giraffe feeding

The main draw here is simple: you can feed and touch giraffes at close range, then walk among zebras, warthogs and other animals in a small sanctuary near Diani. I like the easy hotel pickup and the chance to see animals that are hard to find on a short coastal holiday. I also like the multilingual guiding, especially if you want help understanding the animals and conservation work.

The drawback is value. $115 per person is a steep price for a three-hour outing, especially since the drive can take only about 15 to 20 minutes each way and the actual visit may finish earlier than planned. You are paying for convenience, a private transfer arrangement, park fees and a guide, not for a full safari.

Key points at a glance

• Giraffe feeding is the highlight: You get the closest and most hands-on animal encounter of the morning.
• A compact 31-acre sanctuary: Expect a guided walk rather than a long game drive through open bush.
• Several animals in one visit: Zebras, warthogs, ostriches, peacocks, tortoises, monitor lizards, wild boars and other animals are part of the route.
• Transfers save time: Pickup and return within the Diani Beach area are included.
• Multilingual support: Guides may provide tours in English, French, German, Polish, Spanish or Italian.
• Value needs careful thought: The experience is memorable, but the price is high for the short drive and limited duration.

A close-up animal visit near Diani Beach

Bora Bora Wildlife Sanctuary gives you something the larger parks often cannot: a direct, controlled encounter with animals in a small area. The giraffe feeding is the clear star. You can offer food, touch the giraffes and take photographs while the guide helps you understand what you are seeing.

That close contact makes this a good choice for families and first-time wildlife visitors. You do not spend hours scanning distant scrub with binoculars. You get a clear look at the animals, and the guide keeps the visit moving.

Still, this is not a classic Kenyan safari. The animals are kept in a sanctuary, and the grounds cover 31 acres. You will not be crossing a vast reserve in search of wild herds. If you want open-country wildlife and the chance of seeing predators, this outing will feel limited.

I would think of it as a short conservation visit and animal encounter, not as a substitute for a safari in Tsavo or another large national park.

The 10:00 pickup and short drive from Diani

Pickup is scheduled for 10:00 from your hotel or booked accommodation in the Diani Beach area. The drive to the sanctuary is usually about 20 minutes, though some accommodation can be closer. One recorded journey from a resort near Diani took about 15 minutes.

That short transfer is useful. You do not lose a full morning to a long road trip, and you should return around 1:00. The outing fits neatly between breakfast and an afternoon at the beach.

Transport quality may vary. One vehicle was described as low, with limited ability to sit upright or see clearly from the windows. The fans were also reported not to work, and there was no air conditioning on that return journey. I would ask about the vehicle when booking, especially during a hot part of the year.

The transfer is included in the price, along with park fees, government taxes and the guide. That makes the booking easy, but convenience does not automatically make it good value. If you are comfortable arranging your own tuk-tuk and visiting independently, you may find the package expensive.

Checking in at the 31-acre sanctuary

After arrival, you check in at the park and receive a short introduction to the sanctuary. The guide explains its history and the purpose of the conservation work before leading you along the walking route.

The setting is compact enough to cover on foot in about two hours. That is a strength if you want a relaxed morning without a long, tiring walk. It also means the visit is structured around seeing particular animals rather than finding them by chance.

You should keep your expectations clear. The sanctuary offers close viewing and feeding opportunities, but it is not a wild setting. Some animals may be in enclosures or managed spaces. That can make the experience easier and more predictable, though it may feel less authentic to anyone who has already been on safari.

The conservation message adds useful context. The guide points out the animals and explains why protected spaces matter. Ask questions as you go. Several guides have been praised for being friendly and helpful, and a guide may translate into your chosen language or explain points you did not understand.

Walking among giraffes, zebras and warthogs

The main walk takes about two hours. The exact order can vary, but the route includes several animals that are especially appealing at close range.

Giraffes are the highlight. You can feed them, touch them and photograph them. The feeding moment is short, but it gives you a memorable sense of their size and calm nature. For many people, this is the reason to book the outing.

Zebras are another strong point. You may be able to feed them or stand near them, though the confirmed feeding opportunities are not always the same for every animal advertised. One account specifically described feeding ostriches and giraffes, while noting that not every listed animal was fed.

Warthogs add a bit of character. They are less graceful than giraffes, but their unusual faces and quick movements make them fun to watch. You may also see wild boars and monitor lizards during the walk.

A hinged-back tortoise is included among the animals you may encounter. This is a quieter part of the visit, but it gives the guide a chance to discuss smaller creatures that are easy to miss on a conventional game drive.

Ostriches, peacocks and the smaller residents

The sanctuary also provides a chance to see Maasai ostriches and peacocks. The ostriches are especially interesting because they are large, fast birds with a very different presence from the mammals around them.

Cape buffaloes and Nile crocodiles are also listed among the animals you may see. The information provided does not promise a close feeding encounter with them, so treat these as viewing opportunities rather than guaranteed hands-on stops.

Bird lovers may enjoy the peacocks and ostriches, though this is not presented as a specialist birding tour. The main focus remains the animals you can see easily on foot and, above all, the giraffe encounter.

Because the area is small, the experience is less about searching and more about observation. You are unlikely to spend a long time waiting for an animal to appear. That works well for children, short-stay visitors and anyone with only a few free hours in Diani.

Guides, languages and the quality of the explanation

The tour includes a guide in the sanctuary, and guiding fees are already covered. Available languages are English, French, German, Polish, Spanish and Italian.

This is more important than it may sound. Animal encounters are more rewarding when you understand what you are seeing and can ask questions without relying only on signs. Some guides also translate or clarify information for you during the walk.

Adam and Kelvin have been identified as friendly pickup guides. A French-speaking guide named Adaptateur was also singled out for being pleasant. The exact guide depends on the date and language requested, so you should not assume that a particular person will lead your tour.

The strongest part of the guiding seems to be the personal attention. A guide can help position you for the giraffe feeding, explain the animals and answer questions as you walk. That matters more here than a long lecture. The route is straightforward, and the animal contact speaks for itself.

Be prepared for an uneven experience in the presentation. One account described the main guide as friendly and helpful, while another felt that part of the visit became too focused on selling items. If you are asked to buy something and do not want to, a polite but firm no thanks should be enough.

What $115 per person really buys

At $115 per person, this is not a budget wildlife outing. The cost includes transport from Diani Beach, the return journey, park fees, government taxes and guiding. You are paying for a ready-made package rather than arranging separate parts yourself.

That package may be worthwhile if you value a simple hotel pickup, a confirmed guide and multilingual support. It is also useful if you do not want to negotiate with a tuk-tuk driver or work out entry arrangements on your own.

The price is harder to defend if you are comfortable organizing a short local trip. Direct entry has been estimated in the supplied accounts at about 2,000 Kenyan shillings per adult, with transport costing extra. A self-arranged visit may still require a driver to wait, and an English-speaking guide may add to the cost, but the total could remain well below $115 per person.

The price also needs to be judged against the actual time. The advertised duration is three hours, from about 10:00 to 1:00. Some visits have ended closer to 11:50, leaving less than the promised time once the drive is counted. That is a serious point if you are paying for a full morning.

I would book this for the experience, not for the amount of time. If feeding a giraffe is high on your list, the price may feel acceptable. If you want a long wildlife outing, it is not the right purchase.

When the short schedule works best

The schedule suits a beach holiday. You can spend the morning at the sanctuary and be back at your hotel around lunchtime. There is no food or drink included, so have breakfast first and carry your own water if permitted.

The two-hour walk is a sensible length for a hot coastal morning. You get enough time to see several animals without turning the visit into an exhausting all-day activity.

On the other hand, a short visit makes early return frustrating if you expected the full three hours. The drive is brief, and the sanctuary itself is compact. Ask for a clear pickup time and an estimate of how long you will spend inside before you set your expectations.

The lack of included food is not a major problem for a morning tour. It simply means you should not expect refreshments as part of the package. Your hotel is likely the easiest place to eat before or after, but no specific meal arrangement is included.

Who will enjoy this experience most

I would recommend this outing to:

• Families who want a straightforward animal experience close to Diani
• First-time visitors who want close views without a long safari drive
• People who specifically want to feed and touch giraffes
• Visitors who value hotel pickup and a guide in their preferred language
• Anyone with only one free morning away from the beach

I would hesitate to recommend it to:

• Safari fans looking for wild animals in a large reserve
• Budget-minded visitors who can arrange local transport themselves
• Anyone expecting a full three-hour program with many feeding stops
• Visitors who dislike managed animal settings
• People who need a comfortable, air-conditioned transfer and cannot confirm the vehicle details

The setting matters. You are visiting a sanctuary, not observing animals in their natural range. For some people, that makes close contact possible and creates a memorable introduction to wildlife. For others, the controlled environment will feel less satisfying.

Practical details before you book

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Diani plans may change.

The tour is offered with live guiding in English, French, German, Polish, Spanish and Italian. Request your preferred language when booking, but understand that the named guide is not guaranteed.

Hotel pickup and return are included within the Diani Beach area. The package includes park entry, government taxes and the guiding fee. Food and drinks are not included.

Wear comfortable clothing for walking and bring what you need for a warm morning. The information provided does not specify a dress code or special equipment, so you do not need to plan for a technical safari. The most useful preparation is to allow time for the walk and to keep your camera ready for the giraffe feeding.

The overall experience has received mixed scores, with an average of 3.7 from 23 ratings. The strongest praise is directed at the giraffe encounter, the friendly guides and the ease of the pickup. The sharpest criticism concerns the high cost, a shorter-than-expected visit, and transport that may not be especially comfortable.

Should you book the giraffe feeding?

Book it if you want a short, easy animal encounter near Diani and the chance to feed giraffes matters more than getting a full safari. The friendly guiding, included transport and multilingual options remove much of the usual planning work.

Think twice if $115 feels high or if you are happy to arrange a tuk-tuk and local entry yourself. You should also confirm the expected time inside the sanctuary and ask about the transfer vehicle.

My view is simple: the giraffe feeding can be genuinely memorable, but the package is priced for convenience. Families and first-time wildlife visitors may find that worthwhile. Independent, budget-conscious visitors will likely get better value by arranging the short trip on their own.

FAQ

Where is the giraffe feeding experience located?

It takes place at Bora Bora Wildlife Sanctuary in Coast Province, Kenya, near Diani Beach.

How long does the experience last?

The stated duration is three hours, with pickup around 10:00 and return to your hotel around 1:00. Some visits may finish earlier.

How far is the sanctuary from Diani Beach?

The drive is about 20 minutes, although some hotels may be around 15 minutes away by car.

What animals can I see?

You may see Maasai giraffes, zebras, African warthogs, wild boars, monitor lizards, hinged-back tortoises, Maasai ostriches, peacocks, Cape buffaloes, Nile crocodiles and other birds.

Can I feed the animals?

You can feed the giraffes. Feeding opportunities for other animals may vary, and not every listed animal is necessarily fed during the visit.

Is hotel transportation included?

Yes. Pickup and return transfers are included for hotels or booked accommodation within the Diani Beach area.

Are park fees and taxes included?

Yes. Park fees, government taxes, transfers and the guiding fee are included.

Is food included?

No. Food and drinks are not included in the price.

Which languages are available?

Live guides may be available in English, French, German, Polish, Spanish and Italian.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund. Reserve-now, pay-later booking is also available.