You may be planning to visit Kenya and you may be wondering if It is possible to travel to Kenya during the rainy season and still have fun. You may be wondering if Visiting Kenya in the rainy season is a good idea or whether you should wait until the rain has let up.
Kenya has two seasons – the rainy season and the dry season. The Rainy season runs between November and July with a break of a short dry period in January and February. The long dry period runs from June to October. Although the dry season is the best time to view wildlife in Kenya, you will still have great opportunities to view and photograph wildlife and have an enjoyable safari
if you visit in the rainy season. In this article, I will break this down in more detail and give you some useful tips for enjoying your Kenyan Safari in the rainy season.
Seasons In Kenya
Below is a summary of the rainfall fluctuations around the year in Kenya. As you can see from the data below, April and November are the wettest months in Kenya and February and August are the dryest.
The short dry season – January-March
These months are characterized by warm weather with a daily average range of 26-27 degrees. Since the period comes after the short rains, some lush vegetation is present.
This period is ideal for bird viewing with flocks having migrated from Europe to escape the harsh winter weather.
The Long rainy season – April- Mid June
At this time in the year, most of the country is in a downpour with average daily average temperatures falling to between 23-24°C. At this time, some roads may be rendered impassible depending on the area and its infrastructure. However, the vegetation at this time is at its greenest with a lot of lush nature.
The advantage of traveling during this season is that travel costs are quite low since fewer people visit Kenya at this time. We will discuss this period in greater depth later on.
The Long dry season – Mid June-October
This time offers mild weather with little to no rain but cold weather, with temperatures ranging between 22-26 degrees Celcius. As the season progresses, the vegetation becomes lower and water catchment areas start drying up, hence more and more animals are easily spotted.
Around early July in the Masai Mara, large herds of Zebras can be seen moving into the reserve to eat the coarse grass. This is succeeded by the annual wildebeest migration to the Serengeti between July and September.
The short rainy season – October -December
These months are characterized by light showers which helps bring restore the lush vegetation; there’s also a rise in average daily temperatures to up to 24 degrees.
This time also receives a few visitors due to the ongoing rains but is an amazing time to watch the elephants moving back to the reserve after leaving during the dry season. Bird viewing at this point is also a plausible venture as you see some birds having migrated from Europe to overwinter in the warm weather.
What to do while on safari during the rainy season
Perhaps you’re wondering what you can actually do to have the most memorable experiences while on tour during the rainy season. I have listed a number of activities that you can take part in during the rainy season regardless of whether it is long or short period.
Visit Parks
The rainy season is not always a continuous torrent, thus you can still get in some good driving hours through the park.
The most advantageous thing about traveling during such times is how intimate you can get with nature and the parks since there are fewer visitors at that time of the year especially between April and mid-June. To your advantage as well as the reduced cost of traveling. actually tour around this time.
It is also the breeding season for most animals hence you would be lucky enough to come across the newlets. It, however, is a bit tricky to immediately spot the animals since they easily find food from their habitats hence they don’t move too far.
I would advise you though, to consult with your travel agent as they would be in a better position to tell you whether it is advisable to visit some of the parks during such times as some parks actually close.
Visit Festivals and Carnivals
The country has a number of festivals and cultural shows which you can watch and participate in during this time of year.
The Lake Turkana Cultural Festival
Every year towards the end of the rainy season but still a bit humid, the locals around the biggest alkaline lake gather for a festival at Loiyangalani meaning “place of many trees” which aims at celebrating the rich cultures of the locals from sub-tribes of the El Molo, Samburu, Gabbra and Turkana who all live together.
The festival runs for 3 days with an aim of fostering peace among each other while promoting the diversity of the communities
Mombasa Carnival
This carnival is a street party held in the beginning of the short rains in November and runs for the entire month. The carnival is a time of unifying the racially diverse communities at the old town which is home to Asians, Arabs, Persians, and locals.
The event comprises of floats, costumes, food and dance by multicultural communities. Traditional and modern artists join the locals in the celebrations. Foods from all over the county are displayed from mahamri (sweet baked cakes) to madafu (coconut water) as locals take to song and dance. The local match towards Fort Jesus before all getting into the beach.
It is a month-long event that takes place during November, at the inset of the short rains.
Lamu Festival
This festival is one of the most celebrated festivals held in Kenya. Each year thousands and thousands of people- locals and tourists visit the island town in order to get a glimpse of the amazing and rich culture the Lamu locals possess.
The week-long event is filled with events such as Bao competitions as well as swahili stories and poetry shows.
Both locals and tourists also t5ake out dhows and compete along the island’s beautiful coastline.
Visit Cultural and Historical Heritages
We boast of rich history from pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial milestones with some heritages having been set aside by the UNESCO to be of strong cultural importance. Visiting some of these places would be a great way to showcase how far the country has moved and acted as an insight to projections of the future. Heritages to visit include:
Gedi Ruins
Gedi was a town situated to the north of Mombasa city from the 15th century. It is believed to have been destroyed around 1530AD leading to the ruins. The ruins are the remains of the king’s palace and mosque. The community is believed to have been secure with a wall surrounding the area within which the town lay. Social stratification saw the elite living in the inner circles of the town with the poorer leaving near the wall. The reason for its destruction is attributed to a number of factors, all of which are only probable causes. What remains are the beautiful ruins of the old town, particularly the palace and the mosque.
