Kenya Safari in December: Why It's Peak Season for a Different Reason
December is one of the best times to visit Kenya! While the Northern Hemisphere is drowning in Christmas chaos, Kenya in December offers something completely different: manageable pricing, clear skies, excellent wildlife viewing, and the unforgettable experience of Christmas in the African bush.
Here's why December might just be your best safari decision.
Lions hunting on Ol Pejeta
1. Escape The Festive Season Chaos.
If the thought of Christmas shopping, crowded airports, office parties, and family chaos makes you want to disappear, December in Kenya offers the antidote.
While people in the Northern Hemisphere are wrapped up in holiday stress, you're waking up in the Kenyan bush, listening to lions. No shopping mall crowds. No office parties. No family politics. Just peace and glorious, wild quiet.
The irony is that spending December on safari means you actually get to enjoy the festive season instead of being overwhelmed by it. You have time to think, rest, and be present — which is what the holidays are supposed to be about anyway.
Our guests spend Christmas Day, sitting under the stars in the bush, where the concept of "festive chaos" feels like it belongs to another world.
2. Early December Shoulder Season Pricing (Before the Rush)
December has two distinct personalities.
Early December (1st–20th): Shoulder season pricing and fewer tourists. You get the tail end of the November short rains, which means lush, green landscapes, combined with increasingly clear skies.
Late December (20th–31st): Peak season kicks in as school holidays begin and Kenyan families start celebrating. Prices rise, crowds increase, and the conservancy becomes busier.
If you can book early December (especially the first two weeks), you'll enjoy:
Mid-season pricing (typically 20–30% cheaper than peak June–August)
Dramatically fewer tourists on the conservancy
Clear skies becoming more predictable
Green, beautiful landscapes
Excellent wildlife viewing (animals concentrate around water as rains decrease)
This makes early December one of the year's genuinely best value periods — better weather than shoulder season, better prices than peak season, fewer crowds than any peak month.
Pro tip: If you can visit December 1st–15th, you've found the real sweet spot.
3. Wildlife Visibility Shifts from Wet to Dry
As the November short rains taper off in December, wildlife patterns shift. This transition creates exceptional game viewing opportunities.
Standing water from the rains is gradually disappearing, which concentrates animals at remaining water sources. Good guides know these locations intimately. Lions, leopards, and plains game become increasingly predictable to find.
At the same time, the landscape is still lush and green — giving wilderness areas, and certainly Ol Pejeta, a completely different aesthetic than peak dry season. Animals have excellent cover and forage, so they're healthy and visible.
This combination — abundant water in specific places + lush landscape + clear skies — creates ideal conditions for safari. You get the visibility advantage of dry season with the visual beauty of green season.
Weather is generally stable. While the Novembers short rains technically extend into early December, serious rainfall becomes increasingly unlikely as the month progresses. From December 15th onwards, you can expect mostly clear skies and warm, pleasant days.
4. Spend Christmas on Safari (No Cooking, No Cleaning, No Stress)
Imagine a Christmas where you don't cook, clean, or manage family logistics. Just wake up, listen to the bush, and let the day unfold.
At Ol Pejeta Safari Cottages, Christmas takes on a completely different character.
Morning: You wake to the sounds of the conservancy. Coffee and tea arrive at your cottage. If you want an early game drive, you're watching lions in the golden hour. If you want to rest, nobody's rushing you.
Daytime: Game drives, bush walks, or complete relaxation — your choice. You're in the Kenyan bush while Christmas shopping is happening elsewhere.
Evening: Sonja (our chef) creates an exceptional Christmas spread. Real food, proper celebration, no stress. Your "boxing day walk" is surrounded by elephants, giraffes, and zebras instead of urban streets.
The reality: Christmas on safari is intimate, meaningful, and genuine. You're not performing holiday traditions — you're creating new ones. Many guests report that spending Christmas this way fundamentally changes how they experience the season.
You have time with the people you came with. You have peace. You have extraordinary wildlife. That's actually what the holidays should be.
5. December Is Peak Season for Birdwatchers
If you're a birder, December is your time to shine. The Palearctic winter has begun. Thousands of migratory species from Eurasia and North Africa are arriving in Kenya, supplementing the resident bird populations.
Ol Pejeta's 400+ bird species are joined by migrant species including:
European bee-eaters
Abdim's storks
Steppe eagles
Various warblers and flycatchers
Crested cranes
December is when serious birdwatchers come specifically because the species diversity is at its peak. Even non-birders notice the difference — the bush feels alive with bird activity. At The Safari Cottages your private guide can tailor your game drives around birding if that interests you. Or you can simply enjoy the abundance of birdlife that makes every drive more engaging.
December Weather in Kenya
December weather is generally good and increasingly predictable.
Temperature: Warm days (22–26°C / 72–79°F), cool mornings (10–15°C / 50–59°F). Pack layers for early mornings, but you'll be comfortable all day.
Rainfall: Early December might see occasional showers (leftovers from November rains). Mid-December onwards, rain becomes unlikely but you can experience sporadic afternoon showers.
Sunshine: Clear to mostly clear skies. The landscape is lit beautifully. Photography conditions are excellent.
Humidity: Lower than November but not as dry as peak season. Comfortable for game driving and walking safaris.
This is ideal weather for safari. Not too hot. Not too cold. Clear enough for sightings. Lush enough for landscape beauty.
BOOK YOUR DECEMBER SAFARI TO KENYA
There’s something truly magical about Ol Pejeta in December; the rush of the festive season feels a million miles away and we revel in the peace and quiet of bush. If you’re looking for an escape from the Christmas chaos, you’ve found it!
December Safari Itinerary: What a Typical Day Looks Like
Early Morning (5:30–6:00 AM) Optional wake-up call. Tea/coffee at your cottage. Early game drive or sleep-in, depending on your preference.
Mid-Morning (9:30 AM) Return for breakfast or stay out and enjoy a picnic breakfast in the bush and game drive until midday.
Midday (12:00–3:00 PM) Lunch and rest time. The conservancy is quiet and hot. Read, rest or take a stroll around the property - explore our gardens or look for birds and wildlife along the riverline.
Late Afternoon (4:00–5:00 PM) A snack and an afternoon game drive.
Evening (6:00–8:00 PM) Sundowners (drinks out in the bush from a viewpoint) and a night drive on the way back.
Night (8:00 PM onwards) Return home to a camp fire and dinner under the stars, Retire when you choose. Let the sounds of the bush lull you to sleep.
This rhythm is completely flexible. Some days you might game drive twice. Other days you might rest completely. All bookings at The Safari Cottages come with a private vehicle and guide so you can run your day on your own terms.
When to Book December
Early December (1st–20th): Best value + excellent conditions. Book atleast six months out — these dates fill up as people plan Christmas getaways and take advantage of low season pricing.
Late December (20th–31st): Peak season pricing but fun, festive atmosphere. Book atleast eight months in advance if you want school holiday dates and you’re really set on where you want to go.
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