Kiota Journal
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Guides · 7 min read
A First-Timer's Guide to Kenya
What to know before your first journey, without the noise.
Kenya is one of the most straightforward places in Africa to take a first safari, which is not the same as saying every itinerary is easy. The ones that feel easy were planned that way.
You will almost certainly land in Nairobi. Give yourself a night before the bush. The next morning, a road safari into the Mara is about five hours; Amboseli is a similar drive south. Flying between camps saves the long transfer days and is worth it when the holiday is short or the route jumps regions. From Diani, the return to Nairobi is by air. Where a train still makes sense — Tsavo to the coast — we use it, because the landscape from the window is part of the day.
A good first shape is simple. Nairobi, then one great wildlife stay, then the coast if you have the days. Ten days holds a Mara and Diani journey comfortably. Two weeks holds the longer circuit: conservancies, a Rift lake, the Mara, Naivasha, Amboseli, and the beach. Children do well on the simpler routes. Honeymooners often want fewer stops and finer camps.
Health is ordinary travel sense. A yellow fever certificate is required if you are arriving from a country where the disease is present; ask us for the current rule before you fly. Malaria precautions matter in the parks and on the coast. Drink bottled or purified water, and tell us about any diet before we confirm lodges.
What people remember is rarely the number of species. It is a particular morning, a camp they were sorry to leave, and the feeling that the days had been arranged around them. Write to us with your dates. We will start there.