Country guides
Africa
Things to do in Kenya
There is an abundance of things to see and do in Kenya, a country which boasts some of Africa's most famous and sought-after tourist attractions. Kenya is essentially a dream destination for African wildlife safaris and most of its attractions revolve around the incredible game reserves, as well as the famous naturalists and wildlife professionals who have worked in the country.
Game viewing is a must as there are quintessential destinations near Nairobi such as the Masai Mara National Reserve, while Hell's Gate National Park is located in the Great Rift Valley. Travellers can visit Elsamere Conservation Centre or take in the natural splendour of Lake Naivasha. They can also head to the Karen Blixen Museum and enjoy the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage.
Another draw card for Kenyan tourism is the wonderful coastline and idyllic beaches. The warm waters of the Indian Ocean are ideal for swimming and watersports, and there are some well-preserved coral reefs to explore beneath the surface. There are a number of popular resorts along the Kenyan coast and Mombasa is an interesting port city. Kenya has pleasant weather throughout the year, making this a great beach holiday destination.
Nairobi National Park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Nairobi National Park is a compact and beautiful area of plains and wild bush that contains a large number of Africa's best-known animals. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo…
Nairobi National Park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Nairobi National Park is a compact and beautiful area of plains and wild bush that contains a large number of Africa's best-known animals. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and giraffe roam the plains, alongside black rhino, ostrich, baboons, cheetah, leopard and lions. The park also contains the Animal Orphanage, where sick, wounded and abandoned animals are cared for and rehabilitated, as well as an Educational Centre featuring a Safari Walk. Close by is the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, where infant elephants and rhino orphaned because of poaching activities are looked after and eventually returned to the wild in Tsavo National Park. The centre is open every morning and visitors can watch the calves bathing in the mud hole and being bottle fed by human surrogate mothers.
Website www.kws.go.ke/parks/nairobi-national-park
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli is a park of giants, renowned for its herds of mighty tusked elephants and presided over by the magnificent backdrop of Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro. One of Afri…
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli is a park of giants, renowned for its herds of mighty tusked elephants and presided over by the magnificent backdrop of Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro. One of Africa's most unforgettable images is the picture of these large creatures standing in silent reverence before the gigantic snow-covered mountain just over the border in neighbouring Tanzania.
Observation Hill rises from the centre for breathtaking views over the park and towards Mt Kilimanjaro, especially in the pink light of dawn. Meaning 'Place of Water' in the Maasai language, it has a continuous supply from Kilimanjaro's snowmelt, forming underground springs that feed the marshy patches and swamps that are home to hippos and a great variety of bird life. Predators are relatively scarce, apart from jackal and hyena, but there are large numbers of grazers such as wildebeest, zebra and gazelles on the grassy plains and giraffe among the thorn trees.
A popular way to take in the scenery is by way of a noiseless microlight flight, either from Nairobi or the Amboseli airstrip. There is a wide range of accommodation in and around the outskirts of the park for those wanting to extend the experience. Amboseli National Park is 134 miles (215km) southeast of Nairobi; the drive takes about 4 hours.
Website www.amboseli.com/
Mount Kenya National Park
This national park encompasses Africa's second highest mountain, Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano with a series of jagged snow-covered peaks. The local Kikuyu people revere the moun…
Mount Kenya National Park
This national park encompasses Africa's second highest mountain, Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano with a series of jagged snow-covered peaks. The local Kikuyu people revere the mountain they call Kirinvaga ('mountain of whiteness') as the home of their Supreme Being, Ngai, and traditionally Kikuyu homes are built to face the sacred summit.
Part of the attraction is the incredible variation in flora and fauna due to the changes in altitude and its position on the equator. A favourite with hikers, the slopes are covered in thick forest, and have a variety of animals such as the black leopard.
Bamboo, moorland and alpine vegetation give way to rock, ice and one of the world's rarest sights: equatorial snow. For those not wishing to climb, the park offers a pristine wilderness, lakes and glaciers, and is good for game viewing and hiking.
Website www.kws.go.ke/content/mount-kenya-national-park-reserve
Masai Mara National Reserve
Commonly known as the Mara, Kenya's most visited park is a wildly beautiful place with rolling savannah grasslands. It's an extension of the Serengeti Plains in neighbouring Tanzan…
Masai Mara National Reserve
Commonly known as the Mara, Kenya's most visited park is a wildly beautiful place with rolling savannah grasslands. It's an extension of the Serengeti Plains in neighbouring Tanzania and offers wonderful views and an extraordinary concentration of wildlife, including the Big Five. Its large grazing herds attract many other predators such as cheetah, leopard and hyena.
The annual highlight is the Great Wildebeest Migration, when an estimated two million animals leave the dry plains of Tanzania to seek greener pastures in the north, arriving in the Mara from late June. Their entrance into the Mara makes a breathtaking spectacle, as they cross the crocodile infested waters of the Mara River. Also within the reserve is a Masai village that holds demonstrations of traditional dance and music. The proud warriors have become a symbol of tribal Kenya with their beadwork, spears and red blankets.
The Masai Mara is 167 miles (270km) west of Nairobi and most visitors travel there by road. The most popular experience is to book guided drive-in safari that often includes overnight stays in the Amboseli and Lake Nakuru National Parks.
