KENYA
Kenya is generally considered the birthplace of the African safari. It is majestic Africa, offering immensely diverse scenery – from the palm-fringed beaches of the Indian Ocean in the East to rainforests in the West, immense fresh water lakes, desert landscapes and vast plains of savannah. All this is dominated by the Great Rift Valley which bisects the country from North to South and in the centre are the highlands, overlooked by Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountain range.
Culturally, Kenya is as diverse and home to many different ethnic groups. They range from the Swahili on the East Coast where Arabic culture has had the greatest influence in shaping Swahili traditions to the pastoralist Masai and Samburu, the El Molo fisherman along the shores of Lake Turkana and the agricultural Kikuyu of the central highlands.
Kenya, however, is ultimately renowned as a premier wildlife destination and you do not have to travel far from its capital Nairobi to see wildlife here.
The world famous Maasai Mara in the South West, is a mere 4 hours’ drive and 45 minutes flight from Nairobi. It is here that the legendary annual Wildebeest migration of up to 2 million Wildebeest and Zebra arrive around August, from the Serengeti plains in neighbouring Tanzania. They stay here for a couple of months, generally until mid-October when they begin their journey south to Tanzania and fresh new grasslands after the rain has fallen.
But it is not all about the migration. Kenya, with its abundant wildlife in its many and diverse game areas offers the most memorable and spectacular wildlife encounters, from lions & leopards hunting antelope on the plains of the game rich Maasai Mara to elephants drinking at waterholes in Tsavo; Grevy's zebra, the long-necked gerenuk, Beisa oryx, the striking reticulated giraffe in the arid country of Laikipia, Samburu and Shaba; Amboseli with its picture postcard back-drop of Mount Kilimanjaro; the shimmering waters of the Rift Valley Lakes, at certain times of the year, home to millions of pink-hued flamingos and Lake Turkana with massive Nile crocodiles breeding in its waters.
Culturally, Kenya is as diverse and home to many different ethnic groups. They range from the Swahili on the East Coast where Arabic culture has had the greatest influence in shaping Swahili traditions to the pastoralist Masai and Samburu, the El Molo fisherman along the shores of Lake Turkana and the agricultural Kikuyu of the central highlands.
Kenya, however, is ultimately renowned as a premier wildlife destination and you do not have to travel far from its capital Nairobi to see wildlife here.
The world famous Maasai Mara in the South West, is a mere 4 hours’ drive and 45 minutes flight from Nairobi. It is here that the legendary annual Wildebeest migration of up to 2 million Wildebeest and Zebra arrive around August, from the Serengeti plains in neighbouring Tanzania. They stay here for a couple of months, generally until mid-October when they begin their journey south to Tanzania and fresh new grasslands after the rain has fallen.
But it is not all about the migration. Kenya, with its abundant wildlife in its many and diverse game areas offers the most memorable and spectacular wildlife encounters, from lions & leopards hunting antelope on the plains of the game rich Maasai Mara to elephants drinking at waterholes in Tsavo; Grevy's zebra, the long-necked gerenuk, Beisa oryx, the striking reticulated giraffe in the arid country of Laikipia, Samburu and Shaba; Amboseli with its picture postcard back-drop of Mount Kilimanjaro; the shimmering waters of the Rift Valley Lakes, at certain times of the year, home to millions of pink-hued flamingos and Lake Turkana with massive Nile crocodiles breeding in its waters.
KENYA'S DESTINATIONS
Please find out more about the individual destinations by clicking on the links below and if you would like to get some itinerary inspiration, please click on the Kenya Itineraries button (you will be led there from the destination pages as well).
