Kenya Holiday Main Attractions

Kenya Wildlife Holidays to the Wildlife Parks of Kenya

Masai Mara National Reserve - the Masai Mara is a far larger eco-system than just the Masai Mara National Reserve itself. It also encompasses the Mara Triangle which is managed by the Masai Conservancy and extends into the Greater Mara area which is home to the traditional Masai community lands and is an excellent place to visit on your Kenya holiday. Mara means dappled in the in the Maa language, which aptly describes this amazing area of rolling savannah hills bisected by dark green riverine forest areas.

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem supports the most diverse migration of grazing mammals in the world and the Masai Mara is crucial in sustaining this mass migration of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles and is a highlight of your wildlife holiday in Kenya. Its rich grasslands are able to support these vast herds of migrating animals from Tanzania during critical points in the dry season. Their arrival spells a bonanza for the Mara’s big cats and it is no wonder that BBC film crews have based themselves here for several years filming their Big Cat Diaries.

The rolling grasslands of the Mara Reserve are dominated by the red oat grass that form an endless sea of waving long grass dotted with solitary Balanites, the Desert Date Tree. In contrast the Masai community lands to the north tend to have short grass all year round due to constant grazing but this area is a favourite haunt of the resident plains-game for this very reason. There are also picturesque areas of savannah woodland dominated by numerous acacia species which are a favourite haunt of the Masai giraffe. The Mara’s famed rivers are lined by lush riverine forest areas with some magnificent stands of African greenheart, African olive and various species of fig trees which attract a whole host of wildlife. These rivers are themselves home to numerous pods of hippos.

Although the migration may be the annual highlight of a safari, the Mara’s resident plains-game are plentiful all year round and bountiful enough to sustain the Mara’s large cat population throughout the year. The grassland plains are the stomping grounds for the migrating wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle as well as Grant’s gazelle, topi, eland, impala and large herds of buffalo. The cats are never far away from the plains game and lion and cheetah are mostly seen on the rolling savannah plains of the Mara reserve and Masai community lands, whilst leopard prefer the riverine forests along the Mara, Talek, Olare Orok and Ntiakitiak rivers making for an exciting wildlife safari. For those coming to see the migration the most spectacular wildebeest crossings are on the Mara and Talek rivers in the northern section of the reserve.

For much of the year the Mara Reserve itself is dominated by the longer grasslands which attract the migrating herds from Tanzania and this area is at it’s best for wildlife viewing at the peak of the migration. At other times of the year the Masai community lands come in to their own as the resident wildebeest, zebra and gazelle concentrate on shorter grass plains in the north and which are grazed all year round. Cat sightings are fantastic all year round in the Great Mara Area for this very reason but some say that for ease of spotting the Big Cats January & February are very good months as the freshly sprouting grass is shorter after the November/December short rains especially in Masai Lands.

Meru National Park - this 870 sq km national park was opened in 1968 and is described as a “remote and rugged wilderness”. It is famed for its connection to George and Joy Adamson along with Elsa the Lion, star of the Born Free film. An untamed park that is definitely on-the-up after a heavy bout of poaching in the 70’s and 80’s. It’s a park that requires a good guide, patience and a spot of luck but the rewards are worth it. Most game viewing is concentrated in the north western section which offers a mixture of habitats and a lovely variety of wildlife.

Good reasons to visit are that it is un-crowded, strikingly scenic and offers a wide variety of wildlife to see during your Kenya Safari. Game drives are unlikely to disappoint if you stick at it and let your eyes (or your guides) work the bush. It’s not a place to rush around ticking off the Big Five but they are all here; keep your eyes open and you won't be disappointed. Disected by 13 rivers that are the life force of the park, they attract plenty of game, especially as the dry seasons set in and form permanent water sources. Most of the park visited is dominated by Commiphora and Acacia bushland with belts of riparian/riverine forest, swamp areas with their striking doum palms and expanses of open grassland that provide lots of habitat diversity and places of interest.

Highlights to marvel at during your Kenya Safari are Meru’s ‘bush’ lions, quite unlike the ruffed mane lions of the Mara. These are lean, scarred and scrub hardened lions. Males seem to sport Mohican tufts rather than ample manes of the Mara lions. Surprisingly, cheetah are more often seen than one would except given the mix of habitats but leopard sightings are slim.

Nevertheless local opinion is that each year the cat sightings seem to get better and better. Aside from the cats lesser kudu, beisa oryx, gerenuk, grants gazelle, reticulated giraffe and the rare Grevy’s Zebra are all thrilling species to see. There is also a healthy and expanding population of both black and white rhino protected in an extensively fenced area (the threat of poaching is still taken seriously). The birdlife is excellent with over 280/300 species recorded in the park. Black faced grouse, yellow necked spur fowl, helmeted and vulturine guinea fowl, long crested eagle, palmnut vultures, hornbills, crested francolin, Pel’s fishing owl to name but a few.

Laikipia Ecosystem - the Laipikia region, or the Laikipia plateau as it is sometimes referred, is somewhat of an undiscovered gem of during your wildlife holiday although many of the properties and lodges in the area have been quietly attracting an ever growing band of dedicated visitors who appreciate all that this unique area has to offer.

