12 Days
Kenya
Kenya Ultimate Safari
12 days across 6 of Kenya's best landscapes — Samburu's dry north, the rhino conservancies of Laikipia and Nakuru, the Mara, Lake Naivasha, and Amboseli.
From $4,720 · per person
Primary destination · Private, guide-led
Kenya
Best time
July – October; December – March
Signature parks
Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, Lake Nakuru
Guide
Dexter, personally
Style
Midrange to luxury
Overview
The country he knows from the driver's seat.
Kenya is where Dexter has spent almost twenty years guiding, and the only country where he drives and guides every day of your safari himself. From the moment he meets you in Nairobi to the last game drive, there is no hand-off to another guide or another vehicle.
Most first safaris here centre on the Masai Mara, and for good reason. But the Mara is only part of the picture. Amboseli puts elephant herds in front of Kilimanjaro; Samburu, in the dry north, has species you won’t see further south; Lake Nakuru is one of the country’s most reliable places to see rhino. Dexter plans the order, the pace and the time in each around what the wildlife is doing in the months you’re travelling.
Where you stay is chosen the same way: camps that suit the season, your budget and the way you like to travel, rather than a fixed list.
Planning Kenya
- GuideDexter, personally
- Starts and endsNairobi
- Getting aroundPrivate 4×4, or short flights
- Typical length5–10 days
Where in Kenya
Parks & reserves
The parks Dexter returns to most, and knows well enough to time around what the wildlife is doing this month.
Masai Mara
Kenya's most famous reserve: the great migration from July to October, big cats all year, and private conservancies along its borders.
Amboseli
Large, relaxed elephant herds against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro, and swamps that hold wildlife through the driest months.
Samburu
Dry northern country along the Ewaso Ng'iro river, home to species you won't find in the south: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich.
Lake Nakuru
A fenced Rift Valley park and rhino sanctuary: one of Kenya's most reliable places to see both black and white rhino, a few hours from Nairobi.
When to go
Kenya, season by season.
Jul – Oct
Dry season and the migration
The wildebeest herds are in the Mara, river crossings are possible, and short grass makes game easy to find across the country. The most popular time to travel, so plan early.
Dec – Mar
Short dry season
Warm, dry and quieter than the peak months, with excellent game viewing in Amboseli and Samburu, and the Mara's resident wildlife to yourselves.
Apr – May, Nov
The rains
Long rains in April and May, shorter showers in November. Greener, quieter and often better value; some camps close in April and May.
Safaris in Kenya
12 Days
7 Days
Built around this destination.
12 Days 7 Days
Kenya
Kenya Fly-in Safari
Seven days across three landscapes, Aberdare's highland forest, Samburu's dry north, and the Masai Mara's plains, with one flown leg so you're not lost to a day of driving.
From $2,450 · per person
Begin a conversation
Plan Kenya with the guide who'll drive it.
Tell Dexter when you'd like to travel and what you most want to see. He'll come back with an honest view of where to go that month.
It's in Nairobi Dexter replies usually within a day