Night Safaris, Join an Amazing Evening Game Drive in the Masai Mara & Beyond!Do you think that all the fun on a wildlife tour happens during the day? Not really. You might not know that the fields and woods change every night.

As the sun goes down, the grassland and bush change into a different kind of world. The air gets cooler, the big cats come out to play, and new species come out from where they hide during the day.

Up to 70% of the animals in the African wilds become active at night, roaming, hunting, and eating until the first light of dawn.

It’s time for the night adventure. The heat of the day has gone away, and in its place are soft breezes, bright stars, and the moon’s cool shadows on the land. While riding in your safari guide’s 4×4 Jeep, you can move slowly through the grassland or the bush until you see the glowing eyes of a lion, leopard, or other animal that hunts at night.

As you snuggle up with your blanket and thermos on a night game drive, the sounds of a big cat, a hippo, or an unknown animal moving nearby can make you feel excited. Just be careful not to make noise because you have entered their world at night.

Safaris in Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park at night to see animals in the Finch Hattons luxury tent camp.
Your night adventure can follow on from your game drives during the day. It can also happen after a nice dinner or a sundowner, which is a classic cocktail for the evening in the field. As the last of the sun’s orange light fades, you get ready for a different kind of nightlife.

A lot of night game drives start between 7 and 9 pm and last for two hours.

As we already said, bring a blanket and a thermos to stay warm. Even in tropical Africa, the temperature can drop quickly in the evening. Don’t forget to bring bug spray, because these little bugs are active at night as well. Don’t forget your camera either. A night game drive is a good time to take pictures, and we’ll show you how.

You can also get ready by learning about the animals you might see. This way, you’ll know where to look for them and how to tell them apart. Bright eyes that shine back at you are a clear sign of wildlife, but also keep an eye out for shadows that move nearby.

What kinds of wildlife you might see at night

When the last bit of sun goes out, you might hear more and different kinds of bird calls and the sounds of animals moving around.

A lot of the animals that wake up with the moon are different from the ones you’ll see during the day. They may also act in very different ways. You might see lions or leopards sleeping during the hot days, but at night, when it’s cool, they come to life.

These are the busiest times for big cats, and it’s exciting to see a pride of lions going forward in a line on a nighttime hunt.

When the park is closed, your guide knows the best places to see wildlife. You might see rhinos and elephants moving slowly and strangely in the moonlight.

Along with the bigger animals that come out at night, there is a whole world of smaller animals that come to life from dusk until dawn. Some of the strangest animals you might see are aardvarks, honey badgers, porcupines, chameleons, tiny elephant shrews, civets, and genets, which are small creatures that look like cats.

Where Can I Go on Safari at Night?

You’ll need to plan ahead to find out where you can go on a night safari, since most national parks don’t let people go on game drives at night. We can help, though! Safari Trips to Kenya can plan a night safari for you in a number of private areas across the country.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a private park not far from Nairobi that can be used for many things. It is home to all of Africa’s “Big Five” animals, as well as the African wild dog and rhino and chimpanzee preserves. The Conservancy is a great place for night game drives because you can see lions and leopards in their groups.

When you stay at a resort on Kenya’s coast, you might want to take tours at Taita Hills Wildlife Conservancy, both during the day and at night. The salt licks here are great places to see wildlife at night, and the nearby watering holes are softly lit to make your watching even better.

Around the Masa Mara National Reserve, there are a few private conservancies that are also great places to go on night drives to see animals. Visit the national reserve during the day to see animals. We can continue your safari into the evening by taking you on a night game drive in the Mara North, Mara Naboisho, Mara Siana, Mara Triangle, or Olare Motorogi Conservancies.

Advice on how to take pictures at night

Safaris in Kenya and Africa offer a night game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve.
It can be hard to take pictures at night in the savannah and the bush, but it’s not impossible now that we have sensitive digital cameras and computer image software.

While you were on your night adventure, the only light you could see was from the moon and stars. The animals aren’t used to bright lights, which can make them scared and run away. Your guide will probably use a flashlight with a red filter to see the animals. This filter makes the light softer and doesn’t hurt the animals. When you’re taking pictures of wildlife at night, you should never use a flash.

So what can you do to make sure you get a good picture of that cat flying above or that nearby grunting hippos?

There are settings on your camera that will help it gather light:

As much as possible, set your camera’s sensitivity to 1600 or more.
Widest aperture the lens will let you use, which is usually between 4.0 and 2.8.
Set the shutter speed to 1/40 of a second.
Don’t forget to turn off the flash.
Lastly, you can use a photo editing program on your computer to make the picture stand out more and get rid of any red eyes.
If you follow these tips, you should be able to take pictures of your nighttime game drive that will last a lifetime and show that you were there to witness the mystery, drama, and incredible fight for survival that takes place in these dark fields and ends only when dawn comes.

Our wildlife parks and preserves

You can look through our full list of wildlife conservancies in Kenya that offer exciting tours and night game drives. Safaris during the day are a great way to see Africa’s amazing wildlife, but going out at night brings a whole new set of nighttime wonders.

Under the African night sky, Kenya’s conservancies offer a one-of-a-kind chance to see animals that are hard to spot, like the elusive leopard and the aardvark. Come with us as we discover the magic of night safaris in Kenya’s wildlife reserves, when the wild really comes to life at dusk.