An African safari is on many people’s bucket list, and I would highly recommend adding it to yours if it is not already! I had a 12 day trip to Kenya and Tanzania that was truly remarkable, and now I am here to help you plan your own adventure!
Safari Tips:
Logistics
The number one question I got asked before, during, and after my trip was “how did you plan all of this?!” For me, I followed the following route:
1) received a cheap flight alert to Nairobi, booked it
2) researched what parks I would like to visit in the area and created a rough itinerary
3) researched what companies worked in these areas, did solo safaris, and had good reviews
4) reached out to them asking for their proposals, compared the presented options, and then landed on Amazing Memories Safaris
The most overwhelming part of the process was was the sheer number of companies there are to choose from. There are literal hundreds to choose from which is crazy. They are mostly going to offer the same things, so don’t overthink it too much. Just make sure the reviews are quality and the pricing makes sense for you.
I would note that many folks choose to do a safari/beach combination with visiting Kenyan parks + Mombasa or Tanzanian parks + Zanzibar. Personally I am not a big beach person and I wanted to spend my time on the wild side, if you will. It was a lot of days in a Land Rover observing wildlife, so I can see the draw of switching things up for sure, but it is up to your own personal preferences.
Budget
Though a safari can be quite expensive, it doesn’t have to be. I could have saved money numerous ways:
Staying in budget lodging options
Joining a preset itinerary tour group
Going with other people instead of solo
Going to less parks
Staying in one country
Going for less days
Not doing a hot air balloon safari
Some folks save money by doing a self-drive safari (only allowed in certain parks) and I would not recommend that. The guides are experts at what they are doing and they communicate with each other when there is something cool happening.
Lodging
When I booked with Amazing Memories they provided lodging options for each park that they recommended and frequently work with. I have notes on each of those below, but generally for each park you can choose between tent camps and lodges, and inside or outside of the park.
Tent Camps are smaller, more intimate stays that are super unique and can still be quite luxurious despite the phrase “tent camp”. The tents are made of fabric so there is better air flow than lodges that can get a bit stuffy. Lodges are generally far larger and more built up with a lot more guests.
I would highly recommend choosing lodging inside of the parks. This cuts down on travel time each day and you will get to experience wildlife and views from your accommodations. I saw zebras from my dinner table, cape buffalos from my balcony, hippos from my patio, and more.
Clothing
Don’t overthink your clothing too much. There is A LOT online about what to wear and what not to wear and folks encouraging you to buy a whole new green/tan wardrobe. This is not necessary. They say things like “avoid bright colors because the animals will see you”—the animals will see you. You’re pulling up in a diesel powered Land Rover that is not exactly quiet. Just wear comfortable clothing and lean towards more natural colors but it is not that important.
With that being said I would say:
Avoid white clothes—they will be a different color thanks to the dust
Avoid black/blue clothes—the tete flies target these colors
Kenya Safari Stops:
Mount Longonot National Park
Mount Logonot is a dormant stratovolcano in the Great Rift Valley. This park is a popular spot to hike just outside of Lake Naivasha. The AllTrails map has you going around the full crater, which is a lot. I went up to the top and that was plenty for me. My route was 4 miles long with 1,300ft of elevation gain and about 2.5 hours to complete. At times it is ridiculously, unbearably steep. Expect lots of dust, scenic view of Lake Naivasha, and a nice lush crater at the top. Not a must do in Kenya but a nice addition that is conveniently close to Lake Navaisha and Hell’s Gate.
Hell’s Gate National Park
This unique park is absolutely worth exploring. Rent a bike and acquire a guide at the base of the road, then spend a few hours biking through the park admiring the scenery and wildlife. The ride is about 10 miles through the park roundtrip and I also did a half hour hike in the Ol Njorowa Gorge at the end of the park. A guide is required to visit the gorge due to flash flooding risks, and I would just recommend a guide in general in case your bike brakes down, you run into wildlife, etc.
Throughout my ride I saw a spotted hyena, zebras, antelope, baboons, and giraffes. You are able to bike and walk here because there are mostly no predators—mostly being the key as you see I mentioned a hyena. I went in the late afternoon and when we were close to the exit the sun was setting so there was a TON of wildlife and it was amazing. Super cool experience and one of my trip highlights! Expect a bump, dusty ride that you’ll remember forever!
Lake Naivasha
This freshwater lake is home to hippos and Crescent Island Game Sanctuary. You can take a hippo boat ride on the lake—most hotels offer them, or there are a ton of businesses that do in the area. During the ride you can visit Crescent Island to see all of the wildlife and take an optional hike on the island.
