About Angama Mara
Situated in the western part of Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, the luxury Angama Mara opened in 2015.
It is set in a commanding position on the rim of the Siria-Oloololo Escarpment, looking down onto the Mara Triangle. The lodge comprises two identical, self-contained camps, each with 15 tented suites, its own central area, and independent services.
Angama Mara is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious lodges in the Maasai Mara. A stay here is going to be very comfortable and with links to 'Out of Africa' it particularly suits honeymooners and those with a strong romantic streak. We really love its elevated location, excellent guiding, and easy access to the Mara Triangle, which offers a slightly quieter wildlife experience within the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Our view
Angama Mara is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious lodges in the Maasai Mara. A stay here is going to be very comfortable and with links to 'Out of Africa' it particularly suits honeymooners and those with a strong romantic streak. We really love its elevated location, excellent guiding, and easy access to the Mara Triangle, which offers a slightly quieter wildlife experience within the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Accommodation
30 tented suites
Children
Best for 12+
Open
All year
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Hot air ballooning
Private activities
Traveller reviews of Angama Mara
2 real, un-edited reviews from Expert Africa's travellers.
Arrived 9 Feb 2023, 4 nights
"Angama Mara review"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 24 Jan 2023, 4 nights
"A simply gorgeous lodge and the undoubted highlight of our holiday."
Overall rating: Excellent




















