Dear Jane,

the highest amount of wildlife of all Kenyan parks / reserves definitely has the Mara. So this might be a very good choice for your son. BUT the wilderness experience sometimes gets heavily disturbed by the enormous number of tourists that frequent the reserve (same in Amboseli). Sometimes there seem to be as many minibuses as animals and many tend to take off, making new tracks wherever they feel it. The Mara triangle in the west of the reserve is a bit calmer, so I really recommend to go there.

I really like Samburu / Buffalo Springs! Many elephants, different wildlife (another giraffe and zebra species, famous for leopard sightings), beautiful landscape, great cultural experience when you get in contact with the Samburu tribesmen. Many people I spoke to really are overwhelmed of Samburu's increcible beauty when it got rain and is green. So this might also be a good option in the rainy season.

Tsavo has a fantastic wilderness feeling due to its size but wildlife apart from elephants is more difficult to spot (although it's definitely there) and some areas are also quite overrun due to the close proximity to the Indian Ocean resorts.

Lake Nakuru feels a bit like a big zoo. It's completely fenced and doesn't have a real wild atmosphere. However the sea of flamingos is overwhelming (when they are there what is not alweays the case) and definitely the best place in Kenya to see rhino.

I really love Mount Kenya which has fantastic scenery but probably not recommended to a trip with a ten year old boy...Due to the altitude you need time to acclimatize...

Generally I'd really recommend to concentrate just on two parks or reserves and to explore them intensively instead of racing from one place to the other. Many of the reserves are very diverse and have very different areas so it takes time to explore. Sometimes less is more !!!

However you decide enjoy Kenya and have a fantastic trip

Cody, thanks for explaining my mentality--you're spot on--of course. Much of how I think can be found in my website write up of our trip to Tanzania.

Pippa and Tobi, you have both given good information and things are beginning to come together--maybe. Now I need to decide between the two men I have been corresponding with re the safari. But that will be after I check out a new site the Cody recommended.

Keep info. coming. Thanks
Jane

Well, I made the plane reservations and we are going in summer. Will be in Kenya July 1 through 13. Now must decide where and who to work with in Kenya. I'm still having difficulty in selecting locations but am leaning toward Samburu, Mara and Amboseli. I think for Casey that would be the best--but then so would the other places. So hard!!

I have a new question. One of the men I have been working with is suggesting Hell's Gate/Lake Naivasha and staying at the Wildlife Lodge in place of Amboseli. I think he offers this alternative due to the proximity of places we are going--Samburu, Mara, etc. But, my question is would this be an OK alternative to Amboseli or should we stick with Amboselif?

Again thanks.

Dear Jane,

Hell's Gate is a great place for walking and cycling. There you have the chance to get quite close to giraffes or zebras by foot or by bike. It has stunning landscape with the beautiful Ol Njorowa Gorge and Fischer's or Central Towers, former volcanoe plugs. It's definitely worth a trip. BUT no comparison to Amboseli regarding wildlife. The dramatic of Mt. Kilimanjaro which overlooks Amboseli is also really something else...

I repeat my my suggestion to concentrate on 2 reserves or parks unless you fly. But of course I don't know which budget you're travelling on. Your leaning towards Samburu, Amboseli and the Mara would have exactly been my recommendation unless you don't want to climb Mount Kenya which might not be that good idea with a 10 year old boy and few time to acclimatize. But if you travel between the parks by car you'll spend days just for transit...

Hi Jane:

Yes, I also say that though Hell's Gate has some very dramatic landscape and some animals....but your best bet is Amboseli. It's one of the must-sees, as far as wildlife is concerned (despite the horrible drought - which I hear is over, for now....let's see what the rainy season produces - April & May). Right now, after recent rains, the grass is green and there are lots of animals but it only takes a few months to dry it out again.

I've visited Lake Naivasha several times over the last 13 years and last year was very disappointed with the ecological devastation taking place there. Hundreds of hot-houses for flower production have sprung up over the last several decades around the lake which are watered by draining the lake - which is now about half its original size. There were fewer birds species and the only wildlife I saw in 4 days were a few hippos in the water, some Waterbuck and a few Giraffe. Between the rampant fish/wildlife poaching, the shrinking lake and the increasing number of flower businesses...it's not a pretty picture. The flower businesses not only drain the lake to water their plants - but then regurgitate back into the lake fertilizers and insecticides which are further polluting and killing the aquatic life in the Lake.