Tips for Enjoying your Kenyan Safari

Contributed by Julie Simons

Wildlife safaris are extremely popular holidays for tourists from around the globe as they appeal to all age ranges, from the young to the old alike. Safaris should offer you a memorable holiday beneath the African sun, under the expert guidance of your driver and tour guide. Booking the right tour is crucial; if your driver has little experience of finding the wildlife and educating visitors about their habitats, your safari holiday will be adverselyaffected. F. Kings Tours and Safaris employ highly experienced guides and drivers who all speak several languages including English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. Under this knowledge and experience, and by following a few simple tips, guests can enjoy their safari of a lifetime.

When to go and What to Wear

To see the great migration on safari, the best time to visit Kenya is either between January and March or July and October. During these months theherds can be seen on the Maasai Mara as they follow the food. Kenya enjoys temperatures of between the high 70s to mid 80s and 50 to 60 degreesduring the mornings and evenings, and it is blessed with a good climate year round. The coastal and southern areas of the country experience hotterconditions and there are two rainy seasons during the year in April and May and short rains at the end of the year. The dry season is the best time to see the wildlife because they come to the water holes regularly and here you will spot many varieties of animals and birds.

What to wear is an important factor on Safari. Guests should stick to casual clothes that are lightweight and, above all, comfortable to wear. Layers are a good idea, to cater for the early mornings and late evenings. Cotton tee shirts, shorts and cargo pants are ideal for safari, along with a fleece or cotton jacket for the nights. Don’t forget to bring a hat and comfortable walking shoes with soles that are thorn proof.

Preparing for your Trip

Along with your passport, you may need a visa to enter Kenya and this should be done as soon as possible, to avoid delay. Make sure your visa iscurrent for your trip and check that your passport has not expired. You do not need inoculations for Kenya, but if you intend to travel beyond the country, you should check to see which immunizations you need. Mosquito repellent with at least 30 per cent DEET is strongly advised and long sleeved shirts and pants are handy for avoiding bites. A cover policy for your trip is essential, whatever your age, as it will protect you from medical mishaps or lost or stolen baggage. There are particularly good offers available for the over 65s that feature a higher level of medical cover, giving you peace ofmind while you are abroad.

Remember to pack your traveler’s cheques, cash and any credit or debit cards you intend to take to Kenya, along with maps of the area and perhaps a tablet or smartphone for the trip.

Spotting Wildlife

The time of day is crucial for spotting wildlife. Because the animals seek shelter from the midday sun, the best times to see them are at dawn and dusk when they visit the watering holes and are more active. The success of your safari depends on the number of animals you see, particularly the ‘Big 5’such as lions and elephants. Your driver and guide will have a good idea where the wildlife is, from radio contact with colleagues along the way. Ifanother guide has spotted something worth seeing, they will pass on the news and a network of knowledge and advice goes back and forth to make sure your Safari experience is optimized.

Keep your eyes open and remember to look up into the trees. There may be a leopard snoozing on a branch after a kill. Rivers contain crocodiles that are camouflaged by the reeds so you have to look carefully to spot them. A wildlife map should show you the areas that particular animals frequent in the park and binoculars are a good idea too.

How to take Photographs on Safari

Typically, the morning safari lasts until just before noon and the afternoon game drive will take you through to sunset, giving you ample opportunities to photograph the wildlife you see while you are out. Because many national parks prohibit visitors leaving the vehicles they travel in, your photography needs to be taken from your seat and the road is often bumpy and dusty so you need to wait until the vehicle is stationary. Whilst thismay be restrictive, it does mean you can bring along some camera support if you wish, in the form of a heavy 600mm lens, which you then need tosteady in the car. Beanbags are popular in Kenya for steadying your camera on the side of the vehicle so that you can shoot quality pictures. A 300mm lens or longer should give you the definition you need.

Composition is important in Safari photography; try to feature something in the foreground to add depth, such as a tree. If you want to capture the panorama of the landscape and cannot do so in one shot, take several photographs of different parts of the image and when you get home you can join them together to create a stunning piece of digital photography that captures your Safari perfectly.