In the Footsteps of our Ancestors

Humankind and its ancestors have been walking the landscapes of East Africa for millions of years, and the remains of protohumans, humanoids, upright primates, and the earliest humans have been found at many locations up and down the Rift Valley and further south in South Africa. It might be seen as a wild hypothesis, but maybe the vulcanicity of the Rift Valley led us to evolve in any case.  

Whatever the reasons behind these massively dangerous species’ origins, the wilderness and mountains of East Africa still hold an irresistible, magnetic draw for many of us, and foster an intense urge to explore, cut loose from normal life, to just walk and walk.  

Modern East Africa offers a wide variety of wonderful walking, hiking and trekking, with some of Earth’s highest accessible mountains to scale, glaciated peaks close to the equator, remote forest clad mountain ranges rising from the semi-desert, and vast savannah grasslands.  

We can arrange walking safaris supported by camels in Laikipia and the Northern Frontier District of Kenya, or donkeys in the Loita Hills between the Masai Mara and the Rift Valley, long distance walks across Ngorongoro Crater Highlands and Olduvai Gorge region, walking safaris along the entire length of the Serengeti, and shorter walks in the Masai Mara and the Chyulu Hills, and in Tarangire, Ruaha, Ugalla River, Katavi, and Nyerere National Parks in Tanzania. High altitude treks range from two days on Mount Meru, three to six days on Mount Kenya, to more than a week on Mount Kilimanjaro, and Uganda’s Rwenzoris mountains, Ptolemy’s fabled Mountains of the Moon.   

Walking Safari at Chem Chem Tanzania

With our ‘little black book of contacts’ we can orchestrate walks and treks with some of Africa’s finest and most experienced guides and expedition outfitters. Connecting with the wild on a personal level makes it so much more intense than sitting in a vehicle, and it’s a great way to refresh the soul and get some exercise.  

We asked the expert guides who operate walking safaris in Laikipia to share their passion and knowledge of what they do and love.

Kerry Glen- Owner of Karisia Walking Safaris

“Walking in East Africa is very varied with a mix of different scenery and wildlife every day. You can come back to East Africa 30 times and each time walk into a new area and ecosystem. You can choose a gentle walk or something more demanding. The best parts of Kenya for longer treks are Laikipia and Samburu where you can walk for days on end without crossing a fence and any roads you cross are small tracks. Longer walks are best accessed on foot with camels carrying the camp. The reason is that they can get into remote areas where a vehicle can’t reach them. Animals are varied and birdlife is rich.”    

James Christian- Karisia Walking safaris

“While obviously biased I would say our area is ideal for long walks since we can begin and end in utterly different habitats and topography, from low river beds to high kopjes. The wildlife can change dramatically as well over the course of a longer traverse of eastern Laikipia, from more plains game with more biomass to country with less grass, less game but different species encountered such as greater kudu. We have done several 100km walks in our area which have raised money for elephants and another that is coming up in March for rhinos. I definitely still love doing the mountain. It’s an epic adventure.” 

Camel assisted tours at Karisia Walking safaris, Kenya

The joys of much of this walking include space, very few if any other people, astonishing, seemingly endless views, wonderful birdlife and wildlife, and best of all the company of genuinely amazing local people.  

I have climbed Kilimanjaro twice, 21 years apart, and the second time via the Lemosho routes – one of the most exhilarating and fascinating things I’ve done in decades of African travel. The beauty of the mountain and the quality of the guides and porters was simply astonishing, and they made it an awesome experience.  

Visit our Kilimanjaro Climb page and read about my adventures in my blog – Atop Africa – Kilimanjaro.  I’d be delighted to chat with you about any of the incredible walks and hikes.  Simply leave a comment below or drop me an e-mail at francis@aadvarksafaris.com.   

Francis photographed on the Kilimanjaro summit

What next?

Get inspired and sign up to our free Insiders Guide to Africa. We would be delighted to help with planning your perfect safari holiday, whenever you want to travel.  Our team of experts has travelled widely throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean and can offer expert advice.  Do get in touch – chatting to people by phone or email is what we do best. We listen, we explain, we answer all sorts of questions even those you didn’t know to ask, and finally, we make suggestions. If this is your first time to Africa or your twenty first, we have a team standing by to help make the planning easy and the journey the best ever. Please get in touch whatever stage you’re at. 

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