Kenya - activities - Countries Guide

Safari
Kenya boasts an outstanding variety of wild animals and Big Five viewing opportunities and safaris are the country's greatest attraction. Kenya's most visited park is the wildly beautiful Masai Mara National Reserve, a game viewers paradise with a high concentration of wildlife, including the Big Five, which is an extension of the Serengeti Plains in neighbouring Tanzania. Amboseli National Park is renowned for its herds of elephants and the backdrop of Africa's highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro. The Great Rift Valley is scattered with alkaline lakes that attract flocks of flamingos, as well as a variety of game: Lake Nakuru National Park has huge concentrations of game and is an important white rhino sanctuary.

Ballooning over the Masai Mara
There is nothing that can compare to the rare experience of Masai Mara game viewing while standing quietly in the basket of a hot air balloon as it floats through the calm dawn skies. With such elevated panoramic views, visitors are guaranteed a great African experience.Most operators start the day with a dawn coffee rendezvous, before inflating the balloon and lifting off just before sunrise. While the Masai Mara plains (and often the Big Five) are a given from this elevated position, some travellers are lucky enough to witness the phenomenal wildebeest migration. The balloon will descend occasionally for a close-up look at the wildlife, or rise to clear the riverine forest. The thrilling excursion could be finished off with a champagne breakfast out ‘in the wild', or a game drive back to the take-off point. The balloon safari can be incorporated in a camping tour or booked separately, and there are about seven lodges offering this adventure in the Masai Mara.

Cities & Regions: Nairobi | The Great Rift Valley | The Coast