Best Kenya Safari Guide Books
If you are wondering what to read and watch before a Kenya safari, we have a recommendation for the books and films that set it up right, getting you there before you even arrive for your safari holiday.
A good safari trip starts before your flight lands to whichever African safari destination you are planning on visiting. That said, the right travel book or film gives you context about the places you are about to visit. As usual it will explain the history behind a statue or hill you drive past, or reasons as to why the park or conservancy exists. Try choose a guide book that picture your areas of interest and safari wishes.
Best Books to Read on an African Safari
Check out our reading and viewing list for travelers planning a Kenya trip for the first time. It draws on real books, real films, and the real places tied to both, and flags a few titles worth reading critically rather than at face value.
Game Drives
Beginnings
Ancestral Passions, The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind’s Beginnings
Author: Virginia Morell
A biography of the Leakey family, documenting their discoveries and their vast contributions to the field of paleontology. The Leakeys have been instrumental in tracing human origins to East Africa.
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Stanley, The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer
Author: Tim Jeal
In this grand biography, drawing on previously unavailable family archives, Jeal spins a surprising, revisionist tale of a life of tragedy, adventure, disappointment and success.
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The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior
Author: Ole Saitoti
Bridging several worlds with tremendous grace, Saitoti looks back on his life among the Maasai, both as spokesperson for his tribe and as one of the first Maasai safari guides.
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West with the Night
Author: Beryl Markham
Markham evokes the landscapes, people and wildlife of East Africa in engrossing detail in this classic memoir of amazing adventures as a bush pilot in 1930s Kenya.
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Through the Dark Continent, Volume 1
Author: Henry M. Stanley
A reprint of the original accounts of Henry Morton Stanley in Africa.
Masai Mara Family Safari
Field Guide Books
Born Free (Elsa the lioness)
Author: Joy Adamson
Where George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa – Meru National Park
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Out of Africa (Book and Film)
Author: Karen Blixen
Karen Blixen Museum
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African Wildlife
Author: James Kavanaugh
A laminated foldout guide illustrating almost 150 species of African animals, designed for quick reference in the field.
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Birds of East Africa
Author: Terry Stevenson, John Fanshawe
Compact and comprehensive, this guide to 1,388 species of birds in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi features 286 excellent color plates, range maps and notes on habitats and conservation. A veteran tour leader, co-author Stevenson lives in Kenya.
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East African Wildlife, A Visitor’s Guide
Author: Philip Briggs
A compact guide to the birds and mammals, reptiles, insects and plants of East Africa, the Bradt field guide features a great selection of large color photographs, recommendations and detailed species profiles.
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Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals
Author: Jonathan Kingdon
A conveniently compact edition of Kingdon’s celebrated guide that includes information on distribution, ecology and conservation status, with 480 outstanding color illustrations and maps.
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The Safari Companion
Author: Richard Estes
An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa’s mammals by a noted scientist, this perennial bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, an overview of each animal group and in-depth information.
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Wildlife of East Africa
Author: Martin B. Withers
This take-along guide to 475 common species of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, trees and flowers of East Africa features full-color photographs with detailed descriptions on facing pages.
Safari History
Africa, a Biography of the Continent
Author: John Reader
With the ease of a practiced journalist, Reader weaves a masterful and lively tale of the continent, from ancient cultures to modern times. Both authoritative and informal, this is a splendid introduction to all of Africa.
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Big Five of Africa
Author: Gerald Hinde (Photographer)
Award-winning wildlife photographer Gerald Hinde’s stunning photographs celebrate Africa’s lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalos. Brief but informative text introduces each animal but the photographs (rightly) are the main focus.
Safari Maps
Kenya & Serengeti (Tanzania) Map
Author: Nelles
A detailed map (1:1,100,000) with inset maps of Lamu, Nairobi and Mombasa.
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New Map of Serengeti National Park
Author: Marco Editions
This detailed, full-color sketch map of the Serengeti ecosystem includes camps, lodges, watercourses, habitat and topography.
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Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Author: Marco Editions LLC
An attractive, colorful and informative sketch map of the area with notes on wildlife and conservation at a scale of 2:210,000.
Masai Mara Photo Safari
Safari Maps
North of South, An African Journey
Author: Shiva Naipaul
A sharp portrait of Africa, circa 1979. A brilliant and provocative observer, Naipaul meditates on the various peoples he encounters in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. The best, most insightful thing we’ve read about race relations in Africa.
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The Tree Where Man Was Born
Author: Peter Matthiessen
A classic portrait of East Africa, enthralling in its detail on nature and daily life. Includes Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro, the Kenyan highlands and Matthiessen’s field trips, safaris and adventures in the Serengeti.
Best Kenya Safari & Beach Tours
Browse our favorite Kenyan beach holiday packages or simply get in touch with one of our Africa safari experts to help custom-make a Kenyan beach holiday that matches your travel wishes. You can enjoy safaris in Kenya national parks on the mainland, then follow it up with a relaxed beach holiday at Malindi or Diani. Get to know the coastal Kenya, and what’s possible on your trip to these Indian Ocean beaches, discover some of the best-loved experiences and safari routes that we’ve found working particularly well with our travelers.
