Planning the perfect Kenya safari experience.

Stories have been told about a Kenya safari.  A good number of documentaries seen about the wildlife in Kenya. People have shared about their safari experiences in Africa, and adventures while enjoying the landscapes and biodiversity in Africa on social media.  However all this comes after a lot of planning. A lot of things are put into consideration while buying a safari package. There are several frequently asked questions about what to expect on a Kenya safari game drive.

Do you have questions that you feel the need to ask ?
Before you get to Kenya, below we have addressed some of the questions that are on top of clients mind but rarely asked aloud.What do you expect on your first Kenya safari? Be it a Kenya luxury safari, family vacation in Kenya or a honeymoon experience in the wild, the experiences are different but expectations are more or less the same. We hope the answers below will make your planning as smooth and as perfect as possible.

What are my Kenya safari travel requirements?
First and foremost is to contract the services of a local professional safari operators. Here is where we come in. When you start planning any safari in Kenya, you should first have a valid passport. It should have at least 6 months valid and with several empty pages to allow entry and exit stamps. You should also apply for an online visa which is valid for 90 days or 3 month. This is applied via an online link. Before arrival, you should also fill in a health surveillance form online. Then you will get a code that you show on arrival at the airport.

Do we expect someone to meet us at the airport?
Our concierge and driver guide will be waiting to receive you at the airport. We always get your flight details during the booking process. You should walk out of that terminal with a lot of confidence. Someone is always on it with a pager with your name on it. You will then be transferred to the airport for your overnight stay. Depending on the package you have bought and your arrival time, you can either be booked on full board or half board.

How is our flight connection from Nairobi to the wildlife destinations?
Making use of the local available flights gives you an overall better Kenya safari experience. You will save a lot of driving time and maximize of wildlife viewing. The flights are by small aircraft from the local airport to airstrips in the interiors parts of Kenya. These airstrips are located near or within the game reserves and parks. You then enjoy a short game drive en-route to your lodge/camp depending on how far it is from the airstrips. The flights take anything between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on stop overs.

Is our safari car private or shared amongst other guests?
Transport in the safari vehicles depends on the package bought. If it is a full board package, then you have the car by yourselves with your private safari guide. If it is a game package, then you share the vehicle with other travelers. If you wish for a private use of car, you will pay a supplement for exclusive use of vehicle. After Covid-19, we encourage every group to have a car by itself to make their trip more comfortable.

What do I expect on a game drive?
An Africa safari gives you a lot of adventures. Kenya wildlife safari sightings are amazing and incomparable. However it is good to note that the wildlife destinations are not enclosed. Wildlife therefore roams all over the place. We do not guarantee that you will see all the animals you have always wanted to see on a safari in MasaiMara or on a safari in Amboseli. However our guides who have great knowledge of the wildlife try their best. Have expectations but do not get upset when they fail. We guarantee every sighting is amazing, special and unique in its own way.

What is the expected behavior while on game drives. ?
Game drives are unique and all animals’ sightings are special. Allow your driver guide to explain the sightings. Ask questions where you can. Take photographs for memories. Patiently observe wildlife in silence. Shouting distracts wildlife and may affect the normal life cycles.
While you would want to see everything and go everywhere , please follow your driver guides advise. They know the parks and reserves like the back of their hand.

Are meals included in the safari costs?
Guest are booked on full board in all safari lodges and camps. This means meals including breakfasts, lunches, and dinner will be served at the lodge. Most lodges and camps serve continental meals known all over. Once in a while they will add a touch of local cuisines for you to try. Special requests like bush dinners, bush dinners and romantic picnic can be arranged at the lodge. Most of the lodges will charge for drinks as extra unless there is an indications of other plans from us.

Do we have laundry service in the lodges and what are the costs?
Laundry services are readily available in most of the lodges. Some charge while others include the costs in their packages. We always advise that you give out your laundry in destinations where you will stay for more than a night. This allows proper facilitation of the service. It’s advisable to travel with light cotton / linen material as they are easy to clean and dry in the remote wildlife reserves.

Can we charge our phones and cameras?
You can never have enough batteries or charge while on a Kenya safari. You have a lot of pictures to take if not recording hunt videos. The amazing cultures also have beautiful dances worth recording. The white sand beach does not disappoint as well. Hotels, lodges and camps have either electricity or solar powered for those in the bush. Plugs in Kenya use the type G socket with a 240 Voltage. Power is switched off in some of the camps to save energy. Get briefings at the camps and lodges while checking in.

Look out for part 2 of our safari questions that we are afraid to ask aloud. Contact us for your next Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda gorilla trekking safaris.