Kenya

Kenya is where Africa’s great wildlife story unfolds most dramatically. The Masai Mara National Reserve in the south-west is world-famous for the annual Great Migration — millions of wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River in a spectacle of raw, breathtaking nature. But the Mara is just one chapter of Kenya’s extraordinary wildlife offering. Amboseli National Park delivers iconic views of elephants against the snow-capped backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. Samburu Reserve in the north harbours rare species found nowhere else — the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and Somali ostrich among them. Tsavo, Kenya’s largest park, offers red-dusted elephant herds and dramatic lava plains.

Beyond the safari circuit, Nairobi is a dynamic and surprisingly sophisticated capital with excellent restaurants, vibrant markets and the remarkable David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where orphaned elephant calves are raised for eventual return to the wild. A visit here is deeply moving.

On the coast, Diani Beach south of Mombasa is one of East Africa’s finest — a long arc of powdery white sand fringed by casuarina trees, with warm, calm water ideal for swimming and snorkelling. The ancient Swahili trading port of Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage site accessible by small plane, is a magical place of donkey-lined alleyways, carved wooden dhows and extraordinary Swahili architecture.

Kenya’s peak wildlife season runs July to October during the dry season, with January to February also excellent. Most visitors combine a multi-day safari in the interior with a few nights on the coast for an unbeatable combination of adventure and relaxation.