I stayed at Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp which had lots of waterbucks and monkeys roaming the property and was located right on the lake with a nice view. The food is quite good and the tents are nice.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Maasai Mara is a famed park and with good reason—the density and diversity of wildlife here is absolutely stunning! I would highly, highly recommend spending some time exploring here.
I stayed at Fig Tree Camp and it was one of the best places I have ever stayed. The tents are super nice, the staff are the kindest people I have ever met, the food is insanely good, and every element felt luxurious. The property is gorgeous everywhere you look, and directly outside of my tent on the river were hippos and baboons. Such a cool place directly in the park!
Through the hotel I also did a hot air balloon safari with Adventures Aloft Kenya. I cannot express to you how amazing this was. The balloon launch is at sunrise and then you float through the sky admiring wildlife from above. We saw giraffes, ostriches, lions, elephants, cape buffalos, hippos, and a crocodile, along with the beautiful sunrise and landscape. After landing we had a gourmet breakfast in the middle of the park that was surreal. There were cocktails, champagne, made to order eggs and French toast, and a massive buffet set up. 12/10 recommend.
I also did a sundowner in Maasai Mara where you stay out in the park through sunset with some snacks and wine to enjoy the view. Definitely a cool experience that I would recommend for one night of your safari somewhere.
Amboseli National Park
The main attraction of Amboseli is getting to see Mount Kilimanjaro, particularly with wildlife in front of the mountain. This is a much smaller park so I felt like 3 game drives here were plenty. It would also be very cool to do a sundowner in Amboseli so you can see the sunset with the mountain.
I stayed at Kilima Safari Camp which was nice but my least favorite spot I stayed after having such amazing experiences everywhere else. It also was the slow season so maybe they step up their game when they have more guests—it’s not that I would not recommend this property it just felt a little meh after the luxury of the previous nights. What Kilima does excel with is an awesome viewpoint for Mount Kilimanjaro above the restaurant. At sunrise and sunset are when you are most likely to see the mountain, and this is a great place to sit with a coffee or a cocktail to enjoy the view.
The pool here is nice, the food is tasty, and the bar is pretty. There were more bugs present here than anywhere else, and this is the definition of first world problems but the WiFi in the common areas was absolutely terrible—I couldn’t even check into my flight and that was with zero other people around using the WiFi so I can’t imagine when they are busy how slow it is. Perfectly nice place, but just a bit of a let down—especially because they are owned by the same company as Fig Tree Camp which was remarkable. We stopped at the Amboseli Lodge for a bathroom break one morning and it was incredibly nice so perhaps look into that as an option!
Nairobi
I wouldn’t recommend spending very much time in Nairobi, you’re here to see wildlife after all, but you most likely will need to fly in and out of this city, or at least in and maybe out of Tanzania if you choose. I would recommend:
Stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport: If you need to spend a night in Nairobi this was a very nice hotel near the airport with a complimentary airport shuttle as well.
Visit the Giraffe Center: This sanctuary has several giraffes that were rescued that you can actually feed! It is a small spot that makes for a quick visit.
Nairobi National Park: This urban park is still full of wildlife, even rhinos, and has the Nairobi skyline in the background. It is convenient if you are in town for a conference or something and just want to see what you can, but otherwise you don’t really need to visit. I just wanted to see a rhino up close because in Ngorogoro they were far away and that made it worth it for me!
You can also do a night game drive here which is unique!
I also heard good things about the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which is an elephant sanctuary, but their hours are much shorter so it did not work out for me to add this in.
Crafty Chameleon Brewhouse & Restaurant: This is an amazing spot that is absolutely worth the detour. The brewery has solid beers, the cocktails are delicious, and they also have a full food menu. The vibe here is immaculate—essentially a lush garden atmosphere with plants and string lights and various seating options. Highly recommend!
Tanzania Safari Stops:
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is arguably the most famed park in Africa thanks to the Great Migration. Even though I did not visit during this popular time I still got to see wildebeest and zebras migrating which was very cool. Serengeti is a huge park, so you will spend more time here looking for animals than observing them some days, but it is worth it! I saw the most unique animal experiences here with stalking/hunting, babies, and so many beautiful scenes.
I stayed at Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge which was really nice. The property is gorgeous, and the rooms are cool little stone-built, traditionally thatched round buildings that have awesome balconies. The bar here is truly stunning and probably the nicest I have ever seen. The infinity pool is also beautiful, along with a ton of seating options to overlook the vast Serengeti. The food was not quite as good as some other spots but it seems like that was just because they were mass producing everything for a much larger crowd.
