So I may be a little biased, but so far Kenya has been our favorite country in the world that we’ve visited. One of the main reasons why we loved it so much was because it was the home to our favorite vacation of our travels, an 11-day safari with a company called Capture Kenya Expeditions. But even if we hadn’t had such an amazing experience, Kenya is still an amazing country that definitely deserves a visit! If you want to experience African wildlife in its natural habitat, Kenya is the perfect country to visit. There are dozens of amazing national reserves and conservancies to see these incredible animals in person. On top of the unbelievable wildlife, the country is also home to beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, and really amazing people! In addition to Swahili, English is one of the country’s official languages, making Kenya an easier country for Americans to travel through. However, the thing that made our visit so incredible was Capture Kenya Expeditions. (If you are interested in learning more or booking with them, read our blog post or visit their website.)
Based on our experiences, research, and recommendations, here are 8 of the best things to experience in Kenya! If you are interested in learning more, read more about our Kenya safari here!
1. Maasai Mara and the Great Migration
One of the most popular national parks in all of Africa is Maasai Mara. Located in the southwestern corner of Kenya, the park borders Tanzania and Serengeti National Park, one of the other most famous parks in the continent. These parks are home to some of the most abundant and diverse big game in all of Africa. Within 5 minutes of entering the park we saw 7 lions sunning themselves less than 10 feet away from our car! Within our 3 day stay we saw lions, cheetahs, a leopard, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and dozens of other African wildlife. Besides rhinos, pretty much any African animal we could think of we saw during our Maasai Mara game drives. (Rhinos were once abundant in the park, but due to poaching they are more rare to see in Maasai Mara.)
In addition to its abundant wildlife, another reason why this park is so well known is because it is home to the Great Wildebeest Migration! (The main reason I knew about the migration was because of the infamous scene of the wildebeest stampede in Lion King 😁.) Every year over 1.5 million wildebeest cross the Mara River from Serengeti National Park into Maasai Mara. We were a few weeks early to witness the wildebeest crossing in Kenya, but fortunately we did get to see it a few weeks later in Tanzania! It was definitely one of the coolest animal experiences Em and I have ever seen! Another highlight was staying at a camp in the park. We stayed at Mara Ngenche Camp located on the Mara River. At night we heard hippos, hyenas, and even lions roaming nearby the river. Maasai Mara is a must-experience for any visit to Kenya!
2. Amboseli National Reserve and Mount Kilimanjaro
Amboseli National Reserve is at the top of our list for our next visit to Kenya. It is home to a huge population of African elephants and is also the best place to get the iconic photo of Mount Kilimanjaro. Between the incredible wildlife and breathtaking scenery, you really get to experience the best of both worlds. Although the park is best known for its plethora of elephants, it’s a great place to spot the big 5 and pretty much any other African wildlife you can think of. Although the park is smaller than some of the other well-known parks, it is very diverse.
There’s a good chance that if you’ve seen a photo of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, it was taken from Amboseli National Reserve. Although the snow-capped mountain is actually in Tanzania, possibly the best view of it is in Amboseli National Reserve. Em and I tried to see the mountain in Moshi, Tanzania. Despite being close to its base, it was so cloudy that we had to ask a local which way to look because the entire mountain was hidden! Maybe someday we will be back and make it to the top! (Or more likely, we will just look at pictures online of people who actually did!)
3. Diani Beach and other Mombasa Beaches
When I think of Kenya, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t the beach. But it is actually home to some incredibly beautiful beaches. If you are looking for a break from game drives and the African savanna, head over to the coast to the country’s beautiful beaches. Kenya’s second biggest city, Mombasa, is located right along the coast and is the perfect place to fly into for the start of beach relaxation. Diani Beach is one of the most popular beaches in the area. However, there are a plethora of beaches along Kenya’s coast to choose from. Located right along the equator, the weather is great all year round. The Indian ocean is clear and pleasantly warm in this area so take your pick of beautiful beaches and take a break from all of the incredible game drives!
4. Samburu National Reserve
Next to Maasai Mara, my personal favorite game drives in Kenya were in Samburu National Reserve. This was our first place we visited on our safari and it definitely did not disappoint. We stayed at a place called Elephant Bedroom Camp and had wild elephants constantly walking through our camp. At night Em and I almost walked right into a giant bull elephant if not for the incredible guards at the camp. On almost every game drive we were surrounded by a parade of elephants. We saw giraffes, zebras, a lion, leopard, cheetah, and several other animals. But the highlight was definitely our experience at camp. In addition to the elephants walking through the area, we had to padlock our tent shut to keep the monkeys from unzipping our tent. At first I thought this was a bit of an exaggeration, but after the first afternoon and having a handful of monkeys jumping on and around our tent I quickly realized why they gave us the padlock. Every meal we had a beautiful view of animals coming to the river to cool off. There were elephants, baboons, zebras, warthogs, and a host of other animals watching us as we watched them! Our experience at Samburu National Reserve was the perfect way to be introduced into our first safari!
