giraffe feeding

The main attraction here is wonderfully simple: you walk up to a Maasai giraffe, hold out food, and watch that long blue-gray tongue do its work. At Bora Bora Wildlife Sanctuary, a 31-acre park near Diani Beach, you also get close to zebras, warthogs, ostriches, tortoises, and other animals on a guided nature walk.

I like the hotel pickup and drop-off, since the sanctuary is only about 20 minutes from Diani but arranging transport yourself takes effort. I also like the choice of multilingual guides, including English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, and Italian. The main drawback is value: at $115 per person, the price feels high for an advertised three-hour outing that can finish earlier and takes place in a managed animal park rather than open bush.

Quick points before you book

• The giraffe encounter is the clear highlight: You can feed and, according to the experience details, touch the giraffes while taking photographs.
• Bora Bora is a small 31-acre sanctuary: This is a close-up animal visit, not a full-day safari across a large national park.
• The advertised schedule runs from 10:00 to 13:00: Some outings have finished around 11:50, so ask about the expected time on the day.
• Transfers, park entry, taxes, and guiding are included: Food and drinks are not.
• You may see more than you feed: Zebras and warthogs are part of the animal encounters, while Maasai ostriches, Cape buffaloes, Nile crocodiles, and birds are listed as viewing opportunities.
• Transport comfort can vary: One account described a low vehicle with poor ventilation, so the short drive matters more than it might on paper.

From Diani Beach to Bora Bora Sanctuary

The morning begins with pickup at your Diani Beach hotel or booked accommodation at 10:00. The drive to Bora Bora Wildlife Sanctuary is listed as about 20 minutes, though some pickups have taken closer to 15 minutes from nearby resorts.

That short ride is convenient. You are not spending half the day in a safari vehicle, and you should be back at your hotel by about 13:00 under the planned schedule. The tradeoff is that transport makes up a noticeable part of a three-hour experience. If your visit takes less time than planned, the actual animal time can feel brief.

The pickup vehicle deserves a practical note. One account described a bus that was too low for comfortable upright seating, with limited views and no working fans or air conditioning on the return ride. That may not be every vehicle, but it is worth keeping in mind in coastal Kenya, especially around midday. You can ask the operator what kind of vehicle is planned for your pickup.

Adam and Kelvin have been named as friendly members of the pickup team. Staff can vary, but the useful point is that the transfer is handled for you rather than left to a last-minute taxi arrangement.

A short introduction to the 31-acre park

On arrival, you check in and receive a brief introduction to the sanctuary. The guide explains its background and the role of conservation before leading you along the paths.

This setting changes the nature of the outing. You are not tracking free-ranging wildlife through a huge reserve. You are visiting animals in a managed 31-acre sanctuary where close contact is the point. That makes it a practical choice if you have limited time in Diani, children who enjoy animal encounters, or a strong wish to feed a giraffe without committing to a longer safari.

It also means you should set your expectations carefully. The park cannot offer the scale, distance, or surprise of a major Kenyan game reserve. The animals are kept in a controlled environment, and the walk follows a set route. For some people, that closeness is the attraction. For others, the captive setting makes the $115 cost harder to justify.

The guide is there to explain what you are seeing and to discuss conservation. A multilingual guide can make a real difference if you do not speak much English. French, German, Polish, Spanish, and Italian are listed alongside English, though you should confirm your preferred language when booking.

Feeding giraffes, the main event

The giraffe feeding is the part I would build the whole decision around. You get close enough to offer food, and the experience information also describes an opportunity to touch the giraffes and take photographs. For many people, that single encounter will be the lasting memory of the morning.

The setting gives you time to watch the giraffes at close range rather than simply spotting them through binoculars. You can see how carefully they take the food and appreciate their height, patterned coats, and slow movements. This is also the most photo-friendly part of the visit, so keep your camera ready before you reach the feeding area.

