Kenya is where most people's first African safari happens, and for good reason — the Masai Mara delivers some of the continent's most reliable wildlife viewing, and from July through September it's the stage for the Great Migration's dramatic river crossings. Nairobi itself is a genuine gateway city rather than just an airport stopover, with its own wildlife (a national park inside the city limits) and a fast-growing food and nightlife scene.
Beyond the Mara, Amboseli's elephant herds with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop, Lake Nakuru's flamingos, and the Indian Ocean coast around Diani and Watamu round out a country that genuinely works for a first-time safari trip or a repeat visit built around a different region each time.