Expert Africa's gallery
When we travel we take lots of photos ourselves to give you a real and un-edited view of the safaris. See our 21 pictures and 1 videos of Angama Mara to get the candid view.
View galleryAngama Mara: Our full report
Situated in the western part of Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, the luxury Angama Mara opened in 2015.
It is set in a commanding position on the rim of the Siria-Oloololo Escarpment, looking down onto the Mara Triangle. The lodge comprises two identical, self-contained camps, each with 15 tented suites, its own central area, and independent services.
Angama Mara takes its name from the Swahili angama, meaning 'suspended in the air', and it is truly in a superlative position. The site was formerly occupied by Olkurruk Mara Lodge, which was built for the crew and stars of Sydney Pollack's 1985 blockbuster movie, Out of Africa. The original lodge sadly burned down, but it has allowed the brand new Angama Mara to make use of the outstanding location.
Angama Mara was built by Steve and Nicky Fitzgerald, who continue to own and help run the lodge. Over the past 30 years, they have created and worked at some of the best safari lodges in sub-Saharan Africa, and this new venture has clearly been influenced by some of their other projects – including Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater Lodge , which was built in 1995.
The 30 tented suites at Angama Mara, each covering an area of more than 100m2, are split evenly between the 'South Camp', which faces south-east, and the 'North Camp', which looks directly east over the Maasai Mara. The Suites in the South Camp arguably have slightly better panoramic views, although a steeper drop off in North Camp can make this feel quite dramatic.
Although three walls and the roof of the suites are canvas, they feel more like modern, open-plan apartments than safari tents. All are glass-fronted, with superb views over the Mara from every part of the room – the bed, the bath, the sitting area or the shower. However, although you can choose to sleep with the sliding doors open, admitting fresh air and some sounds of the wild, some guests might feel quite removed from the surrounding wildlife. Each suite does, though, have a large, decked veranda with two modern red rocking chairs – a great place to while away the afternoon or indulge in a private dinner.
Inside, each suite is art deco in style: with polished dark wooden parquet flooring; high, well-lit, pink ceilings; and walls made from a combination of white quilted screens and exposed brick. Tasteful flashes of red, gold and bronze add to the sophisticated appearance. Red is the signature colour of Angama Mara and there are nods to this throughout the lodge, from the cushions and soft furnishings to the staff uniforms. We liked the clever touches such as the attractive drinks; a writing desk that has an ingenious charging box with a variety of plug adaptors; and stylish furniture which made the rooms feel modern and high-class. All guests are provided with Nikon binoculars for use during their stay, however you need to request these from a member of staff as they are not kept in the rooms due to risk of theft.
All of the tented suites contain double or twin beds, and four of them (two in each camp) are interconnecting, with a shared balcony, making them suitable for families. The beds have electric blankets, which are surprisingly welcome at night, when it can be pretty chilly this high on the escarpment.
Since the suites are open plan, the bathroom is separated from the lounge only by a comparatively small decorative screen. We felt that you would need to be fairly comfortable with the person sharing the room as there is not much in the way of privacy here. There is a free-standing bath, a vanity mirror with double basins and gold taps, a separate flush toilet and an excellent rain shower. A selection of Afro-chic toiletries is also supplied.
Each camp has its own main area, housed within one large building with a terrace, and this, together with the division of the suites, combines to make the lodge as a whole feel smaller than it really is.
The restaurant and bar area looks very professional, not dissimilar to a top-end restaurant in a major city. Polished red floors, rustic wood-beamed ceilings, exposed brick walls and yet more flashes of bronze and red continue the contemporary theme. To one side is a cosy library, where a log fire is lit on colder nights and guests may choose to have a private dinner at the large dining table. There is also a TV here, with a selection of DVDs should you want to watch a film in the evening.
However, by far the most striking feature of Angama Mara is the splendid terrace and 'baraza' (meaning 'meeting place'), which overhangs the Siria-Oloololo Escarpment and gives arguably the best views of the Mara to be found. Breakfast, lunch and often dinner are served on this terrace, and the sunken firepit with comfortable red cushions is an excellent place to meet for a drink before dinner. There is also a telescope here so that guests can look for wildlife in the Mara Triangle. This came into its own on our last visit, when we watched a black rhino browsing while we enjoyed our morning coffee!
The activities at Angama Mara are varied and flexible. Most guests will want to make use of the lodge's fully open vehicles and go on game drives in the Mara Triangle section of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, accompanied by a top safari guide. This large district is visited by very few other lodges and camps, and remains comparatively quiet compared to other areas of the Mara, but gives excellent wildlife-viewing from a network of well-maintained earth roads. Parts of the Mara Triangle are also open to off-road driving. As well as game drives, you can do guided walks on the escarpment.
If you just want to chill, you'll find a decent-sized solar heated infinity pool (12m x 6m) with suntrap walling around three sides, as well as a fitness suite, and the option of massages on your own veranda (at extra cost).
There is an excellent photography studio onsite, with a couple of photographers in residence. Guests are welcome to visit the studio where the team can help you to edit your photos and teach you a few photography skills. They also have Canon and Nikon camera bodies and lenses available to hire at extra cost, or alternatively you can arrange to hire a photographer for the day for a special photo shoot.
On our last visit we were also really impressed with the Map Room, which housed a large number of ancient maps of Africa from days gone by. There are also several fascinating maps depicting the geographic range of different bird, plant and mammal species, in addition to a collection of old animal skulls and fossils. This space is dominated by a large wooden table, and this can also be as a private dining area for groups. A naturalist is based at Angama and they would be happy to chat through the local flora and fauna, and they can also offer guided nature walks along the escarpment.
There is a well-stocked curio shop on site, and local ladies visit Angama on a daily basis to create a range of beaded products, from belts and jewelry to bags, as well as bespoke commissioned pieces. Guests are welcome to join the ladies for an hour or two and they can teach you how to bead your own jewelry.
A visit to the local village, costing US$35 per person, can be a rewarding – and very immersive – experience. Guests will meet the village chief, who will give a talk, and you will be welcomed with a dance – but be prepared to be sold some souvenirs at the end! Any purchases can be paid for by card at the end of your stay.
If you are feeling particularly active there is also the option to run with a Kenyan, and join the local staff running team for a morning run along the escarpment. A high level of fitness is recommended, as they can easily run up to 20km each day.
Roughly twice a week the Angama team arrange a communal sundowner experience for all guests at their onsite boma, with a dance performance by local Maasai, many of whom work at the lodge. This is accompanied by hot snacks and their signature cocktail of the day.
Angama Mara has also built a huge vegetable garden, which provides seasonal, fresh produce to the lodge. Tours of this impressive shamba (meaning 'farm' in Swahili) are also very popular, and it is also a lovely spot for lunch.
The team behind Angama Mara is doing a great amount for the local communities too. Each guest makes a US$10 per night donation, which is invested in community and conservation projects in the Mara Triangle. So far they have built a village for the staff that includes a clinic and dispensary, while they have also built classrooms at a nearby school and dormitories so that teachers could stay there.
Guides from the lodge are also educating children about the benefits of conservation as well as working very closely with the Mara Conservancy, which manages the Mara Triangle, assisting them with anti-poaching. This is particularly important in this unfenced area, which has such a high population of elephant and rhino.
Geographics
- Location
- Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
- Ideal length of stay
- 3 to 4 nights, to explore the Mara ecosystem.
- Directions
- The nearest airstrip is Kichwa Tembo, which is about a 45 minute flight from Nairobi and then a half hour drive from Angama Mara. There are plans to build a new airstrip next to Angama, however this is not yet operational.
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board & Activities
- Food quality
- The food at Angama is a real highlight of your visit, and we have been blown away by the quality of the food each time we have stayed. Seasonal, fresh produce is a signature of Angama, and most of it is grown a few hundred metres from the restaurant in their very own shamba. All meals are served à la carte at private tables.
For breakfast we had a fruit smoothie, followed by homemade granola and yoghurt, which was rounded off by creamy scrambled eggs, a tomato and lettuce salad, banana muffin and fresh passion fruit and ginger juice.
Lunch consisted of a Greek salad, followed by a platter of hummus, seasonal vegetables, grilled chicken, fried aubergine, olives and gherkins. Lunch is always served with their lemonade of the day, when we stayed this was ginger and lime lemonade - it was incredibly refreshing.
Our three-course dinner was perhaps the best meal of the day. We started with arancini served with a rich tomato sauce, followed by a juicy barbecued steak and a chocolate pot for dessert. All of which were delicious!
Every few days Angama also has ain the bush, a small clearing they have set up for this purpose which is dotted with tables and trees hung with storm lanterns. - Dining style
- Individual Tables
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Further dining info, including room service
- On request
- Drinks included
- All drinks are included in the rates except for French Champagne.
Special interests
- Honeymoons
- Angama Mara offers a private honeymoon experience in a fantastic setting, with great food and extremely comfortable accommodation.
- See ideas for Honeymoons in Kenya
- Luxury
- This ravishing new safari camp is the perfect base for a carefree luxury safari. The huge, glass-fronted tented rooms offer some of the region’s most striking views; the modern and stylish décor includes polished parquet floors and each room comes with a WiFi-enabled iPad.
- See ideas for Luxury in Kenya
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Children are welcome over the age of 6.
- Property’s age restrictions
- 6+
- Special activities & services
- Children may go on nature walks around the lodge, learn how to bake in the kitchen and how to bead in the studio. Special sundowners can also be organised for children with roasted marshmallows. A childminding service is available so that parents can have dinner later than their children.
- Generally recommended for children
- This is a camp with a sophisticated style, generally more suited to older children and teens.
- Notes
- Angama Mara is set on a very steep cliff edge and so children should be watched closely at all times.
Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Angama Mara
Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Angama Mara have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

