuruThe Mara's plains game, then the flamingo-lined shores and rhino sanctuary of Lake Nakuru.Maasai Mara National ReserveLake Nakuru National Park
3 nightsThe Classic MaraThree nights deep in Kenya's most famous reserve, with nothing else on the agenda.Maasai Mara National Reserve
Regions to pair
Build around the Mara, then add one or two of these.
- Maasai MaraThe Migration from July to October, and conservancies with fewer vehicles.
- AmboseliElephants with Kilimanjaro behind them, clearest in the early morning.
SamburuThe Special Five along the Ewaso Ng'iro, and reliable leopard.
LaikipiaPrivate conservancies with rhino, wild dog and Kenya's second-largest elephant population..webp&w=3840&q=75)
TsavoKenya's largest protected area, with red-dust elephants. Tsavo West borders Amboseli.
Frequently asked questions
Anything not answered here, a consultant answers directly. More planning questions are on the FAQ page.
It depends on what you want to see. The Migration is in the Mara from July to October, with river crossings likeliest in August and September. The dry months, June to October and January to February, draw game to water in most parks.
As a guide, two regions for up to eight nights and three for nine or more, with at least two nights in each. That is how Plan for me builds its suggestions, and your consultant adjusts the split once they know your dates.
Yes. The Maasai Mara can show you all five, with resident lion and leopard, and elephant and buffalo along the rivers. For more time with rhino, add Lake Nakuru, a rhino sanctuary since 1987, or Laikipia's conservancies, which protect black and white rhino.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is the public park. The private conservancies around it, such as Naboisho and Mara North, have fewer vehicles and allow night drives, walking safaris and fly camping. The reserve allows none of the three.
Start with your travel month
Trip Builder marks which regions are in season and gives you an estimate as you build. Or let Plan for me suggest a route.