Kenya is one of the safari holiday hot spots in Africa. It  is one of the few places in Africa where you can still have affordable private tailor made and custom holiday safaris. Get to enjoy and  watch huge herds of big game and large predators such as lions and cheetah during their hunt.  It is a holiday destination for individual travel as much as family and group vacations. Kenya has a wide variety of safari holiday options from top luxury safaris to budget travel.

Big game animals such as elephants, giraffe, hippo are found in such huge numbers in the various parks and reserves. Further, the rich diversity of quintessential Kenyan environments present opportunities other interesting safari activities like walking safaris, hiking, diving, ballooning and so much more.

Designing a Custom Kenya Safari –  The Basics

Safaris in Kenya can either be drive-in safaris or fly-in safaris using light air crafts either out of Nairobi or Mombasa. Accommodation is in safari camps or lodges, located within or close to wildlife viewing areas. These wildlife areas can be national parks, game reserves, private conservancies or even community wildlife sanctuaries. The luxury safari camps in Kenya can be small to medium sized, permanent or semi-permanent, fully furnished with in-built bathrooms.

The essence of tailor-made safaris is to be able to get a holiday package designed specific to your liking, within your budget. This is what we at Hallmark Travel Planners do.    Holiday packages are designed according to occasion and needs –  photography safaris, business travel, honeymoon holidays etc.

If taking the fly-in safaris, game drives will be conducted in shared 4×4 open-side safari jeeps from the lodge where you have chose to stay.  Game drives, bush walks and other safari activities are conducted by the host or guides at your camp. Sometimes you will have exclusive use of a vehicle (this partly depends on the size of your group), but usually you will be sharing a safari vehicle with other guests.

For anybody looking for affordable safaris, it would be better to opt for the small group fixed departure tours.  These trips take place on specific dates and have no flexibility in terms of itinerary and choice of lodges.  Groups can be anything from 2 persons to 8 persons in a safari vehicle.

Top Safari Destinations in Kenya

Although the Masai Mara is Kenya’s most famous attraction, Kenya boasts many other national parks, outstanding wildlife, villages, and beaches.

Amboseli National Park is located in the south of Kenya, on the Tanzanian border, and is famous for its spectacular view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Amboseli has fantastic game viewing and is particularly well-known for its elephant population.

Located on the southern bank of the northern Ewaso Ngiro River,  Samburu National Reserve is home to a large population of Nile crocodiles and is the second most visited game reserve in Kenya. Visitors to Samburu have the opportunity to see some rare wildlife species.

Shaba National Reserve along with Samburu and Buffalo Springs are three small adjoining savannah national reserves that lie on either side of the northern Ewaso Ngiro River. It has a unique and varied landscape combining lava rock and riverine forests.

Meru National Park is most known for the story of Elsa the Lioness, made famous in the book Born Free. Meru forms part of a complex of protected areas along the Tana River and it straddles the equator in the central part of the country.

Laikipia District is a vast 8000 sq km plateau, one of 71 districts of Kenya located on the Equator. It stretches from the Great Rift Valley to the magnificent escarpments of the northern frontier. It has all the wildlife but none of the crowds found in the Masai Mara.

Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha are 2 of the most well-known lakes in the Rift Valley, which includes some of the oldest, largest and deepest lakes in the world. Lake Nakuru has become a National Park, while Lake Naivasha is an important lifeline in the area.

Tsavo East National Park is generally flat with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau, Lugards Falls, Mudanda Rock and Aruba Dam. The reserve is popular for short safaris from the Kenya coast, like Mombasa.

Lake Baringo is one of only 2 freshwater lakes in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. Very little of the tourist traffic from Naivasha and Nakuru makes it as far as Baringo, keeping the experience peaceful. The destination is known for spectacular birdlife.

Lake Bogoria is a saline lake that lies in a volcanic region of Kenya’s Rift Valley, a little north of the equator. Lake Bogoria is the seasonal home to one of the world’s largest populations of lesser flamingos, turning the lake pink.

Accommodation Options for Safaris in Kenya

Besides the small and intimate safari lodges, Kenya also has some very nice,  but large lodges. Being a rather popular safari destination, such large lodges can get crowded and busy at specific times of the year, namely between July and October and over the festive seasons like Easter Holidays, Christmas and New Year.   However, the smaller safari camps offer more personalised safari experiences. But as one would expect, they tend to cost a bit more than the standard lodges.

At Hallmark Travel planners, our job is to use of knowledge and expertise to guide and help you design a safari that will avoid many of the crowded places to ensure a superb safari holiday. With over 42 designated parks and reserves open for safaris, it is only natural that a few of them will stand out. Even if you want to avoid the most popular areas, it helps to get some information about them.