Mel and Bayard Fox, founders of Equitours, began riding in the Masai Mara in 1979, taking summer guests from their Wyoming ranch. In the early years they guided the trips themselves and have been back many times. Mel was raised in East Africa, speaks fluent Swahili and is very familiar with the flora and fauna.

Kenya was the first Equitours ride overseas and remains a great favorite. Our horseback riding safaris in Kenya are without a doubt the most exciting and adventuresome of all our rides. Strong riders, confident at all paces on broken terrain while riding athletic horses will be in their element here. The opportunity to see big game and interact with wild animals on splendid horses is thrilling. Sometimes in the Masai Mara huge herds of wildebeest and zebra extend as far as the eye can see. The opportunity to see native tribesmen whose culture is dramatically different from ours in remote areas unspoiled by frequent tourist visits never fails to fascinate.

The mobile camps on all these safaris are surprisingly comfortable. The two person tents are spacious and the beds have sheets and blankets. The fresh food is well prepared and the service is excellent. Hot showers are available every evening.

One of the unforgettable memories of an African horse safari is the concert of night noises which accompany your dreams.  Often you can hear the plaintiff, lilting calls of a hunting pack of hyena in the distance and sometimes the deep, vibrating roar of a lion.  Most galvanizing of all is the sudden shriek of a harmless hyrax in a tree above your head.  There is always the murmuring, indistinguishable background noise of myriads of birds, animals and insects which lulls one to sleep.

  Peak Season

July , August, September


  Quiet Season

January, February, March, June, October, December


  Low Season

April, May, November


  Timezone in Kenya

East Africa Time (GMT+3)


  International Airports

Jomo Kenyetta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi


Climate in Kenya

Kenya is equatorial, so there are not dramatic seasonal fluctuations. March is generally the hottest month.  There are two rainy seasons: November to mid-December and April to May. You may encounter unseasonal rains at other times, but these usually take the form of evening showers. Since the safari route is at elevations between six and eight thousand feet, the nights and early mornings are quite chilly and you will need a sweater and a jacket. The days are warm to hot, around 80 degrees, but there is usually a breeze.

  Average Temperature

80 °F » 55 °F


Kenya Travel Tips

When is the best time to witness the migration in Kenya?

The Mara-Serengeti ecosystem is unique for many reasons. It supports the last great wild herds of large herbivores left on the planet. Figures and estimates vary but there are well over 1 million wildebeest and maybe 300,000 zebra that migrate in two distinct areas and 200,000 other large herbivores add to the variety. Cape buffalo, giraffe, eland, topi, hartebeest, impala, waterbuck, warthog, and two types of gazelle are very prevalent in the Mara and migrate much less if not completely sedentary, especially in the Mara ecosystem. When you add the elephant and hippo as the largest herbivores plus the extraordinary list of predators who feed on them all, you have an awesome wildlife spectacle.

The two migrations are distinct in that the smaller one called the Loita migration stays in Kenya and our Masai Mara’s riding route follows its whole range. It may be encountered on any month of the year. The greater migration, which is better known, does a large clockwise circle, which is constantly on the move.

The north of the Mara has a higher rainfall than most of the Serengeti, which therefore supports more bush, and a greater density of permanent herbivores. The big Serengeti herds come to Kenya in approximately June/July and move back and forth before finally departing back to Tanzania in late October. They are famous for their sheer numbers and of course their crossing and re-crossing of the Mara River to seek fresh pasture. To ride amongst them is bliss.

All the wildebeest calve in a three week period in February/March. The Serengeti herds on the flat plains in the south of their range, which is a great spectacle, and the northern herds on the Loita Plains to the north east of the Mara, from which they take their name. The whole range of both migrations is perhaps 150 miles north- south and 60 miles east-west.

Rainfall patterns throughout the year dictate the extent and timing of the wildebeest movements and are as variable as the weather. Therefore nobody can predict with any authority where they will be and when, apart from the above guidelines.

Suffice to say that the Mara with two distinct groups is likely to have thousands of animals in the area at any one time. There may be a preponderance of zebra or wildebeest but numbers are always impressive. Elephant also favour the northern areas for the extra bush and fodder that the higher rainfall brings. In conclusion therefore, there is no better or worse time to come. It may rain or be very dry but at 1700 meters (5500 ft.) the climate is always bearable and wonderful game viewing is almost guaranteed.

 

Browse 5 Trips in the destination Kenya

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Masai Mara Safari

This is the land which was so loved by Ernest Hemingway and Karen Blixen. How fortunate for us that it remains much as it was in their day. The... Read more

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Sosian Ranch

In addition to game drives and walks, Sosian is perfect for horseback riding. The ranch has numerous trails of varying levels of difficulty, and a ready supply of well-trained... Read more

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Laikipia Safari

This trip along the base of Mt. Kenya presents a unique perspective of Kenya, since most of the ride is on vast private ranches up to 100,000 acres. It... Read more

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Deloraine House

Deloraine is run by the family who offer the Masai Mara safaris and serves their home and base. They welcome guests with wonderful hospitality, and it's a fantastic way... Read more

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Thanks for the MAGNIFICENT trip – it really was amazing and the experience seeped into my soul.  I feel privileged to have experienced the African bush by horseback – to be immersed in the landscape, to physically travel through the plains and alongside wildlife, to not see other tourists while riding, to feel the crunch of hoofs against dirt and see the bones and dung (it was a drought, so bare ground visible) as well as animals, to camp luxuriously under the stars and hear the night noises as well as laughter of fellow travelers.  Thank you all.

Diane Dulken: February 2006

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