10-day Kenya safari: vibes from the Southeast with beach

‘Jambo!’ As you walk out of Moi International Airport, your personal Africa Safari Trips guide greets you with a big smile on his face. ‘Karibu Kenya – welcome to Kenya!’

Our Africa Safari Trips guide takes you straight from the airport to your hotel in Bamburi, a beautiful beach north of the city center of Mombasa. The drive gives you the first impressions of the vibrant city of Mombasa. You take in the old buildings, the traffic with the motortaxis and colourful matatu’s (local public transport), and the hussle and bussle of people living their every day life…

Ask your guide anything that comes to mind, because he knows all about Kenyan life and culture. But not only that; he also gladly tells you everything about the beautiful national parks you are about to visit. So ask whatever you want – he will do his utmost best to answer all your questions…!

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and the Lumo Conservancy area privately owned parks close to each other, on a three to four drive from Mombasa.

A green mountain range and open grassy plains full of wildlife make Taita Hills definitely worth a visit. Part of the beautiful Eastern Arc Mountain Range, Taita Hills is among the oldest mountain ranges of Africa with many endemic species on its 110 square kilometers.

Kenya’s most threatened birds live here: the Taita Apalis and Taita Thrush. But also the Taita Hills Purple-glossed Snake, the Taita Blade-horned Chameleon, the Taita Falcon, the Taita White-eye and the Southern Banded Snake-eagle have their home here. The usual suspects of the African wildlife are also present: African bush elephants, lions, cheetahs, buffalos, leopards, hyenas, giraffes and zebras.

Also Lumo Conservancy is great for game drives and in one day you can drive through both parks. In Lumo it’s also possible to do an exciting night gamedrive for an additional fee.

With green hills, savannah, water and lavarocks from nearby volcanos, the landscape of Tsavo West National Park is very diverse. At a two hour drive from Taita Hills this is a huge park with its 9,065 square kilometers. It is also home to all of the Big Five who roam the land together with giraffes, zebras, antilopes and many different birds.

Tsavo West is famous for the Shetani Lava Flows, where fifty square kilometers of volcanic black rock spread over the land. Also the Mzima Springs are worth a visit; a series of four natural springs with fifty million gallons of crystal clear water that gushes out of from under parched lava rock. Hippos and crocs love the clear, fresh water of Mzima Springs, which means they are easy to spot…!

Founded in 1948, the Tsavo brothers are two of the oldest parks in Kenya. They are separated from each other by the high- and railway that connects the coastal town of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi.

Amboseli National Park lies on the border between Kenya and Tanzania at a three hour drive from Tsavo West. This national park is almost 400 square kilometers in size and offers a magnificent view of the beautifully snow capped Mount Kilimanjaro. The park is home to many animals but foremost famous for its large groups of free-roaming elephants. Here you will have the chance to take some iconic pictures of elephants in front of the Africa’s highest lone-standing mountain.

The Masai live close here and are actually the ones who gave the park its name: Kioko Lake is a lake in the middle of the park that often completely dries up during the dry season. The ashy earth that remains is called amboseli by the Masai people. This is where the park’s name came from. During your time to Amboseli, you can also discover Masai culture by visiting one of their villages.

The Tsavo East National Park at a four hour drive from Taita Hills is impressive and huge with its 13,000 square kilometers in size. It’s mostly famous for its many lions and elephants. Here you cruise the outstretched savannah of the Yatta Plateau, while large groups of elephants walk these red dusty plains. En route you pass a spectacular amount of other animals. All members of the Big Five live here, together with zebras, African wild dogs, cheetahs, antilopes, impalas and more.

There are a few spots in Tsavo that are perfect for admiring wildlife: Madunda Rock, Lugard Falls and the Aruba Dam. The 1,6 kilometers rock formation of Madunda allows for great viewing of animals drinking below. Lugard Falls is not an actual waterfall but a series of rapid waters that are filled with hippos and crocs. Last but not least, the Aruba Dam creates a waterbassin in the Voi River that is a favorite drinking spot for many animals. Tsavo East National Park basically has it all!

Today you have a full day to explore the varied beauty of Tsavo East National Park, and hopefully spot all of the Big Five.

For the longest time, only animals and small local tribes inhabited this part of country. In the 1890s, however, the British began a concerted effort to colonise the interior of Kenya. They built a railway through Tsavo to connect Mombasa and Nairobi. The land was vast and not good for cultivation. This is why the government decided in 1948 to make it a national park and create room for elephants and rhinos to thrive and be safe from poaching.

The building of the railway had been traumatic however. Many construction workers died during their work, some of whom were killed by lions. Two of these majestic animals terrorised the railway construction crew for weeks and killed one hundred and thirty five workers before they were shot. This is why Tsavo East is still famous for its man-eating lions and why there is even a Man Eaters Lodge. But rest assured, even though there are over a hundred lions in Tsavo, human flesh has not been on their menu for many, many years…!

Diani Beach lies 20 kilometers south of Mombasa. Today you leave Tsavo East National Park and drive in seven hours to the 15 kilometers long stretch of beach called Diani. With rows of coconut trees, white powdery sand, amazing sunsets, beautiful resorts, high-class restaurants, water sport centers and even wildlife, Diani Beach basically has it all.

Diani has a stunning aquatic life to offer for those who like to explore the Indian Ocean. Ranging from humpback whales (September) to whale sharks (January to March) and dolphins (all year round), to seahorses, nudibranches and ghostpipe fish – your safari just continues under water.

Use your days to go scuba diving, snorkelling, kite surfing, windsurfing, boat rides or jet skiing, or of course just to relax on the beach. It’s also possible to do a day tour to the nearby city of Mombasa – stroll through old town and experience this vibrant city with its Arabic influences.

All good things come to an end and today is the day you fly back home. Enjoy your last hours on the beautiful Diani Beach before our driver takes you to Mombasa to catch your flight.

Lovers of old cities can use this last day to stroll around in Mombasa. This city is definitely worth your while with its famous Old Town, ocean view, abundant markets and several historic sites. Mombasa is much smaller than say Nairobi, but its merchants atmosphere, old buildings, cobblestone streets and Arabic influences make for a beautiful experience…!

Feel like you want more? Instead of going home it is possible to add more national parks or days on the beach to this program. Ask our sellers for the possibilities!