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Communications
- Power supply notes
- There is 24 hour power and guests can charge in their rooms using any number of adaptors which are provided.
- Communications
- Free WiFi is available throughout the lodge.
- TV & radio
- There is a TV in the library room.
- Water supply
- Other
- Water supply notes
- Drinking water is purified and bottled on site.
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Medical care
- There are first aid kits in the main areas and in each safari vehicle. The managers are First-aid trained and there is a clinic nearby in the staff village.
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Security measures
- Askaris (gurads) are on hand to walk guests between the rooms and the main areas at night.
- Fire safety
- There are fire extinguishers in each room.
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Hot air ballooning
Private activities
Extras
- Disabled access
- On Request
- Laundry facilities
- A full laundry service is included and, from our experience, incredibly efficient!
- Money
- There is a safe in each room.
- Accepted payment on location
- Cash in all major currencies can be used to settle any extras. Mastercard, Visa and Amex credit cards are also accepted – there is no surcharge.
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Angama Mara's location
Look closer at the environment and surroundings of Angama Mara.
Excursions from Angama Mara
Optional extra day-trips and excursions possible whilst you're staying at Angama Mara. Talk to us: these are usually best arranged before you go.

Balloon flight over the Mara
3 hours in total - morning only
With the sun rising over the Loita Hills, you scramble into the balloon basket for the start of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’re about to go drifting with the breeze above the trees and plains of one of the world’s greatest wildlife regions.
More about Balloon SafariOther lodges in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Alternative places to stay in this same area.

