GUIDE FOR WALKING SAFARIS IN KENYA WITH AFRICANMECCA

Game drives are the most popular safari activities in Kenya, and with good reason. A 4x4 vehicle easily navigates the varied distant terrain, and your skilled guide takes you to the superlative vantage points to absorb the larger ecosystem. But as you travel through woodlands, riverine forests, savannah plains, lake banks and other habitats, you actually pass many of Kenya’s most intriguing inhabitants.

Snuggled within the crevices, roosting in the trees and scampering across the ground are smaller creatures who busy themselves. Inopportunely, game drives bypass these many micro-ecosystems that are just as vital to the overall health of the larger ecosystem. The elucidation to experience the smaller things in life is by taking a step in life.

Walking safaris in Africa are available for all fitness levels, and they can be as easy or challenging as you like. Guided bush walks or nature walks may last as little as one hour or extend into half the day. AfricanMecca can also arrange full-day and multi-day hikes up Mount Kenya to walking trails leading up to fly camps. Imagine walking during your safari holiday along forested trails at the base of Mount Kenya! These central highlands are an enchanting location to hike and walk, taking your time to notice the rare bongo and other hidden terrestrials in the dense vegetation.



Guided safari walks are not normally allowed in the government national parks and reserves of Kenya, but you can partake of these engaging outings in the surrounding private conservancies. Your guide not only helps you find and identify tiny creatures from antlions to dung beetles, but also teaches you tracking techniques and shares ancient uses of plants.

You look for tracks in the soft dirt, see traversing mammals from a unique perspective, discover how to distinguish different kinds of scat and so much more! Being in the bush on foot, though, requires that you be aware of your surroundings at all times. Your specialist walking guide in Kenya plays an important role in keeping you safe, but you need to appreciate the dangers of opting to be on foot rather than on a vehicle.

Getting close to animals while walking or even inadvertently coming upon an animal in the wild without watching all corners can have disastrous results. Experienced walking guides understand wildlife behavior while on foot and also know how close is too close, so you are much safer. The private conservancies in Laikipia are home to the second highest density of wildlife in Kenya, and your walking safari allows you to see over 70 mammalian species from ground level.



Additionally, there are more than 440 bird species, and finding feathered creatures is made easy when you can get up-close to the trees, bushes and other vegetation. Your guide knows all the surreptitious hiding places of bizarre insects and the voluminous plant species that you pass along the way.

Another superb location for walking tours of Kenya is the conservancies that border Masai Mara National Reserve. Your guide takes you to safe vantage points where you peer through the plains vegetation to watch foraging and grazing gazelles, hartebeests, elands, topis, elephants, giraffes and other herbivores. You may even come across the tracks of a leopard from the night before or even lions at a distant!

The water of Lake Naivasha attracts buffalos, waterbucks, elands and other animals seeking to quench their thirst. Walking safaris around the lake give you the relaxed state of mind you need to recognize subtle nuances in animal behavior. You also have a chance to see rock hyraxes, dik diks and other small-stature denizens. With more than 450 bird species to locate and identify, your trailing trip by the lake is also a chance to update your birding journal. AfricanMecca guests also have the option of visiting Crescent Island at Naivasha.

Further southeast, Chyulu Hills and Amboseli offer views of the mighty Kilimanjaro mountain in the neighboring Tanzania. Walking safaris are not generally allowed in these park, but we can arrange walks in the nearby conservancies with views of the iconic mountain. Our safari walks in Kenya can be customized to highlight what you want to see during your nature vacation, including butterflies, birds, plant species, historical and archeological sites, ancient rock art paintings, rivers, lakes, natural formations and more.



Select Your Preferred Kenya Trip Idea Experiences

1. Safari Trip Ideas

2. Beach Trip Ideas

3. Mountain Trip Ideas

4. Itinerary Trip Ideas