Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

01 August 2026

5-minute read

Kenya is a premier East African destination, world-renowned for its authentic, top-tier safari experiences and stunning Indian Ocean beaches. Offering diverse landscapes from the Great Rift Valley to Mount Kenya, it features rich culture, warm, year-round weather, and is best visited for wildlife during dry seasons.

South Africans generally need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Kenya, with a valid passport, a return ticket and accommodation details as supporting documents when applying for one.

In Kenya’s Tana Delta and Lamu archipelago, one Kenyan woman is winning global acclaim for her distinguished work in conservation. Raabia Hawa, founder of the Ulinzi Foundation based in Kenya, is a former journalist and a current influential conservationist. She is involved in protecting 300 elephants that roam through her forest, lions and marine life in Kenya’s Tana Delta and Lamu archipelago and is in the frontline battle against poachers and illegal trawlers.

In Mombasa, Raabia is celebrated among the world’s leading conservationists. She has narrated her relentless battle to save local fishers and marine life from illegal fishing, trawlers and mining prospectors destroying a rich, biodiverse ecosystem.  She has exposed destructive trawling, secured arrests of illegal vessels, and championed community‑led marine protection, empowering communities, equipping rangers, and building a safer future for all.

For a first-time visitor hoping to experience Kenya’s wildlife, the dry landscapes showcase riverine systems that visitors can enjoy. Raabia recommends the Mehru National Park, the only reserve with a swimming pool within the campsite and home to the gravesite of Elsa the lioness, star of Born Free, a movie about a lion who was reintroduced into the wild. Adjoining it is the Quora National Reserve where John Adamson’s lion rewilding project was based. At Shompole Wilderness, ideal for wildlife photographers, there is a “really great hide by the waterhole” to take some incredible pictures of the biodiversity.

The famous Maasai Mara, although pricier than the others, is an open-plain ecosystem where all the Big 5 can easily be seen. It is about 5 or 6 hours from Nairobi can also be accessed via a commercial bush flight. Amboseli, Tsavo, and some of the lesser-known parks offer a more “unique experience” with a different terrain and landscape. While it is more difficult to spot the wildlife hiding in the Acacia woodlands in these parks, there are animals here that one would not usually see in the Maasai Mara, like the gerenuk, an antelope with a long neck and tiny face that lives in parks further North like Samburu. Community conservancies are listed on the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association website.

Because Kenya sits on the equator, it does not experience 4 seasons but rather undergoes a wet season and a dry season. The best time of year to visit Kenya’s wildlife areas is in the dry season from December to February or between June and July when animals move towards the water holes and are easier to sight. Wildlife in Kenya are not fenced it but roam around freely, allowing for more active management.

Choosing an ethical tour operator in Kenya is tricky with some controversial lodges within the Maasai Mara falling directly on the wildlife crossing sites, but Raabia suggests doing some research and asking your tour operator to book you into an eco-friendly place that is “not linked to any environmental controversy and does not harm wildlife in any way.” She adds that recently, halal safaris are being explored in some of the parks.

Kenya’s coast also has remarkable, protected areas within marine parks and conservancies, but beach tourism does come at a cost.  Mombasa is the most well-known with much historical culture and boasts the famous Diani beach with its incredibly white sands, while amazing reef sightings can be found along the Northern coastline. Lamu, Malindi and Kilifi are islands that are ideal for snorkelling. Visitors can take a glass-bottomed boat to view the marine life without getting into the water, while those who do want to swim alongside the fish can get into the ocean. Raabia says that certain experiences like feeding bread to the fish or pulling starfish out of the water to take a selfie should be avoided as they cause harm to marine life.

For Muslim travellers, halal food can easily be found at both the national parks and the coastal resorts in Kenya. Some brands like Farmer’s Choice are misconstrued to be halal, but Raabia says travellers should check with www.halalsafaris.africa.

Visitors can make simple choices on safari, at the beach and when buying souvenirs to reduce their environmental impact and help protect Kenya’s biodiversity. Raabia advises tourists not to buy wooden products that contribute to deforestation or shiny shells that used to house a sea creature belonging in the ocean, but to rather choose beaded products or soapstone that is more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Despite an onslaught of threats, harassment and intimidation, coming close to being imprisoned, Raabia continues to inspire. Her work has reduced dolphin and turtle deaths, improved ranger welfare, and brought global attention to Kenya’s biodiversity. For local communities, she is a trusted defender of their lifeline — the ocean. Raabia Hawa concludes with a message to tourists to make lasting memories and leave only footprints behind, saying Karibu Sana, and wishing them a wonderful holiday in Kenya.

Listen to the full discussion with Ml Ibrahim Daya, Ml Muhammad Kara and Raabia Hawa here.