The Laikipia Ecosystem spans some two million acres of wildlife wilderness in the North of Kenya and is a wonderfully diverse part of Kenya, encompassing icy mountains, arid dry lands, savannah and forest areas. The Laikipia Plateau itself stretches from Mount Kenya in the East to the Great Rift Valley in the West and is home to a unique array of plant and wildlife, especially the northern game species like the gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra and the reticulated giraffe. Laikipia is home to more endangered animals than anywhere else in Kenya; it’s the rangeland of thousands of elephants and half of Kenya’s black rhino population are protected in the regions sanctuary parks. Through the enlightened commitment of Laikipia’s community and private landowners the area is now able to boast ever increasing numbers of lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and all kinds of plains-game. It is also has the only growing population of wild-dogs; a remarkable success story and a tribute the success of the Laikipia Wildlife forum (LWF); a pioneering community conservation and wildlife management association that represents a complete cross-section of the land-owners and land-users within the Laikipia District.

Some of the most exciting and luxurious lodges in Meru National Park include the fantastic Elsa's Kopje Lodge and Offbeat Mara Camp.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy - Originally a cattle ranch run by the Craig family. In 1983, part of it was sectioned off to form the Ngare Sergoi Rhino Sanctuary, started by Ann Merz. This set the seed for a complete transformation from working cattle ranch to one of East Africa’s leading private wildlife conservancy areas which was established as the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in 1995. It is now a model for wildlife and community development which has also extended in to the Masai community lands surrounding the conservancy and farther a field. Encompassing the whole of Lewa Downs as well as the government-owned Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy has created a 61,000 acre sanctuary for wildlife including rhino. It almost has the feel of Ngorongoro Crater with its great bowl of rolling grassland plains, ridges and hills of acacia. As a result of it’s vigorous anti-poaching team (almost 200 in all) wildlife populations are on the up and such is the success that many species have been translocated to other parks to boost populations and genetic diversity. It is a fantastic Kenyan wildlife area to visit.

Lewa is one of the few areas in Kenya that can boast seeing the Big Five and is a perfect place to include on your Kenya Safari. It’s home to both white and black rhino, lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo. It’s most famous residents are the 3 brothers, 3 male cheetahs that can be found in the conservancy and are impressive cats indeed. They are renowned for their hunting of ostrich which is unique but a very rare sight. They have also been known to take down almost fully grown Grevy’s Zebra (the much larger and heavier cousin of the common zebra). There is also a healthy population of lion who can be quite reclusive but if you put in the time there is a good chance of seeing the king of the cats. Leopard are present but are quite elusive possibly due to their very fraught relationship with the conservancy’s resident lions. Because it is a private reserve you are able to go on night drives increasing your chance of seeing the cats.

Wildlife in the Lewa Conservancy includes lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, elephant, black and white rhino, Grevy’s and Common Zebra, reticulated giraffe, hippo, eland, waterbuck, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, impala, grants gazelle and much, much more. Lewa’s other claim to fame is that it has about 20% of the world’s population of Grevy’s zebra. It is larger and heavier than its relative the common zebra and has more of a pin stripe pattern. An endangered species that is confined to northern Kenya; Laikipia and Lewa in particular are the best place to see them. 10% of Kenya’s black rhinos also live and thrive on Lewa and it’s home to 70 mammal species and over 350 species of birds.

Accommodation in the Lewa Conservancy includes the luxury camps of Lewa Wilderness Camp and Lewa Safari Camp.

Loisaba Ranch - the Loisaba Wilderness is another privately managed wildlife conservancy about 150 square kilometres in size. It offers a variety of terrain and habits which in turn provides suitable areas for a wide variety of wildlife. To the north of the ranch lie the vast grassy plains of the plateau while to the south, the plateau breaks into valleys, escarpments and cliffs that over look a totally different environment below of acacia dominated bushland leading to riverine areas of fig and palm fed by 2 major rivers the Ewaso N’giro and the N’gare Narok.

Some of the wildlife to be found in Loisaba on your holiday in Kenya includes: Lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, buffalo, elephant, Grevy’s and Common Zebra, reticulated giraffe, eland, Greater Kudu, waterbuck, klipspringer, impala and the ubiquitous Dik Dik. There are over 50 mammal species to be found on the Ranch, with good numbers of both Grevy’s and Common zebra, Besia Oryx, buffalo, elephant and Greater Kudu, which are a real treat with their magnificent double spiralled horns. Like the rest of Laikipia cat numbers are on the increase and there is a healthy lion population which have been collared as part of the Laikipia Predator Project. Sometimes they can be tricky to track down but heading out with a radio tracker is an option on the ranch and an education in itself. The ranch has a reputation of being a good spot for leopard but as always these cats can be elusive but with time and patience they can be seen. Night game drives are also possible on the ranch so seeing cats at night as well as a host of other nocturnal wildlife is also possible. There are increasingly frequent sightings of wild dogs on the ranch but as the packs range far and wide sightings come in spates. Early morning balloon safaris are also an exciting option, offering a totally different perspective on the wildlife below. It has been know to see both leopard and wild dog as you silently drift by!