Home to some of the best athletes the world has ever seen is the Republic of Kenya, located in East Africa. It shares borders with Uganda in the west, Tanzania in the South, South Sudan and Ethiopia in the North, Somalia in north East and along its Eastern border is the Indian Ocean coast line. It has a high population of over 50 million people.
Kenya’s capital is Nairobi; however, it has other various developed cities such as Eldoret, Nakuru, Kisumu and Mombasa which is the oldest and located along the Indian Ocean coastline. There are several iconic attractions within the country such as Mount. Kenya, Lake Victoria, white sand beaches on Indian Ocean, waterfalls and several lakes and rivers. The larger part of northern Kenya is within the semi-arid climate covered by long stretches of savannah plains and woodlands. This East African country offers magical safari experiences.
Famously known for the Maasai people, Kenya has diverse cultural composition with over 42 tribes like the Kikuyu, Luo, Kalenjin, Samburu among others. These different groups are united by the Swahili language which is an official language alongside English.
Kenya has variety of tourist attractions such as the popular wildebeest migration, different animal and plant species spread over 55 national parks and game reserves. A number of visitors have fallen in love with the country’s incredible beauty and hospitable people and delicious food.
Here are some of the activities you can enjoy while in Kenya.
Kenya is a top destination for wildlife safari destinations, its abundant parks and reserves are home to variety of animals and vegetation. Most of the parks are home to rare and common animals like buffaloes, Zebras, gazelles, warthogs, antelopes that are always running away from predators and the graceful giraffes. Areas like Masai Mara National Reserve, Tsavo National Park, Samburu National Park are known for hosting the big five animals including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes.
Game drives are available in any of the parks and you can either hire a driver or do a self-drive around the park. They do take place in the mornings and evenings. Savanna plains and swampy vegetation can be traced in Amboseli National Park. Find Africa’s “little 5” like the ant lions, leopard tortoises in Kenya.
Kenya has over 450 bird species, and birding is mostly enjoyed in the Great Rift Valley especially at the lakes and wetlands located within such as Lake Nakuru famously known for the beautiful flamingoes, it has over 250,000 kg of algae on which millions of the flamingoes feed on to produce the bright pink color found on the birds.
Lake Naivasha is another gem with fresh water that attracts birds like the kingfishers and black herons that feed on fish and other aquatic animals. Other bird species are African fish Eagles, raptors, cormorants found at these hot birding spots.
Get an up close with any of the 42 tribes like Maasai, Turkana who are nomadic pastoralists, Pokot, kikuyu, the Swahili culture among others. These experiences are got through visits made to the villages where you get to meet the locals, taste the food, take part in their activities like weaving, crafting such as the Samburu Women who show you how they make beaded choker necklaces, they live at the foothills of Koitogor-Olokwe mountains.
The Maasai also take you through their homesteads, animals and also cultural dance which involves jumping so high. These cultural encounters can be organized through tour operators or tourism centers in the country.
The warm and blue waters of the Indian ocean formed white sand beaches that stretch along the Kenyan coastline. There are also small islands like Funzi, Lamu that has the 13th century architectural buildings, visit any of them for a magical experience. The coastline has well maintained beaches like Diani beach a favorite among tourists for its white sand where they get to relax and sun bath.
The Kenyan Barrier Reef is known as the world’s longest coral reef stretching for over 140 miles from Shimoni to Malindi. While here, there a variety of dive and snorkel sites available that offer opportunities for divers to explore Kenya’s under water and the beautiful coral features. There are some sections with clear waters that allow you to see the coral reefs from the surface. Areas of Mako Koke, Kisite Marine Park are good for beginner and advanced divers to check out the spectacular coral gardens.
Right from the Capital City Nairobi through Nakuru to Mombasa the second largest city in Kenya, walk through any of the cities to check out some of their attractions such as Nairobi National Museum a place where you can learn about the country’s history, the Giraffe Center in Nairobi that conserves Giraffes. Mombasa is a city with diverse cultural heritage such as the Arabs, Indians, Portuguese and British who settled here in the early years.
The city has a variety of historic buildings like Fort Jesus, mosques and a variety of cuisines inspired by these diverse cultures like chapatti. Mombasa also has a variety of beautiful beaches and a Marine National Park that showcases marine wildlife.
Kenya has bountiful of activities and it’s without doubt one of the best safari destinations in Africa, the country’s array of wildlife, rich culture and beautiful weather have made it possible to visit Kenya at any time of the year.