Little Governors'
Little Governors’ Camp sits by a swamp (an old oxbow of the Mara River) in the Mara Triangle sector of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. It has its own balloon-launching site.

Rekero
Rekero is an unpretentious, high-end safari camp, for travellers who take their wildlife watching seriously and are prepared to pay for an exceptional location.

Tangulia Mara
Tangulia Mara is a rustic and traditional safari camp on the border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve owned by Jackson Looseyia of Big Cat Diary fame.

Governors' Camp
Governors' Camp is a large tented camp on the Mara River and one of the oldest in the Mara region, dating from 1972. Although unfenced, and regularly visited by elephants, the whole compound is always busy with human activity.

Serian Nkorombo
Serian Nkorombo is a luxury bush camp in the Musiara sector of the Maasai Mara National Reserve on the east side of the Mara River.

Sand River Camp
Luxury colonial-style tented camp on the banks of the Sand River close to the Tanzania border – a great spot to see the wildebeest migration.

Sala's Camp
Sala’s Camp is a comfortable and intimate tented camp, with seven tented rooms, located on the banks of the Sand River, in the far south of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Governors' Il Moran
The smallest and most expensive of the three camps in the Governors’ group, Governors’ Il Moran Camp hugs a meander of the Mara River just 1km north of the main Governors’ Camp.

Mara Expedition Camp
Mara Expedition Camp is a small luxury camp located in a slightly elevated area of bush and woodland, just outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Basecamp Maasai Mara
Basecamp Maasai Mara is a family-friendly, award-winning eco-camp on a U-bend on the north bank of the Talek River, on the boundary of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Ilkeliani Camp
Ilkeliani Camp is a smart elegant camp overlooking the Talek River, on the edge of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Ngenche Safari Camp
Mara Ngenche is a non-hosted, luxury tented camp with an antique style, which is perfect if you're looking for private dining while staying somewhere small and personal.

Tipilikwani Camp
Tipilikwani Mara Camp is a larger, mid-range tented camp offering good value from its base on the Talek River just outside the Mara National Reserve.

Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Mara Serena Safari Lodge is a large safari hotel with views of the Mara River, in the Mara Triangle sector of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.


Mara Explorer Camp
Mara Explorer is a smart tented camp is in a scenic location on a bend in the Talek River.

Governors' Private Camp
Located on a secluded bend of the Mara River, Governor’s Private Camp has just eight tents and is booked on an exclusive basis.

Entim Camp
Entim Camp is well located in the heart of the Mara National Reserve, offering traditionally styled tented accommodation.

Naibor Camp
Naibor has a great location in the Mara reserve, and offers accommodation to suit different budgets, with stylish high-end tents and some simpler ones too.

