Kenya was the first place in Africa I visited and it's still one of my favourite countries on the continent. But my fondness isn't why I recommend it to families so often. It's the shape of the country: you can give children big cats on open plains, then days out of the vehicle doing things with their hands, then a warm ocean to fall into at the end - and the three sit close enough together to string into one unhurried trip.

Those three acts: the Masai Mara for the wildlife, Laikipia in the north for the adventure, and Diani on the south coast for the wind-down, set the stage for a magical holiday. Here's how each one works with children, and how I'd fit them together.

Act one: The Masai Mara

If your children see only one stretch of African plains in their childhood, I'd want it to be the Mara. It's thick with predators the whole year round, and from July to October the Great Migration turns the Mara River into the most dramatic wildlife event on earth.

The decision that matters most here isn't whether the Mara, but where in it. The main national reserve is spectacular but can get busy - a dozen vehicles at a single lion sighting in peak season. The private conservancies bordering it cost more, but for families they're worth it: far fewer vehicles, the freedom to drive off-road to a sighting, walking safaris, and night drives you can't do inside the reserve. The conservancies are quieter and better for children, and I steer most families that way.

One splurge I'll happily suggest: the dawn hot-air balloon over the Mara. Floating over the plains at sunrise is the kind of morning children carry for life.

Act two: Laikipia and the north

If the Mara is about what you see, Laikipia is about what you do. This is northern Kenya, high, wild country full of family-run camps and some of the most inventive conservation work on the continent. Here a child isn't strapped into a vehicle for a week; they're horse riding across the plains, camel trekking with Samburu guides, tracking on foot, fly-camping under the stars, meeting the people and projects protecting the wildlife.

It's also home to species you won't meet further south, the so-called "special five" of the north, Grévy's zebra and reticulated giraffe among them. For children who've had their fill of sitting still and pointing, Laikipia is the change of gear that keeps a safari from tiring them out. It tends to be the part families talk about precisely because they were in it rather than watching it.

If your child is the kind who's fixated on a particular animal, and so many are, the north and the Mara between them are also some of the best cheetah country in Africa.

Act three: Diani

After the early starts and the long, stimulating days of the bush, children (and parents) need somewhere to do nothing at all. Diani, on the south coast, is exactly that: powder-soft sand, warm Indian Ocean, and family resorts with dive schools, snorkelling and reef trips. There are direct flights from the Mara, so you swap savannah for sea without a punishing travel day in between.

I'd give it at least four nights, long enough for everyone to properly unwind, and for a water-mad teenager to get a taste of diving. It's the classic safari-and-beach rhythm I think works best for families: the bush fills them up, the beach lets everyone breathe out.

Diani isn't the only option. If you'd rather something quieter, Watamu has a lovely marine park with turtles and dolphins straight off the boat, and Lamu is a world of its own. But for a first Kenya trip with children, Diani is an easy, joyful finish.

The practical things worth knowing

A few points if you are thinking about a holiday to Kenya.

Ages. I generally suggest Kenya from around six years old. Plenty of camps take them younger, but the safari areas are malarial, some travel days are long, and I'd rather your children be old enough to engage with it and actually remember it.

Malaria. All of Kenya's classic safari regions are malaria zones. Please speak to a travel clinic for advice.

Booking the migration. For July-to-October Mara dates, the best family camps sell out 12 to 18 months ahead. If you're picturing next summer, the planning conversation really needs to start now. The mid-December-to-February window is my value pick, dry, quieter, and it lines up beautifully with a UK half-term holidays.

Cost. Kenya starts from around $5,000 to $8,000 per person excluding flights and climbs from there depending on camps and season.

Nairobi. Treat it as an overnight rather than a destination, but use it well. The David Sheldrick elephant orphanage and the Giraffe Centre are wonderful with children.

How I'd put it together

For most families I'd build it as those three acts in order: the Mara for four or five nights (in a conservancy), Laikipia for three or four to change the pace and get everyone out of the vehicle, then Diani to finish. Ten to fourteen nights lets it breathe without rushing.

If you're travelling for a milestone, or with grandparents and cousins in tow, Kenya does multi-generational trips as well as anywhere. Sometimes the right answer is a house taken just for your family, which is what our private stays are for.

If you're weighing Kenya against South Africa, I've previously written about South Africa vs Kenya: which is right for your famil which will help you decide. Tanzania is a natural third option to consider. Each is wonderful and the right one depends entirely on your family.

Tell me your children's ages, your dates and budget, and what excited you the most, and I'll come back with advice and a rough shape for the trip. Let's plan it together.