Kenya: top tips

Meet baby elephants, sleep under the stars in a four-poster bed and experience 'Africa's greatest eating experience'. Here are our top 10 tips for your Kenya holiday.

1/ Elephant orphanage

Meet the elephants at Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi. These baby elephants have lost their mothers to poaching, death and tragedy but are being rescued and rehabilitated at the centre. The baby elephants are inquisitive so expect a trunk heading in your direction and watch them kick a ball about with the keepers.

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2/ The Carnivore Restaurant, Nairobi

Described as ‘Africa's greatest eating experience’, this open-air restaurant is a meat-lovers’ paradise. Serving every type of meat imaginable, including four choices of wild game, meat is roasted on traditional Maasai swords over a spectacular charcoal pit. Waiters then carry these swords around the restaurant, carving unlimited amounts onto sizzling, cast iron plates.

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3/ Wildebeest migration

One of the ultimate safari experiences, watch the incredible wildebeest migration between the open plains of the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara. The greatest show on earth sees thousands of wildebeest and zebras migrate to greener plains, followed hotly by predators waiting for an easy meal. The migration is unpredictable, but usually happens between July and September.

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4/ Sleep under the stars

Sleep under the stars in Kenya on the 'Star Beds' at Loisaba Lodge. Book our Laikipia and Mara flying safari and you can spend an unforgettable night in this unique stilted accommodation, with a bed you can wheel onto the veranda. The thatched rooms feature a rustic four-poster bed with netting and an en-suite bathroom.

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5/ Shakira the cheetah

Spot the famous Marsh Pride of Lions and Shakira the cheetah - stars of the BBC's Big Cat Diary. If luck is on your side, these local residents will make an appearance on the plains of the Maasai Mara and are best spotted during a stay at Governors' Main Camp or Little Governors on the banks of the Mara River.

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6/ Hot air balloon flight

Soar gently above rhinos, giraffes and elephants in Kenya's Maasai Mara. A hot-air balloon flight in Kenya is a must, drifting over the plains as the sun rises over the acacia trees. Watch game below in the early morning light and finish an amazing experience with a champagne breakfast waiting for you on terra firma.

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7/ Tamarind Restaurant

If you’re staying in Mombasa, book a table at the renowned Tamarind Restaurant. The owner’s dream was to create the finest seafood restaurant in Africa and the prawns piri piri, chilli crab and lobster have earned worldwide fame and rave reviews. This elegant white building also features a terrace overlooking Mombasa’s picturesque old harbour – perfect for a dinner under the stars.

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8/ Karen Blixen Museum

Take a tour around the home of Karen Blixen, the author who wrote Out of Africa under her pen name Isak Dinesen. Out of Africa tells the tale of Karen's life in Kenya on a plantation and her doomed love affair with a big game hunter. Her character was portrayed by Meryl Streep in the movie version. Take a guided tour around her old home in Nairobi before taking a trip to the Giraffe Centre to see and feed the Rothschild Giraffe family.

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9/ Elephant herds of Samburu

Follow the famous elephant herds of Samburu and learn about the struggle to protect them and how the Samburu tribes believe the elephants have the souls of the departed. Our Wings Over Africa fly-in safari visits Amboseli, the Maasai Mara and Samburu, staying in lodges and tented camps

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10 / Family Safari

Book our Family Safari to Samburu and the Maasai Mara, staying in interconnecting tents with a central lounge area and kids club activities in camp. Our family-friendly safaris in Kenya have dedicated family departures, a 4x4 for each family throughout your holiday, child-friendly drinks, snacks, toys and children’s wildlife books on board, plus family-friendly accommodation.

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