Kenya
From the late 70’s when Next Adventure’s founders traversed Mount Kenya and went on a camping safari in the Masai Mara and Samburu, Kenya has been an absolute favorite. We find its classic and dramatic East African beauty unparalleled. Today still the country’s savannas, deserts, highlands, snowy peak and beaches host a rich and varied wildlife including unique desert-adapted species.
Kenya has it all – warm and welcoming people, fascinating cultures, stunning scenery and distinctive wildlife attractions including the magnificent annual wildebeest and zebra migration, so it remains a not-to-be missed safari destination.
Featured Itineraries
Safari Ideas
Kenya has an international reputation for its classic East African beauty. The country has savannas, deserts, highlands and beaches that contain a rich and varied wildlife population. The presence of a colorful diversity of culture is also one of Kenya’s greatest attractions. Over thirty tribes inhabit Kenya. The five largest and best known are the Masai (or Maasai), the Samburu, the Tugen, the Turkana and the Kikuyu. These groups share a semi-nomadic, pastoral lifestyle, and each has a unique and rich culture. Kenya’s hospitable people, fascinating cultures, great tourist destinations and, especially, stunning scenery and wildlife make it a popular and unique destination.
Kenya is a large and diverse country. Although straddling the equator, the landscape is mostly semi-desert savannah. The climate is generally dry with warm days and cool nights although altitude and prevailing winds affect local conditions. Mount Kenya’s highlands are typically cooler while the northern and lower desert areas are warmer. Safaris operate year-round although East Africa has two rainy periods. The “short rains” fall in November/December and the “long rains” in April/May when lower rates may be available, and the environment is lush and full of life.
The Masai Mara is the centerpiece of any first safari in Kenya. Depending on the season we might recommend camps in different areas of the National Reserve or the surrounding private/community conservancies (especially during Peak Season.) We often combine the Mara grasslands with the rugged Northern Rangelands around Laikipia and Mt Kenya or the spectacular marshes and views of Mt Kilimanjaro in Amboseli.
Quality safari experiences can be found at a wide range of budgets, incorporating overland and flying circuits, and there are outstanding options for small groups of friends and families.
Access is always improving, and Kenya itineraries easily combine with destinations in Tanzania for longer safaris or Rwanda and Uganda for primate trekking experiences.
Camps & Lodges
Saruni Mara is a small, luxury lodge in the Masai Mara, with five cottages, a family villa, and a private villa. It is located in a secluded valley in one of the most exciting wildernesses in Africa – the Mara North Conservancy. This is an exclusive community-owned wildlife conservancy bordering the world-renowned Masai Mara National Reserve.
On the Mbirikani Group Ranch – 111,000 hectares (275,000 acres) of private wild Africa bordering Chyulu Hills National Park and owned by 4,000 Maasai – ol Donyo Lodge blends contemporary design with the rich culture of the Maasai, creating the perfect setting for a Kenya safari.
As a small and intimate family-owned safari lodge, Sirikoi offers unrivalled exclusivity and charm. The four luxury tents, Sirikoi Cottage and private Sirikoi House are perfectly positioned along the spring-fed Sirikoi stream, immersed in nature with wildlife all around.
The beauty of Lewa Wilderness isn’t just in the incredible scenery and wildlife explored daily with game drives – but in the wealth of activities and experiences to be had at every turn and a home-away-from-home experience that’s hard to find these days.
Owned and run by the Maasai community, Il Ngwesi offers something truly special. Visitors to the lodge have a full wildlife and cultural experience, enjoying hospitality more akin that offered to a valued family member. With no other tourist facilities within the Group Ranch, it is the ultimate personal experience.
Mara Plains Camp is a one-of-a-kind, seven tent camp located in the private 35,000-acre Olare Motorogi Conservancy, just on the…
Mara Nyika, meaning “Large Plains or Great Plains,” is the newest edition to the Great Plains Conservation family of camps…
Borana has always been a special place; a truly family-oriented conservancy, adjacent to the world-renowned Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, that offers…
A visit to Elewana Kifaru House is to plunge into the timeless tranquility of Africa. Located within the world-famous Lewa Conservancy, home to East Africa’s healthiest black and white rhino populations, this bijou property, appropriately takes its name from the Swahili word for rhino.
Lewa House is set on top of a hill with an engaging panoramic view of the rolling landscape of the Conservancy. The heart of Lewa House is a large elegant building with an open fireplace at one end and at the other is a large family dining table where the evening meals are served, hosted by Calum and Sophie Macfarlane.