Fort Jesus
This is yet another world heritage site, built by the Portuguese in mid-1500 to protect themselves from the fights they were constantly under with the Oman of Zanzibar. The fort, built in the shape of a man, served as a military and security base since the Portuguese could see anyone approaching via sea from the fort. The fort was taken over and recovered up to 9 times within a span of 2 centuries by the Portuguese, Oman and Britain.
Today, the fort is the most visited site with a Conservation Lab and Old Town Conservation Office housed at the fort.
Visit the Museum
This, I must admit is a place I can visit time and again. While around Nairobi, you could visit the National Museum which hosts both the National Museum and Snake Park. The museum is home to artifacts, drawings, curvature and stone carvings which are symbolic to a number of things: from the evolution of man to the variety of animals Kenya boasts of as well as the journey Kenya has gone through ever since the Pre-colonial through to the [post-colonial period.
The Karen Blixen Museum, on the other hand serves as a memoir of Karen Blixen one of the white settlers. The museum is of value as it was the venue for which the movie “Out of Africa” was shot from. It includes pieces of furniture that Karen had acquired.
The museum which sits on more than 2000 acres of land is also open for hire for events and corporate functions as well.
Visit the Giraffe Manor
The manor is an exclusive hotel at one of the suburbs of Nairobi, Langata sitting on 12 acres of land. The hotel’s architecture takes you back some 90 years ago with a 1930’s appeal to it and even has one of its 12 rooms named after Karen Blixen.
The most interesting part of this hotel is how your interactions and those of giraffes that feed nearby are meshed. The giraffes will occasionally poke their long necks and perhaps even have some breakfast or dinner with you. The hotel offers affordable accommodation all year long.
Participate in indoor games
With a growing demand for games within fixed roofed spaces businesses all across the country are brainstorming and coming up with even more interesting arenas by day, of particular interest to note is that most of these activities are within Nairobi.
Panari Ice Skating
This is an ice skating ring in the heart of Nairobi with an area of 15000sq feet , large enough to accommodate 200 skaters at a time. The Skating Rink is situated at Panari Sky Centre Hotel along Mombasa road and is a great place to tests your limits and set even new ones.
Le’ Mac Skywalk
This is a 2-meter long walk across Le’Mac Tower in Westlands, Nairobi which is made of glass and is suspended 102 meters above the ground level on the 24th floor. This skywalk will push your buttons and limits literally, as well as offer an beautiful view of Nairobi and its environs
The building is a multiplex of both offices occupying the first 6 floors from the ground and luxurious living spaces from the 7th to the 22nd floor. The building speaks of affluence with a heated swimming pool, gym, spa, lounges and a rooftop restaurant hidden beneath the beautiful dome overlooking expanses of the city and adjacent countryside
View the Le’Mac Towers in all its splendor
Rock Climbing
Climb Blue sky is an indoor rock climbing and bouldering gym. The gym is situated at Parklands just 10minustes drive from the city Centre at the Old Tower Diamond Plaza and is open all week. Mon -Friday it’s open from 4 pm to 9 Pm with an exception of Thursdays closing at 11 pm. Saturdays it’s open at 12 pm to 9 pm and on Sunday from 2 pm to 7 pm.
The arena is safe and they have professionals willing to help at every stage of the way.
What you need to carry during the rainy Season in Kenya
I would like to pint out that Kenya can get chilly especially at night and you will need to come prepared with clothes suitable for that kind of weather. A quick pointer on what to bring with you would be:
- Warm jacket or fleece Safari Hat
- Light waterproof jacket
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Sunglasses
- socks
- Light shoes
- Sets of undergarments
- Cotton and cargo Pants
- Water bottle to keep hydrated
I have written a more complete packing guide for Kenya. Please read it to get more details.
Conclusion
With these activities lined up, it is clear that you can actually have fun while on a visit to Kenya even when it is raining. Just come prepared and you will have a memorable time on your trip to Kenya.
A Final Word
As you prepare for your trip to Africa, I would like to recommend a few products that would help make your life easier.
- Shoes: I recommend that you check the Keen Hiking shoes. I have written an extensive article on the best shoes for an African safari and this shoe checks all the boxes for things you should look for when choosing a shoe for Africa. (Check out the Keen Hiking Shoes on Amazon)
- Camera: If you are not big on photography, I would not advise you to buy a brand new camera for your African Adventure. Good cameras can be expensive and buying a camera you will not use is not a good use of your limited budget. I advise that you rent a camera instead and Lens Rentals have a great Safari Camera Kit perfect for someone traveling to Africa. If you are thinking of getting into photography, then you can invest in a new camera but before you do, check out my pick for the best Safari Camera for a Beginner like Me
- Information About Africa: I have created a YouTube channel that focuses on things about traveling to Africa that only Africans can tell you about. Check out the channel for insights about African culture and things you can do as a traveler to optimize your trip. You should also visit TripAdvisor forum posts (Here is the Kenya Forum) and ask questions about your particular situation. There are a lot of people who are happy to help you out.
- Choosing a Safari Company: I have written an extensive article on how to choose a safari Company. You can. Check it out before starting the process of searching for a safari company.
- Consulting Session: If you have any questions you would like to ask me about Kenya, I would invite you to contact me for a 30-minute consultation session where I will share my knowledge about East Africa and share experiences that will help you make your trip easier. Reach out to me on email – antonynjoro@gmail.com
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