Safari Vehicles in Kenya: Land Cruisers, Pop-Up Roofs & What to Expect
Safari vehicles in Kenya explained: pop-up roof Land Cruisers vs minivans, seating, private vs shared, comfort by park and what to check before you book.
Kenya Currency & Money Guide: Shillings, Dollars, Cards & M-Pesa
Kenya currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES, often written KSh), and it is what you will use for most everyday spending. US dollars are widely accepted at safari lodges and camps and are welcome for tips, while local restaurants, matatus, boda-bodas and supermarkets expect shillings. Most visitors use a mix of both, plus a card, […]
Kenya Safari Tipping Guide: Exact Amounts for Guides, Camps & Porters
Kenya safari tipping follows a fairly settled pattern, but few first-time visitors know the numbers before they land. Our guidance is USD 10–20 per person per day for your driver-guide, towards USD 15–25 for a private guide and USD 10–15 for a guide shared across a larger vehicle. Camp and lodge staff are thanked separately, […]
Fly-In vs Road Safari in Kenya: Which Is Actually Right for You
The fly-in vs road safari decision shapes the pace, comfort and cost of a Kenya trip more than almost any other choice you make. A light aircraft from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport reaches a Masai Mara airstrip in about 45 to 60 minutes, while the same journey by road takes around 5 to 6 hours. Flying […]
Nile Crocodile Behaviour in Kenya: The Death Roll and a Bone-Crushing Bite
Nile crocodile behaviour is built on patience: the crocodile you watch lying motionless in a Kenyan river is saving energy by design. It is an ambush predator, resting with most of its body submerged for hours, waiting for one good chance rather than chasing prey. When it strikes, the bite is extraordinary. Scientists have estimated […]
Small Cats of Kenya: The Serval and Caracal Beyond the Big Five
Small cats of Kenya do things the Big Five never will. The serval is often described as having the longest legs for its body size of any cat, and it uses them to leap high and land on prey hidden in tall grass. One long-term study in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater recorded servals succeeding on roughly […]
Monitor Lizards of Kenya: The Nile Monitor and Its Relatives
Monitor lizards of Kenya are among the biggest reptiles you will see on safari, yet most visitors drive straight past them. The Nile monitor is Africa’s longest lizard, often 1.2 to 2 metres from nose to tail, and it turns up along rivers, lakes and wetlands across the country. It is a true opportunist, eating […]
Raptors of Kenya: The Martial Eagle, Fish Eagle & Snake-Stomping Secretary Bird
Raptors of Kenya do things most visitors never expect from a bird. The martial eagle, one of Africa’s largest eagles at up to about 6 kg with a wingspan of around 2 metres or more, hunts gamebirds, hyraxes, monitor lizards and young antelope, often spotting prey from a soaring height before stooping to strike. The […]
Hippo Behaviour in Kenya: Why It’s Africa’s Most Dangerous Land Mammal
Hippo behaviour is far more interesting than the half-submerged, apparently sleepy animal you photograph in a Kenyan lake or river suggests. Hippos are often described as Africa’s most dangerous large land mammal, because of a mix of territorial aggression, unpredictability and sheer bulk: adult males average around 1.5 tonnes and big bulls can top 2 […]
Antelope Species in Kenya: From the 3kg Dik-Dik to the 900kg Eland
Antelope species in Kenya cover one of the widest size ranges of any animal group you will see on safari, from the dik-dik, which stands around 30–40 cm at the shoulder and weighs about 3–6 kg, to the eland, the largest antelope on Earth, where a big bull can weigh up to roughly 900 kg. […]