Kenya’s Private Concessions: Safari Paradise
If you think safari, Kenya is one of the first places that comes to mind. Some of the world’s most well-known game reserves are situated in this beautiful country: Masai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo, to name just three. Offering endless plains under vast African skies, spectacular scenery and prolific wildlife it’s not surprising that Kenya is up there at the top of the safari destination list.
Giraffe
What lots of people don’t realise is that many of Kenya’s most famous game reserves are linked to numerous private concessions. The arrangement is similar to that in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Basically, private concessions and conservancies are privately-owned and community-owned properties adjacent to the big national parks. Borders between them are unfenced or corridors have been established, allowing free movement of game throughout the area. Safaris to these concessions offer visitors numerous advantages.
Privacy
Knowledgeable guides by Make It Kenya/Stuart Price
With Kenya being such a popular safari destination, the national parks are often busy. Most private concessions have limited camps and, therefore, limited numbers of people staying at a time. This means that it is perfectly possible to go on a game drive and see nobody other than the wild animals who call the area home.
Walking Safaris
Want to get up close and personal with nature? At most private concessions you can. They offer walking safaris with knowledgeable guides who’ll teach you how to track and open your eyes to the prolific insect and birdlife.
Masai warriors
Many concessions are community-owned so, there is often the opportunity to visit a local village, meet the people who live there and learn about the culture and traditions of the Maasai people.
Night Drives
Lion spotting on a night drive by Ninara
Most national parks do not allow night drives. Here, the private concessions win again, offering guided night drives in safari jeeps. If you’re lucky, expect to see nocturnal creatures busily getting on with the business of hunting. All under the magnificent African night sky!
Best of Both
Elephants drinking by Frank Vanbetlehem
The really great thing about staying a concession – especially one bordering one of the national reserves – is you can experience the best of both worlds. Most places offer day trips into the bigger parks, allowing you to see different areas and, therefore, different habitats and animals.
Some of our Favourites
Selenkay Conservancy
Safari tent by Regina Hart
A 15 000 acre private park near Amboseli, the Selenkay Conservancy boasts large numbers of giraffe, zebra, and antelope. All the big cats and elephants have been spotted in the area too. We love Selenkay because it offers small camps at both the high-end and budget end of the safari scale. This means that it’s accessible to all pockets!
Stay at least three days and you can enjoy a full day in Amboseli, daily morning and evening drives and guided nature walks in the conservancy. This is the full African safari experience.
Some of our Trips that include Selenkay/Amboseli:
Ol Kinyei Conservancy
The plains of Mara by Weldon Kennedy
Close to the world-famous Maasai Mara Safari National Park – which joins the Serengeti over the border in Tanzania – the Ol Kinyei Conservancy is 18 700 acres of beautiful Kenyan bush. It includes forests, rivers, vast open plains and spectacular wildlife.
Be sure to book yourself a hot air balloon ride over the area … it’s breath-taking!
Some of our Trips that include Ol Kinyei/Mara:
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Rhino at Ol Pejeta by Laika ac
Set against the backdrop of Africa’s second tallest mountain, Mount Kenya, Ol Pejeta is the poster child for Kenyan safaris and conservation efforts. Here you can see the Big 5 ambling about incredible scenery, and it’s the closest Big 5 reserve to Nairobi.
Explore Kenya’s countryside with both road travel and air travel within Kenya on our Ol Pejeta/Amboseli trip, Fly & Drive Amboseli & Ol Pejeta Safari.
Ol Pejeta is one of Africa’s rhino strongholds and home to the only chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya and it is very involved in conservation efforts and community projects.
Book Your Dream Safari
With uncrowded game drives, nature walks, night drives and exclusive camps that cater for both luxury and budget safaris, Kenya’s conservancies offer visitors a pretty sweet deal. Contact one of our ABS consultants to book your dream safari now.
Briony is a qualified pharmacist, published author and travel blogger living in Cape Town. She writes her own blog about travel, the arts, music and the good things in life, with a focus on accessibility. She likes watching the world go by, and sometimes it makes her nose twitchy, but mostly it provides golden nuggets with which to light up the page.
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