East Africa
Kenya
The birthplace of the safari — big cats, the Mara migration, and private conservancies leading the way in conservation.
Kenya is where I send most people for their first safari, and where I keep going back for the big cats. The Maasai Mara needs no introduction, but the quiet revolution here is the conservancy model — community-owned land bordering the parks where you can drive off-road, walk, and watch lions without a queue of vehicles. Pair the Mara with Amboseli’s elephants or Laikipia’s rhino and you have a country that does almost everything well.
Field notes and lodge reviews for Kenya are below.
Main destinations
Maasai Mara
Highest big-cat density in Africa; the migration crosses the Mara River July–October.
Explore →Amboseli
Great elephant herds beneath Mount Kilimanjaro.
Explore →Laikipia
Private conservancies protecting black rhino and wild dog.
Explore →Samburu
Arid-north species you won't see further south, and rich Samburu culture.
Explore →Lake Nakuru
Flamingo-fringed soda lake and a rhino stronghold.
Explore →Tsavo
Vast, red-dusted wilderness — Kenya's largest park.
Explore →Diani & the coast
White-sand Indian Ocean beaches for a post-safari finish.
Explore →
Field notes on Kenya
Field notes on Kenya are on the way — I'm writing them as I travel.