Best Time To Visit Kenya, When to go for a Safari in Kenya
Best Time To Visit Kenya, When to go for a Safari in Kenya : Kenya is a great safari destination in Africa visiting by millions of tourists per year for various reasons such as wildlife viewing, climbing Mountain Kenya, beach holidays, bird watching among others.
For most of the tourists visiting Kenya, the continuously asked question is “When is the best time to visit Kenya”, this question is answered basing on which activities you would want to do during your Kenya safari.
Most travelers from the world love traveling to Kenya for a safari between June and October, this is because this period is a dry season and the best time for wildlife viewing. However it is important to note that wildlife in Kenya can be viewed all year round, there are a wide range of other activities to do in Kenya.
To answer the question of “The best time to visit Kenya”, below is the detailed information on when to travel to Kenya and when to visit and what to do. This detailed month by month.
January – February
January – February is one of the warmest periods to visit Kenya for a holiday, this period is a summer time which is an excellent time for wildlife viewing as there are large numbers of animals viewed in several Kenya wildlife destinations such as Lake Nakuru national park, Masai Mara national reserve, Amboseli national park among others.
In January – February, temperatures are still hot though showers are experienced once in a while. The landscape is green with beautiful vegetation which is a result of short rains of November and December.
This period is the best time for diving experiences in Kenya at the coast which is sunny and hot, and the Indian Ocean is at its clearest.
March – April – May
In this period most specifically early march, the rain begins and the sky is blue. As the rain begins animals become scarce and due to long rains of April and May most game viewing tracks through the parks become impassable and difficult to navigate.
The sea coastline of Kenya is very wet and hot in this period making it to not be a good season to visit Kenya.
June
In the month of June the dry season in Kenya starts again and most river banks, lakes and waterholes attract large numbers of animals such as elephants, cape buffaloes among others which come to drink water.
In this period, the rain is reduced though a few showers may be received, it also tends to be cool.
At this time of the year is a good time to visit Kenya for witnessing the annual wildebeest migration arriving from the Serengeti plains.
July – August – September
These months are the very long dry season in Kenya and a very popular time for to go for a safari in Kenya and it is the best time to see the Great Wildebeest Migration with millions of wildebeests, gazelles and zebras.
In July, the weather is dry and temperate with occasional rains and Masai Mara national reserve receives the first herds of the wildebeests from Tanzania.
August is also the driest time in Kenya with pleasant temperatures, fantastic game viewing and is a perfect time to enjoy watching the wildebeests and zebras crossing the Talek and Mara rivers.
In this period, you will also enjoy watching the hungry predators hunt for prey especially the wildebeests. It is also a great time to capture the wildebeest migration and the Mara River Crossing which is not for the faint – hearted.
Wildlife viewing is still at its best in the month of September in Kenya’s national parks and Game reserves. Generally this period is the Peak season of tourism in Kenya.
October – November
In the month of October, few rains are received however it is still a good time to travel especially for tourists who wish to avoid the crowds and also the wildlife is at its best in this time.
In November, temperatures become hotter and short rains are received, game viewing is still at its best and so are other Kenya safari activities. In this period, most camps in Laikipia plateau are close, though in other destination they are still open.
December
In this last month of the year, it is wet and hot and some camps are closed most especially in the Northern region, this period of the year is a good time for birders as many birds can be spotted including migratory species.
The landscapes in Kenya’s national parks and reserves are covered with lush green grass hosting newly born animals, if you intend to visit Kenya in this period of the year make sure you carry insect repellents as there are more mosquitoes during the rainy season.
Weather conditions in Kenya
When planning to travel to Kenya for a safari, it is important to know Kenya’s weather conditions, Kenya is situated at the equator and because of that you should not expect winter or summer days. However the country experiences dry and rainy seasons throughout the year,
Wet seasons
- Short rains are experienced from November – December
- Long rains from March to May
Dry seasons
- Longer dry season – from June to October
- Short dry season – from January and February
When to go on Safari in Kenya
Safaris in Kenya are most enjoyable in dry season, different safari activities such as game viewing, seeing the great annual wildebeest migration, hot air balloon among others are at their best.
