The Seychelles is a year round destination. But if you must undertake a specific activity, then you need to pick most suitable season. Windsurfing and sailing are best at start and end of trade winds - May and October. Diving enthusiasts should go for dates between March and May or September to November, although conditions are excellent year round.

Those keen on birdlife should note that April marks beginning of breeding season. Bird Island, in particular is overrun by sea birds between May and September. Due to drier conditions, period May to September has best conditions for hiking and walking.

The other factor you may want to consider is cost. The Seychelles is considered to be a top-drawer destination. In general, peak falls between mid December-early January and mid July-end August when most Seychelles hotels and resorts trade in currency known as top-dollar. The off-season periods vary with each establishment much more widely than most other destinations.

The discount in designated off-season periods relative to peak season falls between 20-60%. Some of smaller premises however charge a uniform rate year round. If you have a flexible schedule, good planning can result in considerable savings.

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Students of history of British royal family will recall that it was at Treetops in 1952, where then Princess Elizabeth was staying on honeymoon when her father, King George VI, died. She descended from Treetops to assume backbreaking role of presiding over far-flung dominions and colonies of empire. If you stay at Treetops you are bound to meet with some of her fans.

Though not as famous as Mara, Samburu National Park is another wildlife haven. Here you will spot lions, elephants, cheetahs and elusive leopard. Some animals are unique to this northern park: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, kudu and gerenuk. You will find semiarid landscape quite dramatic. On your trip to Samburu, you may also want to take in nearby Shaba and Buffalo Springs game reserves. In addition, this is place to take a camel safari. Samburu is three hours from Nairobi by road.

Tsavo is so huge, all of 20,000 sq km, that it is administered as two units: Tsavo West and Tsavo East. This is park that is closest to Mombasa at coast. The park is three and a half hours away from Nairobi by road. You will find large herds of elephant, especially in Tsavo East. Tsavo West is filled with crocodiles, vervet monkeys, antelope, baboons, giraffes and hippos. It is in Tsavo that poachers were most successful in their bloody racket and this saw a dramatic fall in elephant population. The good guys have in recent years gained upper hand and numbers are recovering.

But Kenyan authorities are still extremely wary of future of elephant in Tsavo. The country is very active in seeking a permanent ban on international ivory trade. I wish at this point to declare to all that I am a great fan of African elephant. I believe this to be true king of jungle and not that overrated pretender, lion. You may recall from movie "The Man-eaters of Tsavo" how cowardly lions disrupted building of railway in Tsavo area by feeding on workforce. Would true royalty be involved in such a disgraceful affair?

Kenya is a year round safari destination. The rains come around April- May and November-December. This does not however, much affect travelers' ability to get around. This is except for heavily forested Aberdares. In wet season roads in Aberdares are extremely slippery and park is at times actually closed down. Generally best time to go on safari is over drier months when grass is short and sighting animals is so much easier. But in areas such as Mara, animals are so plentiful that you are going to see lots of them regardless of season. The peak tourist season falls around January to February and July to August. April to June is low season and prices for accommodation in lodges can be as much as 40% lower than in high season.

Accommodation on safari varies from basic camping to luxury lodges and tented camps. Out there in bush, you will be pleasantly surprised that all trimmings of 5 star accommodations are available. But if you want to rough it out, you will find campsites in almost all game reserves and national parks. Info on Kenya hotels, lodges & resorts accommodation options is available online.

It is generally recommended to take an escorted Kenya safari tour package that includes transport, park fees and accommodation. The reason for this is that tour guides are usually well versed about animals, where to find them and how to get there and have other such useful local knowledge. Have a look at some offers of various durations and budgets.

But if you have a lot of time and need more freedom as you get around, then hire a vehicle in either Nairobi or Mombasa. For Kenya car rental there is a choice between self-drive and chauffer driven vehicles. On safari, wear light cottons and linen. Warmer clothing is needed for evenings and for your early morning game drive. Some rainwear is advisable between March and June and October and December.

You should bring along a decent pair of sunglasses. The glare you experience in bright tropical light is a new and uncomfortable experience for most. It is also a good idea to carry a pair of binoculars. They are very useful for spotting animals and will earn you envy of your less knowledgeable traveling companions.

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