Luxury African Safari Vacations

As well as being one of the world's most famous adventure destinations, Kenya is certainly the starting point of any luxury African safari vacation. To its south loom the snows of Mount Kilamanjaro's lofty 19,340 feet. To the west lies Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River. Located about halfway down Africa's eastern coast almost right on the equator, Kenya's geography is splendidly varied.

Luxury African safari vacations tend to focus on Masai Mara. Kenya's portion of the vast Serengeti, this flat, bush-covered plain stretches east from Mount Kenya (17,058 feet) across to pristine Indian Ocean beaches and the Somalia border. Across it move the famous great herds of wildebeest (1.3 million) and zebra (400,000), both in search of water. Moving with them are equally large prides of lion, their natural predator.

Almost all of Africa's big game animals are sighted here, in fact. Other species include cheetah, rhinoceros, antelope, giraffe, and buffalo. Moving up from Tanzania into south Kenya's Amboseli National Park, they pause at its center amidst swamps and grasslands that attract more than 420 species of bird. Vast herds of elephant congregate here as well, especially near the Ekongo Narok Swamp.

Timing Luxury African Safari Vacations

Kenya's heaviest rains usually come between March and May, but the stretch from October through December is also wet. The best season for luxury African safari vacations, then, is our summer and its winter, which is also the migration period. Plan for heat and humidity. Mean year-round temperatures run up from the mid 80s Fahrenheit (about 27° Celsius). It is suggested that you check with your traveler's clinic for proper inoculations prior to departure.