Ishara
Ishara is a highly luxurious safari camp in the Maasai Mara, located on the Talek River, which is one of the best areas in Kenya for wildlife.
When to go to Maasai Mara National Reserve
Our month by month guide: What it's like to visit Angama Mara in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Kenya in January
Clear, hot days and warm nights make this high season a popular time for safaris and it’s also good for diving and snorkelling as water clarity is excellent and gets better as the dry season progresses. Most lodges and tented camps treat January after the New Year week is over, as mid-season, making it a good compromise in terms of value for money with reasonably reliable, dry weather and some greenery left in the landscape.
Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in January, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and it's fair to say that the weather and seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable.
- On average, January is the second driest month of the year
- Elephants dig waterholes in the dry riverbed in the Samburu reserve.
- Wildebeest and many antelope have their calving season, to February.
- Migrant birds are seen in huge numbers, especially in the Rift Valley.
- Sea water clarity around the coral reefs generally good.
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in January
Kenya in February
With the short dry season well established, the grass grazed down and wildlife gathering close to water points, this is still a good time for a safari. Good water clarity in the Indian Ocean's coastal waters makes for excellent diving and snorkelling conditions.
Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in February, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and it's fair to say that the weather and seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable.
- On average, February is the driest month of the year.
- It’s sometimes possible to swim with whale sharks at Diani Beach.
- Migrant birds are still seen everywhere, especially near water.
- This is usually peak calving season for wildebeest and many antelopes.
- This month is often the hottest of the year, especially on the coast.
Our view
A very good time to visit
Weather in February
Kenya in March
Hot, increasingly humid weather – with good diving and snorkelling conditions at the start of the month – gives way to rains and lower accommodation costs. Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in March, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and predicting the seasons since the beginning of this century has been difficult.
March is the month when – traditionally – intensely hot conditions build up until a cloudburst finally happens at the end of the month or in early April, to relieve the humidity. As ever, regional variations across the country can greatly impact on visitors' experiences.
- Sea-water clarity is best for diving before the long rains start.
- Visitor numbers are low, though the Easter holidays can be busier.
- Night skies can be scintillatingly clear in early March.
- Cropped down savannah grasses can make it easier to see the wildlife.
- Temperartures climb high, especially at lower elevations.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in March
Kenya in April
April sees the full onset of the southeast monsoon wind or kusi, which heralds the long rains. Temperatures drop soon after the rains are established and you’ll often have facilities largely to yourself in this more affordable low season, sometimes known as the "green season". The bush quickly springs to life, with greenery sprouting almost before your eyes. While you're likely to get a fair number of heavy showers, the breaks in the rain can yield sparklingly clear conditions.
With the dust settled and bright sun piercing the clouds, conditions can be sublime for photography, especially first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon with another storm brewing. You may be lucky, or you may find conditions very wet and muddy.
- A wet month, the coast often gets more than 300mm (12in) of rain.
- Sunny spells can provide great light for photography.
- Buffalo and zebra calving season often happens in this month.
- Baby crocodiles hatch, for example on Central Island in Lake Turkana.
- Palearctic migrant birds gather to fly north to breeding grounds.
Our view
A time to avoid if possible
Weather in April
Kenya in May
While game viewing can be trickier as vegetation runs riot, between the cloudbursts the colours and light are great for photography at this time of year. Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in May, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and while it's reasonable to expect heavy rains in many parts during this month, especially on the coast, the rains don't always come evenly or in some areas come at all.
In an El Niño year, the so-called long rains that normally are established across much of the country by May can be meagre, to the despair of farmers. On the other hand in a La Niña year, the long rains can bring floods. On the coast, the monsoon winds make the climate much more predictable, with heavy rains common throughout this month.
- Frogs breed in the ponds in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest near Watamu.
- Wildebeest, impala and other grazers are in rut (the breeding season).
- Kilimanjaro looks its best as heavy rain falls as snow on the summit.
- There's a sharp peek of rainfall on the coast with many rainy days.
- Accommodation prices are uniformly low, while some camps close.
Our view
A time to avoid if possible
Weather in May
Kenya in June
The rains give way to cloudy, cooler weather, often making for comfortable conditions by the end of the month, especially in the highlands. Starting from mid-June or the beginning of July and running until the end of October, this is the high season, and accordingly has higher accommodation rates and – at least until early September – higher numbers of visitors.
While the early part of June can often be rainy on the coast, it can be a great time to go on safari, with fresh greenery, many young animals and good photographic conditions with clear air.
- The Taru Desert, inland from the coast, is carpeted with flowers.
- The Lake Turkana Cultural Festival is held in Loiyangalani.
- Madaraka Day (commemorating self rule) is 1 June.
- The annual Lewa marathon runs a course through the wildlife.
- The Diani Rules "sports" event rips up the rulebook at Diani Beach.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in June
Kenya in July