Still, do not assume every advertised animal will be fed. One account specifically described feeding the ostrich and giraffe, but not all the animals mentioned in the description. The exact order and access can depend on the day, the animals, and the guide. If feeding a particular animal matters to you, ask at the start rather than treating the full list as a promise.

The giraffes are also why children may enjoy this outing. The contact is immediate and easy to understand, unlike a distant wildlife sighting. You should still follow the guide’s instructions closely, especially when animals are eating.

Zebras, warthogs, and smaller animals

The walk is not only about giraffes. Zebras are part of the encounter, and the description allows for feeding them as well. A close look at a zebra gives you a different kind of animal experience: bold stripes, a sturdy body, and a much lower feeding position than the giraffes.

African warthogs are also included among the animals you may feed. The park further lists monitor lizards, wild boars, and hinge-backed tortoises. These smaller and less famous animals help make the walk feel like a tour of the sanctuary rather than a single photo stop.

I would treat the animal list as a guide to what may be present, not a strict checklist. The actual experience can focus heavily on the giraffes, with fewer hands-on encounters elsewhere. That is not necessarily a problem, but it matters when you compare the cost with the length of the visit.

The guide’s role is especially useful here. You are not simply wandering through the grounds alone. A guide leads the route, answers questions, and translates explanations when needed. One German-speaking account described the guide as helpful with translation and questions, which is exactly the sort of service that can make a short visit more meaningful.

Ostriches, birds, crocodiles, and buffaloes

The sanctuary also gives you a chance to see Maasai ostriches and peacocks. The ostrich feeding can be part of the close animal contact, although the exact program may vary. Their size alone makes them a memorable stop, and they add a different rhythm to a walk otherwise dominated by giraffes and zebras.

The listed wildlife also includes Cape buffaloes and Nile crocodiles. These are described as animals you may see, not animals you should expect to feed or touch. That distinction matters. The experience is primarily a guided walk with selected feeding opportunities, not a free-contact session with every species in the sanctuary.

Birdlife adds some variety to the route, but the supplied details do not give a full bird list or promise a particular number of species. You should enjoy the birds and peacocks as part of the general visit rather than book this as a specialist birding tour.

How long the visit really feels

The advertised duration is three hours, with pickup at 10:00 and return around 13:00. The drive takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes each way, check-in and the short introduction take some time, and the guided walk is described as lasting about two hours.

That leaves a useful but not enormous window for the animals. Some outings have returned to the hotel at about 11:50, making the whole experience closer to two hours than three. If you are planning another activity after lunch, this early finish may help. If you are paying mainly for time inside the sanctuary, it is a reason to confirm the schedule before departure.

A short visit can be a strength. You get the giraffe encounter without losing a full day at the beach. Families and first-time visitors may prefer that easy pace. On the other hand, the shorter the tour runs, the more important the price becomes.

Bring water with you, since drinks are not included. Food is not included either, though the morning timing means you can eat before pickup or plan lunch after returning. The return ride may be warm, so light clothing and sun protection make sense.

Is $115 per person a fair price?

The $115 price includes the Diani area transfer, park fees, government taxes, and a guide with guiding fees. That is straightforward and convenient. You do not have to negotiate a tuk-tuk, pay entry separately, or work out how to find the right route.

The problem is that the included items do not automatically make the package good value. The sanctuary is close to Diani, the visit is short, and the animal setting is managed rather than wild. Several accounts have judged the price too high, especially when the tour ended before the planned 13:00 return.

You may be able to spend less by arranging your own tuk-tuk and paying the sanctuary directly. One cost comparison put adult entry at 2,000 Kenyan shillings and a waiting tuk-tuk at about 3,000 Kenyan shillings, before adding a guide. Those figures should be confirmed locally, but they show why independent visitors may find the package expensive.

The package still has value if convenience matters to you. You get door-to-door transport, a scheduled guide, language support, and one clear booking. If you are staying at Diani Beach and do not want to bargain over transport or organize park entry, that simplicity has a real price.

