Most people who venture to Kenya come to see the game. Kenya has a wide selection of game parks and countless animals therein. If you want to get up close and personal with a lion or an elephant then a photo safari is for you. Kenya has four main game reserves that you should consider visiting.

Maasai Mara Game Reserve is the northern extension of the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania. The Mara is the most visited game reserve in Kenya and rightfully so. There is the largest concentration of animals there and they are the most acclimated to dealing with vehicles containing people with cameras poking their heads out of roof hatches. You can get almost frighteningly close to a cheetah and her cubs and with a good lens you can snap a photo of the nose hairs of the king of beasts. It is also home to the huge number of migrating herds, like the Wildebeest, and the big cats that prey on them. If you want to see the Wildebeest migration the best time to go is late July through August.

Amboseli Game Reserve features the exciting backdrop ofMt. Kilimanjaro . The game is plentiful there but the main attraction is sure to be the picturesque views. For those of you who are up to the adventure, and the altitude, there are many climbing companies that will lead you up, and hopefully back down, the mountain.

Shaba National Reserve is up in the more northern part of Kenya and offers a much different landscape compared to that of the plush Savannah of the Mara. Game viewing is not entirely easy but one has a greater sense of accomplishment when one actually spots something. There are also several species that are only found in the north and that makes it well worth the trip. It is, however, a much hotter and drier area so be prepared to hide in the mid afternoon hours. Like any sensible animal would (two legged variety included).

Tsavo National Park is out towards the coast of Kenya. At 8,034 square miles, Tsavo is the home of some of the largest herds of African elephant. Another site of interest is the Mzima Springs oasis where you can view lots of crocodiles and hippos laying about in the water just waiting for a careless gazelle. Or tourist. Although hippos look like big, fat, useless pigs they are in fact very fast and even more dangerous. Never get between a hippo and the water he is heading for. This is also the site of the story to the popular movie Ghosts and The Darkness, although not where they shot it.