African Air Safari Tours of Kenya include the Following

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park, at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, 5895m Kilimanjaro, is one of the most popular of Kenya's national parks. It lies some 240 km south-east of Nairobi very close to the Tanzania border.

The snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro rising above a saucer of clouds dominates every aspect of Amboseli. The Park which covers 392 km² is mainly open wooded grassland and swamps.

The park has 53 species of herbivores and carnivores - the most obvious being its elephant population, whose individuals are known by name, age and sex!

387 species of birds, reptiles, amphibians etc have been recorded in the park.

The Rift Valley Lake Region

The highest of the Rift Valley lakes, Naivasha lies at about 1880 m. The lake level varies quite considerably - in 1926 it was reported 6 m higher.

Lake Naivasha's main attraction is the prolific bird life, including fish eating birds such as pelicans, herons, storks and kingfishers which are resident throughout the year.

If there is one bird which characterises Lake Naivasha, it would have to be the African Fish Eagle.

Lake Baringo lies in the solitude of the semi-desert, a haven of peace and beauty in harsh, rugged but majestic surroundings. Its beauty derives as much from an overwhelming sense of repose with nature as its scenic distinction. Until a few years ago Baringo was considered well off the beaten track.

The Lake region is renowned worldwide for the numerous species of birds found in the area. 400 species have been listed in the Lake Baringo area and the Goliath Heronry on a rocky islet in the lake (known locally as Gibraltar) is world famous.

Maasai Mara Game Reserve

Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve is a mosaic of Africa's diverse wildlife. The Maasai Mara is one of the few places left on earth where wildlife still lives comparatively undisturbed.

This is Africa's finest wildlife sanctuary.

Apart from the spectacular seasonal migration, game viewing is excellent year round. Game includes: elephant, black rhino, buffalo, plains zebra, hartebeest, hippo, crocodiles, and 452 bird species of which 53 are raptors.

Nowhere else in Africa is wildlife more plentiful than in the Maasai Mara, fabled for its great concentrations of gazelle and antelope and their natural predators - the big cats - the Mara is famous for its prides of black-mane lions, cheetahs and the elusive leopard.

Samburu National Reserve

Samburu National Reserve lies 325 km north of Nairobi in the hot and arid fringes of the vast northern region of Kenya. The Reserve is within the lands of the colourful Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai, and harbours a number of wildlife species rarely found elsewhere in any numbers.

These include Grevy's zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the Beisa Oryx, all species found only north of the equator. The long-necked gerenuk is a graceful antelope which spends much of its time in a bi-pedal stance seeking succulence among the withered scrub which dots this harsh terrain.

Scenically and faunally dramatic, for most of the year Samburu is serene under the unsympathetic equatorial sun. But relief comes from the wide swathe of the Ewaso Ngiro River which rises some hundreds of kilometers to the west on the foothills of the Aberdares and vanishes beyond Samburu in the recesses of the Lorian swamp.

Aberdares National Park

The Aberdare National Park, an area of the park is 767 km², is part of the Aberdare Mountain Range, a fascinating region of Kenya.

The topography is diverse with mountain ranges and peaks soaring to around 14,000 ft., giving way to valleys separated by steep hills and rocky outcrops. Streams and rivers cascade down through spectacular waterfalls.

Animal life is most abundant in the Aberdare forest zone. Large mammals include elephants, buffalo, bongo and black rhino. Carnivores include lion, hyena and leopard, and playful primates such as the baboon, black and white Colobus and Sykes monkeys.

The park is rich in bird life with over 250 species recorded. The Jackson's Francolin is endemic. Brightly coloured birds include sparrow hawk, African goshawk, eagles, francolins, sunbirds and plovers. The clear cool pure rivers have plenty of fresh water fish including the introduced rainbow and brown trout.

Laikipia

The Laikipia plateau in central Kenya is the last stronghold of romantic East Africa: vast open ranches, shadowed by snow-capped Mount Kenya, are home to ethnically diverse communities including the Mukogodo Maasai and Samburu.

These indigenous tribes people have joined together in partnership with the settlers and ranchers to create a conservation and wildlife haven that spans two million acres (800,000 hectares) of wild savannah.

Despite being a non-protected area, wildlife in Laikipia is abundant and total numbers are higher than any of Kenya's protected areas except the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Laikipia hosts the highest diversity of large mammals in Kenya, including significant populations of major predators and the "Big 5."

It also hosts more endangered species than anywhere else in Kenya. The abundant plains are physically diverse and scenically spectacular, fed by the Ewaso Nyiro and Ewaso Narok rivers.

There are nearly 40 places to stay ranging from 3 to 230 beds, with prices from US$25 to US$624 per person per night. And an incredible 56 different activities are offered by the collective tourism facilities in Laikipia. Here a sense of exclusivity will always pervade, because of the size of Laikipia and the wider Ewaso ecosystem. The typical facility in Laikipia has just 13 beds and nearly all have less than 30 beds.

The Laikipia region of Kenya is a world leader in conservation and local community based eco-tourism. All tourism operations active here, are members of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum, a dynamic membership driven organisation - the first institution of its kind to develop a significant capacity to foster development and conservation goals on a district wide level in Kenya.

Kenya's Indian Ocean Coast Region

Marine parks and reserves, the white sandy beaches, historical monuments, contemporary culture and the warm climate has enabled the development of a unique tourist product. The warm clear water of the Indian Ocean and its seven marine parks has superb coral reefs and exotically tinted tropical fish that come so close you can almost touch them.

Shimba Hills the 320 km² reserve is located 56 km south of Mombasa and is within easy reach of coast resorts. The reserve comprises a unique and botanically rich coastal rain forest and open glades.

Two of Kenya's most beautiful orchids flourish in Shimba Hills. Besides the endemic sable antelope, the park is home to buffalo, elephant, giraffe, lion, leopard and several species of primates. The reserve also hosts Palaearctic birds during late March - early April.

The reserve protects 19 tree species, 13 forest birds and 7 mammalian species under threat of extinction.