In the land of the Lion King, children are welcomed like princes! On safari in the savannah, on a beach in Mombasa with its feet in the Indian Ocean or on a walk in the Rift Valley, Kenya is full of strong experiences to be lived with the family.

Here are 6 experiences that are sure to surprise young and old, preferably to be planned during the dry season in winter or summer, from July to October.

Visit elephant and giraffe orphanages in Nairobi

Feeding a giraffe in the palm of your hand… This is an experience that will make your children’s eyes sparkle! A stone’s throw from the centre of Nairobi, the Giraffe centre was founded in 1983 by a nature-loving couple to save the Rothschild giraffe, an endangered East African endemic species. Thanks to the action of this orphanage, more than 300 giraffes are now frolicking in the parks of Kenya. What if your family adopts one?

Or an elephant or a rhino? That’s what the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which has been working for over 40 years to preserve species, is proposing. You can also visit their orphanage in the morning for lunch and a (mud) bath for the elephant calves. Don’t be late: it’s only open for one hour a day to ensure the animals’ tranquility!

 

Swimming with the fish in the Indian Ocean

A stopover in the water on the coast of Mombasa? This is the time to introduce children of swimming age to the pleasures of snorkelling! In the Kisite National Park, under the guidance of a marine guide, along the coral reef, young and old will quickly get the feeling of evolving in a giant aquarium.

Between fluorescent blue parrot fish, turquoise napoleons and green turtles, the apprentice divers will have only one desire: to spend a long time in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, at a good temperature all year round (25 to 29°)!  But another rendezvous awaits you on the surface: the one with the dolphins! Without forgetting the lunch in the Swahili fashion, the culture of the inhabitants of the coast. To be savoured with your feet in the sand of Wasini Island!

Rift Valley

Do you want to share special moments with your children while making them aware of other cultures?  Opt for a trek in the Rift Valley (from 8 years old) in the company of a professional Maasai team selected by your local agency.

For comfort, everything is provided: carrying of luggage and equipment by donkeys, camping in the middle of nature set up and taken down every evening, and even a bush shower (hot water) guaranteed! Enough to reinvigorate yourself after a day of discoveries and encounters in landscapes from the beginning of the world. All along this little trip, your family will be able to exchange with the guides but also with the villagers. Helping with the milking of the cattle or “inter-nation” football match, you will find it difficult to leave your new Masai friends!

Go on a walking safari to Crescent Island on Lake Naivasha

On safari, children, especially the smallest ones, quickly feel the need to stretch their legs. At Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake perched at an altitude of 2,000 metres in the Rift Valley, they will be able to wander freely while on an excursion to Crescent Island. The adventure begins on the water: the whole family gets into a motor canoe!

Along the way, you’ll quickly understand why the island is a bird sanctuary: you’ll see osprey, golden-breasted jacanas, pelicans and other specimens of the 300 or so bird species that have been recorded. And ashore, get out your cameras and enjoy an unforgettable walking safari as you stroll peacefully among an incredibly diverse fauna: giraffes, gazelles, zebras, dik dik or buffaloes…

Flying over the Masai Mara

Travelling on the tracks of the Masai Mara Reserve is already an adventure. So what about a hot air balloon flight! For the little ones (from 3 years old) and adults, everything starts with a (very) early morning wake-up: you get dressed, bite a cookie and leave in the night to reach the take-off point where the fire is buzzing to inflate the balloon envelope. Impressive! And at 6:30 am, it’s off!

Meeting chimpanzees in Ol Pejeta

Did your children enjoy the Hatari movie? They’ll love staying at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a 40,000-hectare private concession where Big 5 and chimpanzees are kings. To see the primates, head to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, created in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute to care for chimpanzee victims of poaching. At certain times, you can watch them eat from an observation platform.

And if you are thirsty for new encounters with the great African fauna, you will be satisfied. The concession is a paradise for the Big 5 and especially for rhinos. With more than 130 specimens of black rhino, it is the most important sanctuary in East Africa for this endangered species. And it is also the only place in the world where the northern white rhino survives. Your children will be able to perfect their notions of biodiversity by visiting their enclosure, which is accessible twice a day. In particular, they will learn how to recognize a black rhino from a white rhino even though their robes are more or less the same colour… If you too want to know how to distinguish these 2 emblematic species of African fauna, go there!