Kenya’s “winter" season sets in (winter is a misnomer but locals feel the change), and the highlands can be rather grey. Skies are often cloudy and the days can be surprisingly cool, with an average daytime high in many highland safari areas of 15-20°C and night-time temperatures dropping below 10°C in Nairobi and the highlands. Lower parts of the country and the coast are usually warm and dry, typically reaching highs of around 25°C with lows in the high teens.
As this is the start of the high season, coinciding with the usual arrival of the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara, July is a busy month. Ask your Expert Africa specialist to advise on how to avoid the crowds, which is not that difficult to do.
- The wildebeest migration usually reaches the Maasai Mara in July.
- Simbi Lake (Kisumu) and Crater Lake (Naivasha) can attract flamingoes.
- Watersports start to pick up and some surfing is possible at Malindi.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are a common feature in the Maasai Mara.
- The sea can be choppy along the coast, making diving difficult.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in July
Kenya in August
The Great Migration fills the plains of the Maasai Mara, and school’s out, so the park roads are full of tourists – ask your Expert Africa specialist for advice on crowd avoidance tactics. Choose a private conservancy rather than a public national park or national reserve for quieter conditions.
Like July, August is generally mild and relatively dry in the safari areas, but it can be very chilly in the highlands, even in the middle of the day, and hail occasionally falls above altitudes of around 2,400m (8,000ft). Nairobi can be disappointingly overcast, with low cloud.
- Apart from Christmas holidays, this is the busiest month of the year.
- Late August sees peak wildebeest drama at the Mara River crossings.
- Coastal winds are good for kite- and wind-surfing.
- Few mosquitoes are around at this generally dry time of year.
- The annual Camel Derby takes place in the Samburu capital, Maralal.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in August
Kenya in September
The skies clearing of cloud signals the start of hot, dry weather with little chance of rain – and, after the first few days of the month, far fewer visitors – making the latter part of September a good time for a quieter safari. While early September is often good for dramatic migration crossings along the Mara River, you might consider deliberately postponing your trip until later in the month, when the migration can still be very impressive and visitor numbers fewer.
If tourist surges are somewhat predictable, however, the patterns of the wildebeest migration are more volatile, and like all of Expert Africa's climate and weather assessments, they are based on accumulated years of experience rather than guaranteed certainty.
- This is still high season, with prices to match.
- Many river crossings take place on the Mara river in both directions.
- Natural bush fires flush out insects and small animals for predators.
- The Rift Valley Music Festival takes place by Lake Naivasha.
- With school holidays over by early September, late-month is quieter.
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in September
Kenya in October
Still hot, mostly dry and not too busy, this is many people’s preferred month for a safari, and it’s also good for diving and snorkelling. The wildebeest and zebra herds of the great migration are often still to be seen, though in dwindling numbers. The swamps of Amboseli attract thirsty wildlife including large herds of elephants.
While we wouldn't expect much rain across most of the country this month, the climate has become so unpredictable that you can never say never, and the possibiity of the short rains – usually associated with November to mid-December, starting early, can't be discounted.
- This month sees the tail end of the great migration in the Mara.
- Palearctic migrant birds start to arrive, staying until March.
- Turtle nests hatch at Watamu, until November.
- Amboseli elephants focus on the swamps for their daily water.
- The Indian Ocean monsoon winds turn from southeast to northeast.
Our view
A very good time to visit
Weather in October
Kenya in November
The northeast monsoon wind or kaskazi heralds the start of the “short rains", usually some time in the second half of the month. From November to mid-December, this is the low season, and accordingly has lower accommodation rates and lower visitor numbers. Across most of the country you can expect warm, somewhat cloudy weather, with occasional heavy showers and localised flooding.
Expert Africa bases its description of the climate in November, like the other months of the year, on the records of roughly the last 100 years, and it's fair to say that the seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable: some years the short rains don't come at all, or don't reach every part of the country. In an El Niño year, the November short rains can be very heavy, but in a La Niña year, they can fail completely.
- Swimming with dolphins in Lamu can be done from now until April.
- Birders gather at Ngulia in Tsavo West to ring Palearctic migrants.
- The Lamu Cultural Festival takes over the town and Lamu Creek.
- Agricultural shows often take place regional market towns.
- This is low season, so camps can be great value, with special offers.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in November
Kenya in December
In a typical December, the rains usually finish by middle of the month, leaving the landscape looking its best, under clear blue skies, and heralding the start of the second peak tourist season from around 20 December to the first week of January. Our assessment of the likely weather in December, like the other months of the year, is based on climate records, and it's fair to say that the seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable.
Christmas can sometimes be wet, but most years the rains have finished a week or two earlier, with the festive season ushering in the perfect combination of clear skies and sunshine by day and starry nights.
- Christmas and New Year are busy, with the lodges and camps full.
- Rates are highest after 24 Dec, with supplements on public holidays.
- Republic Day and Independence day are celebrated on 12 December.
- Good kite- and wind-surfing restarts, with strong northeasterly winds.
- Mango season begins, providing excitement for primates and elephants.
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in December

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