Night Game drives in Kenya : Do you think the action on a kenya wildlife safari just takes place during the day? Actually, no. You might not be aware that there is a night time change in the fields and forest areas.
The air cools, the big cats come to life, and new species come out of their daytime hiding places as the sun sets and the familiar qualities of the savannah and bush change into a different kind of environment.
Up to 70% of the creatures become active throughout the dimmer landscapes at night, prowling, hunting, and scavenging till the break of morning. This is the domain of the African wilds. When the heat of the day has subsided and has been replaced by soft breezes, starlight, and the moon casting its cool shadows across the country, it is time for night game drives in kenya. You can proceed intentionally on the savannah or through the bush with your safari guide in your 4 x 4 Jeep until the lighted eyes of a lion, leopard, or other night-prowling animal gaze back at you through the pitch-black darkness.
The noises of a big cat, a hippo, or the close scurrying of some unidentified creature can remind you to move gently as you have entered their night time zone, giving a night game drive a feeling of tingling anticipation as you are bundled up with your blanket and thermos. You can carry on your afternoon wildlife drives into your night safari. It can also happen after a leisurely meal or a sundowner, a customary evening beverage served outside. You prepare ready for a different kind of after-dark experience as the sun’s last orange glow begins to vanish. Most night game travels are around two hours and start between seven and nine o’clock. Bringing a blanket and thermos to remain warm has previously been mentioned because, even in equatorial Africa, the temperature can drop quickly in the evening. Bring bug repellent if you can, as these minuscule invaders are active at night.
What is there to be seen
You might notice an increase in the variety and quantity of bird cries as well as the sounds of the surrounding wildlife stirring as the last of the daylight fades.
Numerous creatures that awaken with the moon are different from those you’ll observe on a game drive during the day. Or, they might act in a quite different way. The lions and leopards observed sleeping during the sweltering daytime hours come to life during the cold night time hours. The noises of a big cat, a hippo, or the close scurrying of some unidentified creature can remind you to move gently as you have entered their night time zone, giving a night game drive a feeling of tingling anticipation as you are bundled up with your blanket and thermos.
You might see rhinos and elephants gliding stealthily and eerily under the moonlight since your guide knows the finest places to discover the animals during these late-night hours.
In addition to the larger nocturnal species, there is also a world of smaller wildlife that awakens between twilight and dawn. Little bush babies might be running around, and strange animals like aardvarks, honey badgers, porcupines, chameleons, tiny elephant shrews, and civets and genets small, cat-like mammals might also be visible.
You might choose to go on day and night safaris at Taita Hills Wildlife Conservancy if you are staying at one of Kenya’s beach resorts. The salt licks in this area are great places to watch wildlife at night, and the adjoining drinking holes are softly lighted to improve your viewing.
A small number of private conservancies that are close to the Masa Mara National Reserve provide fantastic chances for night wildlife drives as well. If you’re visiting the national reserve to see the animals during the day, we can prolong your safari into the evening by taking you on a night game drive in the Olare Motorogi, Mara North, Mara Naboisho, Mara Siana, or Mara Triangle Conservancies.
Where to Go for Night game drives?
Since night game drives in kenya are generally not permitted in national parks after dark, you’ll need to do some research in advance to find out where night safaris are available. But we can support! In numerous exclusive reserves across the nation, Africa Kenya Safaris will design a night safari just for you.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a multipurpose private park not far from Nairobi that is home to all of Africa’s “Big Five” as well as the African wild dog and sanctuaries for rhinos and chimpanzees. Because it allows for peeks into its numerous lion and leopard prides, The Conservancy is a great place for night game drives in kenya because it has the highest concentration of predators, including many lions, cheetahs, and leopards. Moreover, there are endangered African wild dogs, foxes, caracals, and jackals. It is also the refuge and home to two female northern white rhinos named Najin and Fatu, the last two of their kind still alive.
Mara North Conservancy
This highly protected area, which borders Kenya’s most diverse range of wildlife at the Masai Mara Reserve, invites you on a personal and exclusive safari. You are certain to view all five of Africa’s Big Five, including lions and leopards, as you would in its neighbouring national park. The Mara North Conservancy, however, rigorously regulates the number of visitors and cars that are allowed to cross its plains and hills, so the experience is different here.
Mara Naboisho Conservancy
You’ve undoubtedly arrived at the Mara Naboisho Conservancy if you combine a region with the highest concentration of big cats in the world with an exclusive, uncrowded tourism experience. A cooperation between 500 Maasai landowners and their tourist partners created this 53,000 acre protected area that borders the renowned Masai Mara National Reserve.
Over 100 of the majestic cats call the conservancy home; the largest pride has over 20 unique cats. Lucky visitors will get to see one of the highest lion densities in the world. You may expect to see herds of elephants, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, and the uncommon wild dog in these unpopulated savannahs. For the more discriminating safari visitor, look for rarer species like aardvarks, caracals, serval cats, and aardwolves.
Lewa Conservancy
The rhino population in Kenya had been steadily devastated by poachers, making the situation critical. In 1980, there were only 500 of these magnificent animals left, down from a peak of 20,000 just 20 years before. There had to be action taken.
Fortunately, a cattle ranch in central Kenya was transformed into a sanctuary in 1983 so that these black rhinos could be protected and given the care they needed to survive once more. After a few years, the project continued to grow and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was established as a result of its success. One of the greatest conservation areas in Africa today, Lewa’s 61,000 acres preserve not only rhinos and elephants but also other endangered species.
Mara Triangle conservancy
For safari-goers, the Mara Triangle offers three incredible benefits.
It is enormous, taking nearly a full third of the Masai Mara region.
It is the entry and exit path for the Great Migration, ensuring sightings of hundreds of animals.
It is situated on the edge of the Serengeti grasslands.
Due to the difficult road access, the area sees disproportionately few tourists.
All of this results in one of the best safari experiences in Kenya, if not the entire Masai Mara. The Mara River, where the migration crossing occurs, and the magnificent Oloololo Escarpment, a towering 400 metres (1,312 feet) high natural feature, comprise the 510 square kilometres (126,000 square miles) Triangle. Visitors will travel through a breath taking landscape with red oat grasslands, volcanic hills, and riverine woods in between these limits.
