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02 December 2019

Why travel to Kenya in the Green Season?

This blog was written by Jesse, an ex-safari specialist who was an invaluable member of our team for 3 years. Here, Jesse writes about his trip to Kenya in which he explains the benefits of going on safari in green season.

The green season in Kenya is renowned as one of the best times to visit the country. A lot of people don’t realise this and generally opt to go in high season. This season runs from June to October and then from November to January, whereas the green season runs from February to April. It’s sort of the secret season that no one seems to know about!

As my recent trip to Kenya took place in the second half of April, I experienced the green season first hand. I had the pleasure of going on safari for 11 days through the northern parts of Kenya – Samburu, and the Lewa-Borana Landscape – before finishing off with Laikipia. And it was an epic safari!

I came back from the safari feeling like I had seen and done everything, from kayaking on a dam, to walking through the trees, to seeing leopards, lions, both types of rhino, cheetahs, elephants, and all the other various game! I literally had everything pretty much to myself! The magic of the green season comes with a lot of advantages, not least that you will generally have sightings, a guide, and the camp all to yourself – and this just makes the whole safari so much more special.

Amazing game viewing in Kenya’s green season

I feel that people don’t travel to Kenya in the low season as the Great Migration isn’t happening during this time, and so they just don’t see the point in going. But I can tell you first hand that this doesn’t mean there isn’t incredible game still around. What a lot of people fail to realise is that the low season is the last couple of months of the dry season. This means that the water sources are more concentrated, which also entails that the wildlife really clusters around those water sources. Not only is the water scarce but the vegetation is scarce too, so you find that the game will be concentrated in pockets all around the place.

rhinokenya green season yellow zebra safaris

Wildlife spotting: mother rhino and calf

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Wildlife spotting: pride of lion

As all the wildlife congregates together, this of course means that the predators follow the game – you end up having amazing sightings and higher chances of seeing a great range of species! Referring back to my own experiences of living in the Maasai Mara and then seeing the northern game-rich areas of Kenya, I can say with confidence that the green season is a must for people who want to have the possibility of having sightings all to themselves. It’s also ideal for not seeing anyone else on the drives yet still enjoying that exclusive and really private feel.

Great value when travelling in Kenya’s green season

So, in hindsight, I highly recommend going in the green season, not only for the high chances of seeing incredible once-in-a-lifetime sightings but also because you are not breaking your bank as compared to high season. The offers that some of Kenya’s lodges have in place are second to none and you end up with really good deals – some places offer a 3 for 2, or a combination deal of 8 for 6, and so on. This way, you end up paying even less for what you are getting!

lodge2 kenya green season yellow zebra safar
lodge kenya green season yellow zebra safari

All in all, thinking back to my experience of living in Kenya and my recent trip, I can definitely say that the green season is a must for safari and is a no-brainer in my opinion! If you’re looking to have private, quiet, and exclusive experiences while on safari then the green season is for you. Not only do you have the amazing landscapes and scenery to yourself, but you also have the reinforced feeling of being in the most amazing pristine wildlife areas as well!

If you are considering travel to Kenya during the green season or you’d like more information about a safari, feel free to contact our experts here. Alternatively, do check out the blogs below for more inspiration:

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