Website www.maasaimara.com/
Lake Naivasha and Elsamere
Lake Naivasha is a shimmering waterscape of floating hyacinth surrounded by mountains. Kingfishers dart into the waters from their papyrus perches and ugly Marabou storks plod alon…
Lake Naivasha and Elsamere
Lake Naivasha is a shimmering waterscape of floating hyacinth surrounded by mountains. Kingfishers dart into the waters from their papyrus perches and ugly Marabou storks plod along the shoreline. The trees are home to Colobus monkeys and at night the earth shudders with the movement of grazing hippos.
The southern shore of the lake is lined with hotels, campsites and guesthouses, prettily situated either on the shore or higher up on the slopes of the mountain. Boat trips are a popular way to explore the lake and also the private Crescent Island Game Sanctuary.
Along the southern shore is the former home of naturalist and painter Joy Adamson, which is now the Elsamere Conservation Centre. It incorporates a guesthouse and a small museum; visitors are invited to join the guests daily at 4pm for a sumptuous tea on the lawns of the beautifully peaceful lakeside setting.
Website elsaconservationtrust.org
Hell's Gate National Park
Named for the pair of massive red cliffs of the Njorowa Gorge that encloses a geothermic area of hot springs and steam vents, Hell's Gate is one of the two parks in Kenya that allo…
Hell's Gate National Park
Named for the pair of massive red cliffs of the Njorowa Gorge that encloses a geothermic area of hot springs and steam vents, Hell's Gate is one of the two parks in Kenya that allows visitors to explore on foot, making it ideal for hiking, cycling, camping and rock climbing. It's famous for its natural steaming geysers, and the towering cliffs provide an eagle and vulture breeding ground.
The wide plains are home to numerous animals, such as zebra, buffalo, eland, gazelle, giraffes, warthog and baboon. It's best for visitors to hire a guide when reaching the gorge to help them along the hike route. The guides will help them traverse the route through the canyon and explain the interesting geological origins and features of the landscape, as well as explaining the local mythology and Masai names given to the features.
Website www.kws.go.ke/content/hells-gate-national-park
Lake Nakuru National Park
Although tiny, this park has a high concentration of game with everything wildlife enthusiasts could wish for, except elephants. Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya's most important rhino …
Lake Nakuru National Park
Although tiny, this park has a high concentration of game with everything wildlife enthusiasts could wish for, except elephants. Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya's most important rhino sanctuaries. There are also several prides of lions and it's the best place to spot leopards.
The surface of the shallow alkaline lake covers about a third of the park and the saline concentration supports a blue-green algae that attracts thousands of flamingos. Waterbuck and large flocks of pelicans are also attracted to the rich food source in the lake, as are the rare Rothschild Giraffes. The park has several high points with good lookouts and waterfalls; monkeys and baboons frequent the rocky cliffs.
Website www.kws.go.ke/lake-nakuru-national-park
Tsavo National Park
The vast Tsavo National Park is only an hour's drive from Mombasa. The park has giraffes, buffalo and antelope, as well as monkeys, many exotic birds and Kenya's largest herds of e…
Tsavo National Park
The vast Tsavo National Park is only an hour's drive from Mombasa. The park has giraffes, buffalo and antelope, as well as monkeys, many exotic birds and Kenya's largest herds of elephants. Visitors are also likely to see rhinos, whose population now numbers almost 200 after they virtually wiped out by poachers.
Another exciting attraction is an observation tank in one of the park's pools from which visitors can get a close-up view of hippos, crocodiles and tropical fish in their natural habitat. Some of the roads in the park are in bad condition and it can be difficult driving, though game drives will be problem free if they're organised.
Website www.tsavopark.com/
The Giraffe Centre
At the Giraffe Centre, visitors can experience the rare pleasure of hand-feeding these graceful and gentle creatures from a platform at eye-level. They can also enjoy its nature wa…
The Giraffe Centre
At the Giraffe Centre, visitors can experience the rare pleasure of hand-feeding these graceful and gentle creatures from a platform at eye-level. They can also enjoy its nature walks, along which they'll see 160 species of bird among incredible trees, and warthogs and giant tortoises down below. This is the single best attraction for children in Nairobi and there are often groups of school kids that come for tours. Guides at the centre give educational talks and answer any questions visitors may have.
Website www.giraffecentre.org
Karen Blixen Museum
Karen Blixen was a notable Kenyan personality who lived and farmed on the outskirts of Nairobi from 1917 to 1931, when she returned to Denmark bankrupt and heartbroken at being for…
Karen Blixen Museum
Karen Blixen was a notable Kenyan personality who lived and farmed on the outskirts of Nairobi from 1917 to 1931, when she returned to Denmark bankrupt and heartbroken at being forced to leave Africa. She authored acclaimed books including Out of Africa, which inspired an Oscar winning film of the same name.
The main building of the original farmhouse, M'Bogani House, now houses the Karen Blixen Museum and retains much of its original furniture and items of interest. The museum is situated in the suburb of Karen, a short drive from the city centre.
The stunning landscapes of the area, however, will be instantly recognisable. Those who have seen the much-loved movie may also be curious about the Muthaiga Country Club. Tourists can visit the original clubhouse, which is still active, but women won't be allowed in the members' bar.
Website www.museums.or.ke
Great Wildebeest Migration
One of Africa's greatest natural spectacles is the annual wildebeest migration between Kenya's Masai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti national parks that happens sometime between June…
Great Wildebeest Migration
One of Africa's greatest natural spectacles is the annual wildebeest migration between Kenya's Masai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti national parks that happens sometime between June to October each year. