Things to Do in Kenya in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
May Weather in Kenya
Is May Right for You?
Advantages
- Long rains are tapering off by May, meaning you'll catch Kenya in that sweet spot between wet season and dry season - landscapes are still lush and green, waterholes are full, and wildlife is concentrated around remaining water sources. The Masai Mara looks absolutely spectacular with fresh grass carpeting the plains.
- Significantly fewer tourists than the peak July-October safari season. You'll have game drives largely to yourself, better availability at lodges, and guides who actually have time to share their knowledge rather than rushing between packed vehicles. Accommodation prices drop 20-30% compared to high season rates.
- May is calving season aftermath in the Mara ecosystem - you'll see thousands of young wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle, which means predator action is excellent. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards are actively hunting, and the prey animals haven't yet started their northward migration, so concentrations remain high.
- Birdwatching hits its peak as Palearctic migrants are still present before heading north, overlapping with resident species. You'll easily spot 200+ species in a week, and the vegetation is still green enough to provide dramatic backdrops without obscuring sightlines like in April.
Considerations
- You'll likely encounter afternoon showers on about 10 days during your trip, typically lasting 30-45 minutes between 2pm-5pm. Some secondary roads in conservancies can become muddy and occasionally impassable for a few hours after heavy rain, though main park roads remain accessible. Game drives might get cut short or delayed.
- Coastal humidity sits around 70% with occasional rain, making beach days less predictable than the dry months of January-March or July-October. Diani and Watamu can feel sticky and uncomfortable midday, and you'll want to time beach activities for early morning before 11am or late afternoon after 4pm.
- This is technically shoulder season, so some smaller camps and lodges in remote areas like Samburu or northern conservancies may be closed for maintenance. You'll have fewer accommodation options overall, and some seasonal tented camps won't open until June when high season begins.
Best Activities in May
Masai Mara Game Drives
May is genuinely underrated for the Mara. The grass is still short enough for excellent visibility but lush enough to look beautiful in photos, and you'll see concentrated wildlife around rivers and remaining waterholes. Predator sightings are consistently strong because young animals provide easy targets. You'll have the reserve largely to yourself - where you'd see 15 vehicles around a leopard in August, you might be the only one in May. Morning drives from 6:30am-10am offer the best light and animal activity before afternoon clouds roll in.
Nairobi Cultural Experiences
May's variable weather makes Nairobi's museums, galleries, and cultural centers particularly appealing. The Nairobi National Museum rarely gets crowded during shoulder season, and you can easily spend 3-4 hours exploring Kenyan history and contemporary art without the school group chaos of June-August. The Karen Blixen Museum and Giraffe Centre work well as morning activities before potential afternoon showers. Bomas of Kenya cultural performances run daily at 2:30pm and provide excellent indoor entertainment if rain disrupts outdoor plans.
Amboseli Elephant Viewing
Amboseli in May offers something special - Kilimanjaro is more likely to be visible in early morning before clouds build up around 10am, giving you those iconic elephant-with-mountain-backdrop shots. The swamps remain full from April rains, concentrating huge elephant herds in predictable locations. You'll see 60-80 elephants at a time around Enkongo Narok Swamp. The park gets maybe 30% of its high season visitor numbers, so you can position your vehicle exactly where you want without jockeying for space.
Diani Beach Water Sports
The Indian Ocean stays warm at 26-28°C (79-82°F) year-round, and May offers decent diving and snorkeling conditions despite being technically low season. Visibility averages 12-18 m (40-60 ft), which is adequate for reef exploration and spotting turtles, reef sharks, and dolphins. Kitesurfing gets consistent winds in May, particularly afternoon thermals of 15-20 knots. The trade-off is occasional rain and higher humidity, but you're getting wet anyway. Book morning water activities before 1pm to avoid afternoon weather disruptions.
Lake Nakuru Flamingo Viewing
May is actually ideal for Lake Nakuru because water levels stabilize after the rains, creating perfect conditions for algae blooms that attract massive flamingo flocks - you'll see hundreds of thousands creating that famous pink shoreline. The park also offers excellent rhino sightings, both black and white, and the Makalia Falls area is flowing beautifully this time of year. Leopards are frequently spotted in the fever tree forests. The 4-5 hour drive from Nairobi makes this a comfortable day trip, and you'll encounter minimal tourist traffic.
Samburu Reserve Wildlife Tracking
If you want to escape tourists entirely, Samburu in May is extraordinary. This northern reserve receives maybe 10% of Masai Mara's visitors and offers unique species you won't see elsewhere - Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, and Somali ostrich. The Ewaso Nyiro River becomes the focal point as surrounding areas dry out, creating incredible wildlife concentrations. Elephant herds come to drink predictably around 3pm-5pm daily. The landscape has that dramatic semi-arid beauty, and afternoon clouds actually improve photography by softening harsh light.
May Events & Festivals
Madaraka Day
Kenya's self-governance commemoration on June 1st means late May sees increased domestic travel as Kenyans prepare for the long weekend. You'll notice Nairobi emptying out around May 29-31 as residents head to coast and upcountry destinations. This actually works in your favor for city activities but means booking coastal accommodations becomes trickier. The official celebrations happen in a rotating host city each year with military parades and cultural performances.