Kenya safari holidays

Our Travel Expert, Millie, has recently returned from Kenya. Read the account of her trip in On Location.

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Kenya is a beautiful country with a wide diversity of habitats. Although its tourist industry is very developed there are still many ways of getting away from the crowds, which tend to stick to a few certain areas. To do this, we choose accommodation in a selection of farmhouses, private camps and lodges. These places are restricted to a small number of guests and safaris are often in open landrovers, on horseback or foot safaris, or even at night. In the national parks game viewing on foot or horseback and at night is prohibited. There are still one or two wonderful, larger camps within the Maasai Mara Game Reserve where the game viewing and safari experience is excellent.

Safaris in Kenya can be complimented by relaxing on the stunning coastline or on one of the beautiful islands surrounded by Lake Victoria. Again we tend to select small hotels and owner-run lodges, which are generally in slightly more remote areas. If anyone is interested in bird watching, the Rift Valley Lakes and the Aberdares in particular have an abundance of bird species. Kenya has over 1,200 species of birds and is a well-known paradise for birdwatchers!

A Kenyan safari combines easily with time watching gorillas in Uganda or game viewing in the 'northern circuit' of Tanzania and can also be linked with the Seychelles.

Getting around within Kenya has been made much simpler by Air Kenya and other small private airlines offering daily scheduled flights between Nairobi and the main safari areas: the Maasai Mara, Samburu, Lewa and Amboseli, as well as to the coast: Malindi, Kiwayu and Lamu. These airlines are based at Nairobi's Wilson Airport. The journey time between Jomo Kenyatta and Wilson Airport is around 30 minutes.

Among the private homesteads, ranches and safari camps, the choice is enormous. We have selected just a few of the ones, which are best known to us. They all have excellent reputations and are well positioned for local game viewing or sight seeing. There are many more, which we are unable to include but we would be very happy to advise you on. Almost all the accommodation in Kenya is of a high standard and few luxuries are lacking. If staying at small, private homes your hosts can also prove very entertaining!

General Information
National name Jamhuri ya Kenya/Republic of Kenya
Area 582,600 sq km/224,941 sq mi
Capital Nairobi
Currency Kenyan shilling
Population 32,849,000 (2005 est)
Language English, Kiswahili (both official), over 60 local dialects/tribal languages
Religion Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant 8%, Muslim 6%, traditional tribal religions
Time difference GMT +3

Lake Victoria dominates the south west of the country, with the vast Masai Mara lying between it and the Great Rift Valley, running the entire length of the country. Along the valley floor lie a string of alkaline and fresh water lakes, exceptional game parks and the classic shapes of extinct volcanoes.

The east of the country is different again, with the open plains of Amboseli, the rocks of Tsavo and a coast that rivals that of the West Indies. We offer a Kenya safari, far removed from the crowds, which we have found through extensive exploration and local knowledge.








Safari in Amboseli, Meru and Masai Mara - 7 Days




Safari in Laikipia and the Masai Mara - 7 Days




Safari and Beach in Laikipia, Masai Mara and the Coast - 10 Days




Safari in Meru, Laikipia and the Masai Mara - 10 Days





End your Kenya safari with time relaxing along the coast or choose from one of our Kenya luxury private villas.

Extend your Kenyan safari with a thrilling visit to the mountain gorillas in next door Uganda.

For the more adventurous amongst you, head north to the intriguing Lake Turkana





Best time to visit: Dec to Mar and June to Oct
Flying time: Nairobi 8hrs 30mins
Local time: GMT +3
Visas: At time of writing UK passport holders require a visa for Kenya and Tanzania.

Responsible Travel

As part of our commitment to Responsible Travel, Steppes Travel supports the following:

As part of our on-going support for conservation we make all our clients travelling to Africa a member of Tusk Trust for one year.


We support Footballs for Fun, asking our clients if they would like to take a flat packed football to give to poor children in Africa.


We are also members of ATTA, the Africa Travel Tourist Association, promoting responsible travel in Africa.