A Safari Vacation In Kenya – An African Holiday Never To Be Forgotten

A safari vacation in Kenya is undoubtedly an African holiday never to forget. A vacation or safari in Africa, particularly in Kenya, remains one of the most popular and memorable experiences one can ever possibly undertake. It is more than simply a vacation – it is an exploration of the origins of Man, and an appreciation of some of the glorious and iconic animals in the world, within their true habitat. From lions and leopards to elephants and wildebeest, a Kenyan safari is the ultimate in exotic experiences, and will create tales and memories to share and enjoy for the rest of your life.

Although the majority of your memories of Kenya will be animal related, there is much to enjoy and to appreciate that is not in wild and arid plains of the highlands. Indeed, you would be well advised to spend at least a day or two in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. If you have ever read Karen Blixen’s famous book, ‘Out of Africa’, you will enjoy visiting her house here, built in 1912, and exploring many of the scenes and locations described in the book, and the subsequent film adaptation of course.

Also in Nairobi you will find a number of animal sanctuaries, such as the one for elephants, and the one for giraffes. Seeing these animals up so close, and especially watching the adorable young animals cavorting around, is a real pleasure. If you are fortunate enough to have the luxury of a good guide, they will be able to take you through the city, allowing you the time to appreciate the many cultural, historical and natural wonders on offer, whilst also ensuring you get to see a broad slice of Kenyan life.

Naturally, much of your holiday here will be spent either on safari, or at least excursions into the highlands and plains to watch the animals in the wild. It will be necessary to remind yourself frequently that you are not watching a natural history program on television, but that you are just a short distance away from the very real kings of the African plain. Watching lions, giraffes, elephants, leopards and wildebeest in their natural habitat, and surrounded by wild, open landscape that stretches to the distant mountains on the horizon, will require plenty of spare film in your camera.

Not surprisingly, many film crews and top naturalists come here, although it’s well worth knowing when the best seasons are for watching the animals. Although Kenya enjoys a tropical climate towards the coast, and a more arid climate further inland towards the rising highlands and plains, it does experience two rainy seasons. The longest of these takes place between April and June, with most of the rain tending to fall during the afternoons. Between October and December there can be a slightly shorter rainy season.

The best months for a safari vacation in Kenya can be between June and September, as it is during this period that the annual animal migration takes place, with hundreds of thousands of blue wildebeest journeying across the plains. This is often captured by film crews who travel here especially for this remarkable footage. Imagine being there, yourself, with a guide to take you to the best locations where you can watch one of the most incredible and awe inspiring natural events taking place before your very eyes.

Africa is a vast continent, accounting for a fifth of the entire land mass of the Earth, and Kenya itself occupies well over half a million square kilometers. Because of the sheer scale, it is easy to forget, as you look out through the crisp white curtains at your window towards the peaks in the distance, that the tallest of those peaks is Kilimanjaro itself, the highest peak in Africa, the top of which is almost 20,000 feet above sea level.

It’s unlikely that, on even a luxury holiday in Kenya, you’ll wish to scramble up the mountain, since its beauty can be appreciated from all around, but should you be interested, Kilimanjaro offers every possible climate on earth, from the arid dryness of the base, through tropic regions, and towards the top there are monumental glaciers and snow that lasts all year round. Perhaps just as astonishing is the fact that there is mobile phone reception at the top – the highest mobile reception in the world!

If at all possible, make sure you book an excursion to see the Great Rift Valley, 6000 kilometers of breathtaking scenery. To make the most of this, there is only one way to appreciate it fully – and that is to book a flight. Flying across the immense trough, with a guide to help identify the features and aspects to you, will be something you will remember for a very long time.

Whether you choose unrivaled views a full safari, or a holiday with safari excursions, Kenya will provide you with outstanding, and, opportunities and experiences, with all the best of Africa on hand for your pleasure. Always remember to look at the stars at night – the African plains have a secret that will stay with you forever. A safari vacation in Kenya is, to most, the ultimate in adventure vacations: an African holiday never to forget.