Your Super Simple Safari Cheat Sheet (Sound Like a Pro on Your First Kenyan Adventure)

So, you’re coming to KENYA! 

Get ready for gorgeous landscapes, incredible wildlife, and an adventure that’ll stick with you long after you’ve kicked the safari dust off your boots. As a first-timer, everything is exciting and new, and that includes some of the language you'll hear bouncing around the 4x4.

But don’t worry! Safari-speak isn't complicated; in fact, it’s all part of the fun. Knowing a few key terms will not only make you feel a bit like a seasoned traveler, but will also help you get even more immersed in the magic of the bush.

A Short Guide to Safari Speak:

• Big Five: This is the classic list everyone hopes to spot! It refers to the Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhinoceros. Historically, these were the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot. Now, we hunt them with our cameras!

• Boma: Traditionally, this is a livestock enclosure, often circular and made of thorny branches, used to protect cattle from predators, especially by communities like the Maasai. You might hear it used to describe the enclosed area of a lodge or camp too.

• Bush (as in Bush Breakfast/Dinner): This simply means "out in the wilderness." A Bush Breakfast or Bush Dinner is an incredible experience where meals are set up for you in a scenic spot right out in nature, often under an acacia tree or overlooking a plain. Absolute magic. 

• Game Drive: This is the heart of your safari! It's an excursion by vehicle (usually an open-roof 4x4) into the wildlife parks or conservancies to view animals in their natural habitat. Your guide will do the driving and spotting.

• Great Migration: If you're heading to the Maasai Mara between roughly July and October, you're in for a treat! This refers to the epic annual journey of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles moving between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara in search of fresh grazing. It's one of nature's greatest spectacles. (Even now in May, the plains are getting ready for their arrival!)
• Safari: The word itself! It means "journey" in Swahili. And what a journey it will be!

Safari Pro Tip: Don't be shy to ask your guide if you hear a word you don't understand. They love sharing their knowledge.