5. Maasai Cultural Experience
In addition to beautiful landscapes and wildlife, Kenya is also rich in culture. The country is home to several local tribes with their own unique language and customs. One of the largest and best known ethnic groups in Africa are the Maasai. Located in Kenya and Tanzania, historically the Maasai were known as great warriors. In this region, boys used to have to kill a lion before becoming a man. (It’s safe to say that if I had single handedly kill a lion with a bow I would still be a boy to this day =) Today, Maasai are very focused on conservation and holding strong to their cultural traditions.
Henry, our guide from Capture Kenya, surprised us with a cultural experience where we got to sing, dance, and eat with local Maasai. It was an amazing experience that we were honored to be a part of. Kenya is full of rich history and is a great place to interact and learn more about the different tribes and traditions!
6. Ol Pejeta Conservancy
If you want to see rhinos, Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the place to be! During our game drives here, we got to see several black and white rhinos grazing in the fields! It felt a little surreal beijing feet away from these rare animals in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, due to poaching, the rhino population has greatly diminished all across the continent. Ol Pejeta Conservancy has worked hard to help protect and increase the rhino population in Kenya. They are home to the last two northern white rhinos in the world. These 2 rhinos are protected and kept under 24/7 security to help protect from poachers.
Although Ol Pejeta Conservancy is best known for its rhino population, it definitely isn’t lacking for other animals! During our game drives we saw elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, cape buffalo and several other animals. My favorite was seeing two large male lions walk right across the road in front of us as the sun was rising. Em and I were looking out the side of the vehicle and almost missed them! So thankful for Henry, our amazing guide, for spotting them otherwise we might have missed them walking right in front of us!
7. Lake Nakuru National Park
Kenya is full of beautiful landscapes and that is definitely on display at Lake Nakuru National Park. The huge lake is often covered in pink by thousands of vibrant flamingos. Em and I went from never seeing wild flamingos up close to seeing thousands all at once! In addition to the beautiful scenery, Lake Nakuru is also home to tons of African Wildlife. We saw rhinos, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and countless other animals. The only animals that aren’t in this park are Elephants. Our favorite scene while we were visiting was watching a baby cape buffalo learning awkwardly to walk. Henry, our guide, told us that the buffalo was probably born within the past few hours! We stayed close by at Lake Elementaita. It was a perfect place to relax on our way to Maasai Mara.
8. Nairobi
With over 4 million people calling it home. Nairobi is one of the largest and most advanced cities in all of Africa. It is most likely the place that you’ll start your visit in Kenya. Although it is a huge city, you don’t have to go far to see wildlife. At one point the entire city was African savanna, so Kenya created Nairobi National Park less than 10 miles away from the city center! From our hotel window Em and I saw an ostrich, gazelles and cape buffalo. The park is home to lions, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, zebras and more. At the park’s entrance is the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. It is well known for its work in protecting and rehabilitating orphan elephants. However, if elephants aren’t tall enough for you, head over to Giraffe Centre, home of the famous Giraffe Manor. Even if you’ve never heard of this hotel, chances are you’ve seen pictures of the giraffes eating from the hotel window. A stay at the hotel is definitely pricey, but for about $15 you can visit Giraffe Centre and feed giraffes by hand. It was amazing seeing just how tall the giraffes were when they leaned over us to eat from our hands!
Other popular places to visit in the city are the Karen Blixen Museum, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, and Nairobi National Museum. Another amazing place to visit is the Kazuri Beads Factory Tour. They offer free tours and any proceeds go to helping local women in need!
How We Traveled
Kenya is beautiful and full of things to experience! The people were so friendly and welcoming. But the main reason why this was our favorite trip of a lifetime was because of the company Capture Kenya Expeditions. From the time we left the airport, to the time we left, Henry (our guide and the owner of Capture Kenya), made sure we had the trip of a lifetime! The company creates custom safari experiences based on their customers preferences. We told Henry what we wanted to see and he planned the rest! Henry has a passion for conservation and sustainability – and because Capture Kenya is locally owned and operated, everyone in the company has a deep love for the local people and wildlife of Kenya. Capture Kenya books with camps, lodges, and conservations that are also passionate about preserving Kenya’s beautiful wildlife. If you are interested in booking with Capture Kenya Expeditions, visit their website here or read more about our Kenya safari here!