My advice is to compare the cost against your priorities. Pay the premium if the giraffe feeding is a top goal and you want everything arranged. Choose independent transport if you are comfortable organizing a short local outing and want to keep the budget down.

Guide quality and language support

The guide is central to this experience. The walk is not just a route through animal enclosures, since the guide gives the sanctuary introduction, explains conservation, identifies animals, and answers questions.

The multilingual option is a useful strength. English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, and Italian are listed as available languages. You should request your language when booking and confirm it at pickup, since a listed language does not guarantee that every departure has a guide fluent in it.

Specific staff have made a good impression. Adam and Kelvin have been named as friendly pickup guides, while a French-speaking guide was described as especially pleasant. Staff quality can vary by departure, but the available information points to a service that is strongest when the guide stays with you and explains the animals clearly.

There is one caution. One account said the guide at the park was helpful with translation and questions, while another described the rest of the visit as feeling too much like a sales stop. If the sanctuary includes opportunities to buy items, you can politely decline and keep your focus on the animals. Ask the guide at the start how the walk is organized so you know how much time is planned for the wildlife route.

Who will enjoy this outing most?

I would suggest this experience to you if:

• You are staying in Diani and want a short morning activity.
• Feeding a giraffe matters more to you than seeing animals in the wild.
• You want hotel pickup and drop-off included.
• You value a guide who can speak your language.
• You are traveling with children who may prefer close animal encounters.
• You want to combine wildlife with a beach holiday without giving up a full day.

I would be more cautious if you want an authentic safari experience, a large open reserve, or strong value for money. The sanctuary is small, the timing can be shorter than advertised, and the price is high compared with the short drive and limited time.

This is also not the right choice if you expect to feed every animal named in the description. The giraffe encounter is the dependable centerpiece. Other feeding stops may happen, but you should not count on each one.

Booking and cancellation details

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. A reserve-now, pay-later option is also available, which lets you hold a place without paying immediately.

The activity is listed at $115 per person. Park fees, government taxes, transfers within the Diani Beach area, and the guide are included. Food and drinks are not included.

Should you book the giraffe feeding?

Book it if you want one memorable close encounter and value a simple, arranged morning from Diani. The giraffe feeding is the clear payoff, and the combination of zebras, ostriches, warthogs, peacocks, tortoises, and other animals gives the walk more variety.

I would not book it automatically at $115. First ask two questions: how long will you actually stay inside the sanctuary, and which language will the guide speak? If the answer is a short visit with no confirmed language match, arranging your own transport may offer better value.

For a child, a first-time wildlife visitor, or anyone with limited time, this can be a cheerful and manageable introduction to Kenyan animals. For a seasoned safari visitor, it may feel too controlled and too costly. Know that you are paying for convenience and close contact, not for a full safari.

FAQ

Where does the giraffe feeding take place?

It takes place at Bora Bora Wildlife Sanctuary in Kenya’s Coast Province, about 20 minutes by car from Diani Beach.

How long does the activity last?

The advertised duration is three hours. Pickup is scheduled for 10:00, and return to your hotel is planned for about 13:00, though some outings have finished earlier.

What animals can I see?

The sanctuary lists Maasai giraffes, zebras, African warthogs, monitor lizards, wild boars, hinge-backed tortoises, Maasai ostriches, peacocks, Cape buffaloes, and Nile crocodiles.

Which animals can I feed?

The activity includes opportunities to feed giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and other listed animals. The exact feeding stops can vary, so not every animal is guaranteed to be part of the feeding.

Are hotel transfers included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are included for hotels or booked accommodation within the Diani Beach area.

Which languages are available for the guide?

Guides are listed as available in English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, and Italian.

Are park entry fees and taxes included?

Yes. Park fees, government taxes, transfers, and the guiding fee are included. Food and drinks are not included.