Our other stop on the way to Kampala was the Mabira Forest, the largest semi-deciduous rainforest in Uganda, situated halfway between Jinja and Lugazi and stretching across 120 sq km. The rainforest is home to 311 tree species, some of which are ancient. Before the 1800s, the forest...
Since there were no safe parking spots, we stayed overnight at the Impala Sanctuary in Kisumu. This 1-sq-km sanctuary is home to a small impala herd and provides substantial grazing grounds for local hippos. In addition to the impala, there are cages of other Kenyan antelope and monkeys...
We arrived late in the afternoon at Lake Nakuru, and it took us quite some time to get approval from rangers to park there overnight. This park is among Kenya’s finest national parks, flanked by rocky escarpments, pockets of acacia forest, and at least one waterfall. The park is...
Today, we hired a small car with a driver (half day 2000 KES) to explore the surroundings of Lake Naivasha and Lake Oloiden. Lake Naivasha, hugged by grassy banks and shingled with cacti and sand olive trees, is the Rift Valley’s highest lake (1884m above sea level). You can hire a...
Late afternoon, we arrived at Elsa Gate of the dry, dusty, but infinitely peaceful Hell’s Gate National Park. It is a rare Kenyan park made for bicycles and walking. Large carnivores are rare, so we rented bikes (800 KES) and paid a cycling fee (250 KES) and a park entrance fee (28...
After the whole day of driving (468 km), we arrived at midnight at the Sekenani gate of the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve. Rangers were pretty shocked but allowed us to park behind the gate just a few steps from the main building. The following day, we paid the “special”...
Google Maps offers two roads from Tsavo East National Park to Amboseli National Park. Still, these are not roads but some paths through the Tsavo NP; you must pay the entrance fee (54,34 USD) and carefully drive through; it’s probably passable with a small 4WD, but not with our...
We drove three hours from Watamu to Kenya’s largest national park, Tsavo East. It has an undeniable wild and primordial charm and is a terrific wildlife-watching destination. Although one of Kenya’s largest rivers, the Galana River, flows through the middle of the park, the...
It was hard to imagine that a range of wildlife also calls Diani Beach its home. Opened in 2016, Bora Bora Wildlife Camp is the largest wildlife sanctuary in all of Diani and offers a unique taste of safari less than 500m from the Indian Ocean. It is home to everything from peacocks to...
We also spent some time in this humble-looking place (🎟️1500 KES), one of the world’s most renowned snake research centers. Bio-Ken specializes in antivenin research and acts as an emergency service for snakebite victims throughout the region. A passionate guide led an excellent 30...