Things to do in Kenya

Kenya splits into two trips, really. One runs the Rift Valley and Maasai Mara circuit south-west of Nairobi; the other heads east to the coast. Nairobi works as the hub for both, a short flight or a long drive from everywhere else.

From the capital to the coast

• Nairobi. The capital and transport hub, with its own national park inside the city limits.
• Maasai Mara and the Rift Valley. Migration country, plus the flamingo lakes of Nakuru and Naivasha.
• Amboseli. Elephant herds with Kilimanjaro's silhouette across the border in Tanzania.
• The coast. Mombasa, Diani and the smaller islands south of it, an hour's flight from Nairobi.

What the country is for

The Great Migration is the headline act, wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River roughly July to October before turning back south. Amboseli trades scale for a single, famous view: elephants walking with Kilimanjaro behind them on a clear morning. Both count as Big Five country.

The coast runs on an entirely different rhythm: dhows, coral reefs and old Swahili towns rather than game drives. Diani's beach is the most bookable stretch of it, with day trips out to Wasini Island for dolphins. Most add it on after the bush.

Group safaris cost a fraction of a private vehicle, and pack in a fixed group of strangers instead. Private vehicles cost more per person but set their own pace. Both see the same animals.

Practical

• Weather. Nairobi and the highlands stay mild year-round (17-27C), with long rains March-May and short rains October-December; the dry June-October window suits the Mara migration best.
• Park and conservancy fees. The Mara's own entry fee runs 100-200USD per adult per day depending on season, and private conservancies add their own fee on top; budget for this before the safari itself.
• Getting between regions. Nairobi to Mombasa is about an hour by air; Nairobi to the Mara is a five to six-hour drive or a forty-minute flight.
• Tipping. Safari guides and drivers are tipped per day, in cash, separate from any hotel or lodge service charge.
• Health. Malaria risk covers the Mara, Amboseli and the coast; Nairobi itself, at altitude, carries very little.