Get Up Close To Kenya’s Wildlife

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If you’ve never been on safari you probably have visions of cheetahs racing off in the distance, lions seen from afar, and elephants at a great remove… at some far-off watering hole.

The reality of an African safari can be quite different!

Many a safari-goer has been astonished to get within a few yards of a kill, where any number of lions are feasting so close one could reach out and touch them… if one were to be so foolish.

And elephants? It’s not altogether unheard of to be in a 4 x 4 Jeep on a forest trail, stuck right behind a giant tusker, taking his time and forcing you to do the same. Rush hour in the jungle.

But what’s the hurry? When have you ever been stuck behind a slow-moving elephant? Enjoy the moment.

Getting up close to the wildlife of Kenya can be such an unexpected treat that for many visitors, these are the moments that are the peak of their safari experience… the moments they never forget.

Wildebeests By The Thousands

When we speak of the Great Migration, we are mainly referring to the one-and-half million wildebeests trekking into the Masai Mara from the Serengeti on their constant movement in search of taller grasses and, survival.

You can get a front-row seat to this outpouring of Kenya wildlife into the Masai Mara Park, down at the Mara River crossing. Nearby, beneath the river’s muddy waters, crocodiles lay in wait for the hordes of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and others, as they struggle for safety onto the nearby banks.

And waiting for their arrival in the Mara are all the big cats – lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackals, hyenas, and… you, not too far off.

You will be a witness to this timeless struggle for survival, playing out in the river, on its banks, and in the nearby fields and bush. You’ll be close to all the drama as nature’s forces play out right before you.

And you’ll see firsthand, just what it is that the wildlife does all day.??

Some Quiet Sightings

But not all your Kenya wildlife sightings will be so explosive – there will be many opportunities for more serene but just as surprising encounters. It’s not unusual for your guide to suddenly spot a resting leopard perched on a tree branch just overhead.

And on a walking safari, you may turn a corner – so to speak – and come upon a beautiful herd of grazing gazelle in a clearing. They… just as surprised as you. And for a lovely moment, everyone stops. Time freezes as a tenuous connection is felt.

Same in the more forested areas like the Arabuko Sokoke Reserve, where monkeys chatter nearby and bushbabies and little dik-diks discover you… mere feet away. Before they dart off to the safety of the lush foliage.

Pedaling Past Giraffes

Another wonderful and unique way to get up close to the wildlife is to take a bicycle safari at Hell’s Gate National Park. You can pedal by gazelle, zebra, hartebeest, antelope, and buffalo on this special outing designed to bring you unexpectedly close to these gently grazing animals.

Who said safaris are for viewing Africa’s wildlife off in the distance? We’ll bring you up close to nature’s most treasured creatures… closer than you thought possible.?