Ngorongoro Crater National Park
Ngorongoro is a very unique park in that you start at the top of the crater and drive down into the crater that is full of wildlife, lakes, and a forest. The animals here seemed more chill and less skiddish than other parks which was interesting. The dramatic background of the crater walls makes this a beautiful park.
There is also a great spot for a picnic lunch here on a lake, so I would definitely recommend one full day game drive here to enjoy everything, but you would not need more than one day. The most exciting part of Ngorongoro is that you are likely to see rhinos here, where as it is incredible rare to see them in most of the other parks in this area.
I stayed at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge and it was gorgeous. The views from the balcony of the crater below are truly insane. The food was great here as well. I would not recommend a tent camp here as it gets quite chilly at the top of the crater where all of the lodging is, so definitely lean towards a lodge here for your stay. All of the lodging options for Ngorogoro are on top of the crater rim, there is nothing allowed inside the crater itself.
My Safari Itinerary (+ What I Would Do Differently)
Day 1: Get picked up from Nairobi lodging (Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport) and head to Mount Longonot National Park for the hike. Check into Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp to get cleaned up, have lunch, and relax. In the late afternoon head to Hell’s Gate National Park for the safari bike ride. Enjoy dinner back at Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp.
I asked to do the hike + hippo boat ride on Day 1 instead of all of the physical activity on day 1 and got pushback around the timing which makes sense, but it was definitely a long day so just keep that in mind!
If you are short on time/not interested in Mount Longonot/Hell’s Gate/Lake Naivasha you can skip the first 1.5 days of my itinerary and just go straight to Maasai Mara, though these spots are basically directly on the route.
Day 2: Hippo boat road on Lake Naivasha, travel to Maasai Mara National Reserve, and enjoy an afternoon game drive. Check into Fig Tree Camp before dinner.
Day 3: Start the day with a Hot Air Balloon Safari and breakfast, followed by a morning game drive. Relax at the hotel for lunch and some pool time. Head back into the park for an afternoon game drive and sundowner, before returning to the hotel for dinner.
I would switch the sundowner from Maasai Mara to Amboseli instead!
Day 4: One last morning game drive through Maasai Mara en route to the Tanzania border. Cross the border and meet your new guide/driver for this section of the trip. Travel to Serengeti National Park and arrive in time for an afternoon game drive. Check into the Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge in time to enjoy the sunset from the patio and then dinner.
The travel between Maasai Mara and Serengeti is ridiculous. The parks literally touch each other but the Tanzanian government shut down the border crossing inside the parks because they want more tourism money from people having to stay in Tanzania, not just to do a day trip from Kenya/Maasai Mara. I don’t blame them at all for that, but driving 4 hours to the border, then 4 hours back in the same direction is crazy. I would definitely look into flying between these two if I were to do it again.
Day 5: Full day game drive in Serengeti National Park, with a packed picnic lunch from the hotel. Arrive back at the lodge in the late afternoon/early evening for some pool time, another beautiful sunset, and dinner.
Day 6: One last morning game drive in the Serengeti en route to Ngorogoro Crater National Park. Spend the full day exploring the park with a picnic lunch and then check into Serena Ngorogoro Safari Lodge. Enjoy sunset from the balcony and then dinner.
You could easily add in Lake Manyara National Park or Tarangire National Park after Ngorogoro if you’re looking to expand your time on the Tanzanian side.
Day 7: Head from Ngorogoro back to the border. Cross over and meet your Kenyan guide, then head to Amboseli National Park for an afternoon game drive. Check into your lodging for dinner.
I stayed at Kilima Safari Camp and it was my least favorite spot that I stayed. Overall it was still nice and fine, but I would recommend looking into other options.
I would also add a sundowner on this day so you can watch the sunset in the park with the mountain!
Day 8: Full day game drive in Amboseli National Park with a packed picnic lunch. Head back to your lodging in the late afternoon/early evening for some pool relaxation and dinner.
You could easily add in Tsavo National Park nearby as well if you are looking to see more on the Kenyan side.
Day 9: Travel back to Nairobi—spend the afternoon at Nairobi National Park, The Giraffe Center, and/or Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Grab dinner and beers at Crafty Chameleon, then head to the airport for your departure.
A lot of folks also fly into Nairobi, go to Maasai Mara, cross into Tanzania, and then fly out of Kilimanjaro International Airport versus crossing back into Kenya. I can see the appeal of one less border crossing and less travel time, but then you would miss Amboseli National Park, and probably pay more for an open-jaw ticket, so just consider your personal preferences before booking a flight!
