The Wildebeest migration has attracted tourists despite the possible poll violence
The tourists to Kenya are shedding off the fears of potential violence during the elections in August, coming into the East African country with a chance to view the annual wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara. The tour operators and the hoteliers are also reporting full capacity in large part since the Kenya safari lovers hope to view hundreds of thousands of the wildebeests that run the gauntlet of the hungry crocodiles as they get to cross Mara River in search of the greener pastures on the Kenya Tanzania border.
The elections often fraught and tense in Kenya, are being held on August 8, but the chance of seeing the wildebeest in their magnificence has brought about concerns about the repetition of post-election violence in 2008 when over 1,200 people were killed including the tourists. The Kenya Tourism Board is saying that they have full capacity in terms of business from July to August. The bookings for this month were similar to last year and slightly up in August.
The country also needs to act firmly on security threats to bolster tourism and keep it all safe. The board also says that they haven’t seen any cancellations or any challenges. It’s also believed that any misunderstanding about the polls could be resolved in court and not in the streets.
The opposition leader Raila Odinga whose rejection of the outcomes of the 2007 elections started serious ethnic clashes and also challenged the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013 but also accepted the court’s decision to uphold the results. These two are facing off again this year and though they have been crisis-crossing the country in colorful and very healthy campaigns. The supporters of these two have remained so calm, with only isolated incidents of the unrest that is reported.
The Kenya Tourism Board which is an umbrella association of hoteliers, tour operators, and airlines has reported healthy bookings, inland, and these are carried out successfully. It’s also said the tourism sector is doing greater than last year.
Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is the main setting for many of the wildlife species with a good reason, here the visitors are guaranteed to enjoy a variety of wildlife since the park has over 4 million wildebeests, 200,000 zebras, 8500 giraffes, 10,000 elands, 1,500 lions, 72000 Topis, 32,000 grant gazelles, and over 500 bird species.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda after Kenya Safari
This annual migration is one of the most spectacular events in the whole world. It happens when over 4 million wildebeests and 200,000 zebras, as well as gazelles, migrate in a clockwise fashion for over 2,000 km every year in search of rain and grass. The activity attracts millions of tourists from all over the world to enjoy this life-changing activity. It is one of the must-do activities in East Africa after mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda, DR Congo, and Uganda.
Serengeti is located in the northern circuit, and it’s 7 7-hour drive outside Arusha and 2.5 hours from the Ngorongoro conservation area. There are many things to do in the Serengeti Plains and some of these include; nature walks, fantastic day game drives, night game drives at the Ikoma, and hot air balloon trips. The average stay in the park is 3-4 nights. You are guaranteed to view all the animals except the Rhinos. The magnificent Serengeti National Park is 14,763 sq km and is located 335 km from Arusha as it stretches north to Kenya and borders Lake Victoria to the west.
However note, that access to these parks (Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania requires a strong 4×4 vehicle due to the poor nature of the roads and tracks where the game drives take place. Some areas flood and are almost impassable without a strong 4×4 vehicle. Among the cars recommended include Land Cruisers, Land Rovers, Hilux, Nissan Patrol, and Nissan Safari among others.