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Volunteer in Kenya
Programs in Kenya
• Teaching in Nairobi
• Teaching in Rift Valley
• Orphanages in Kenya
• Healthcare in Nairobi
•
Healthcare in Rift Valley
• HIV/AIDS in Kenya
• Wildlife Volunteering
Kenya
Volunteer
Locations
• Kakamega
• Lumo
• Mombasa
• Nairobi
• Naivasha
• Nakuru
• Rift Valley
Volunteer Handbook:
Kenya
Program
Fees
Pre-Trip
Checklist
Kenya at a
Glance
Map of
Kenya
Kenya Resources
Kenya Safaris
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Kenya Safaris
Volunteers traveling to Kenya often ask us about taking a safari
in Kenya, so below we provide some background:
Safari Operators
Cosmic Volunteers does not sell any safaris. However we do know
many local safari operators in Kenya and Tanzania and we will be
happy to put you in touch with them. We strongly recommend that
you book your safari AFTER arriving in Kenya, because it is normally
much cheaper this way.
The Big Five
You will often hear the term "Big Five" in relation to
safaris. The "Big Five" refers to the animals most popular
on safaris: Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Cape Buffalo. The
term "big five" most likely originated with game hunters
refering to the difficulty in killing these large animals. Safari
tour operators use the term frequently, so it's best you're familiar
with it.
Wildebeast Migration
The most popular safari is the annual wildebeast migration. The
migration involves thousands of zebras and wildebeast moving from
the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania into the Masai Mara area of Kenya.
The precise timing of the migration is somewhat unpredictable, however
generally the best time to see the migration is between July-September.
These trips are typically very expensive, starting at several hundred
dollars for just a short 2-3 day trip.
Sample Safari Itineraries:
| One Day |
| Park Name: |
Lake Nakuru |
| Location: |
Rift Valley Province, northwest of Nairobi |
| Distance from Nairobi: |
100 miles (2 hour drive) |
| Wildlife: |
World famous for its 1
million+ pink flamingos. Also pelicans, hippo, rhino, reedbuck,
giraffe, water buffalo, pythons, lions, leopards |
| Two Days |
| Park Name: |
Aberdare National Park |
| Location: |
Rift Valley Province, north of Nairobi |
| Distance from Nairobi: |
110 miles (2 hour drive) |
| Wildlife: |
Elephant, lion, leopard,
baboon, Colobus monkey, Sykes monkey, buffalo, lion, black rhino,
eland, and 250 bird species: sparry hawk, goshawks, eagles,
sunbirds and plovers |
| Three Days |
| Park Name: |
Tsavo National Park |
| Location: |
Coast Province, southeast of Nairobi |
| Distance from Nairobi: |
206 miles (4 hour drive) |
| Wildlife: |
"Red Elephants",
lion, impala, kudu, rhinos, giraffe, buffalo, hippos, 500
species of birds.
Tsavo is Kenya's largest safari destination and one of the
largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world with 10 million
square acres. |
| Five Days |
| Park Name: |
Masai Mara Game Reserve |
| Location: |
Rift Valley Province, southwest of Nairobi |
| Distance from Nairobi: |
170 miles (5 hour drive, 45 min flight) |
| Wildlife: |
Eelephant, rhino, hippo,
zebra, wildebeast, lions, cheetahs, leopards, gazelle, giraffes,
hyenas, jackals
"Mara" is the safari most well-known to viewers
of National Geographic-type documentaries on safaris in Africa. |
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