Christmas in Kenya looks very different from a snowy holiday card. Families gather around the grill, churches are full on Christmas morning, and Nairobi empties as people head home or to the coast. For travellers, it can also be a wonderful time to go on safari or spend a few days by the Indian Ocean. Here is how to plan it, and how Day Safaris Adventures can help.
How Kenya celebrates Christmas
Christmas is a family day. Many people attend a church service on Christmas morning, often in new clothes, and the meal is usually nyama choma: grilled goat, beef or lamb served with ugali, chapati, rice or pilau and sukuma wiki. On the coast, kitchens lean towards coconut dishes, biryani, pilau and fresh seafood. Boxing Day, 26 December, is a public holiday for visiting friends and relatives. If you want to greet people properly, say Heri ya Krismasi (Merry Christmas in Swahili).
Christmas on safari
December is the start of Kenya's peak tourist season, so the parks are busier and lodges fill early. Early December can still bring rain, and the weather usually settles as the month goes on, but conditions change from year to year, so ask us for the latest picture when you book. A safari over Christmas works well for families because the days are warm, the landscape is often green, and game drives give everyone something to talk about at dinner.
Popular choices for the festive break include Amboseli, with its herds of elephants and Mount Kilimanjaro behind them, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha for a short trip from Nairobi, and the Maasai Mara for a longer stay. The Mara is busy over the holidays and its rules for visitor numbers and new lodges are changing, so book early and confirm the details with us.
Christmas at the coast
Many Kenyans spend the holidays at the beach, so Diani, Mombasa and Watamu are lively between Christmas and New Year. Expect warm sea, long beaches and plenty of people. A few days of swimming, boat trips and seafood after a safari is hard to beat, and you can even see camels resting on the sand at Diani.
Tips for a smooth festive trip
- Book early. Flights, lodges and beach hotels sell out between Christmas and New Year.
- Allow for traffic. Roads out of Nairobi are crowded just before Christmas and on the way back.
- Pack for both weather types. Bring a light rain jacket as well as sun protection.
- Bring cash and a charged phone. Some small shops and beach stalls prefer M-Pesa or cash.
- Ask about group rates. Families and teams can often save by travelling together.
Celebrate with Day Safaris Adventures
Day Safaris Adventures is a Nairobi-based travel company. We plan safaris, beach holidays, team-building trips, hotel stays, airport transfers and flights, and we write every quote around your dates and budget. This festive season, two offers are open:
- December Escape: 10% discount. Book your December trip with a 10% discount on selected travel while the offer lasts. Ask us which packages it covers.
- Festive Season Diani Team Building Package: KES 14,999 per person. It includes one night's accommodation, a return transport ticket, transfers and full board meals. Rates may change, so confirm before you pay.
Ready to plan your Christmas escape? Tell us your dates, who is travelling and your budget, and we will send a free, no-obligation quote. Message us on WhatsApp, see our safari packages or contact the team.
From all of us at Day Safaris Adventures: Heri ya Krismasi, and a happy New Year.
Photo credits: Diani Beach sunrise by Lukasz Ciesielski (CC BY-SA 3.0); Amboseli and Kilimanjaro by Ninaras (CC BY 4.0); giraffe in the Maasai Mara by Bett Duncan (CC BY-SA 4.0); camels at Diani Beach by Ichumar (CC BY 4.0). All via Wikimedia Commons.
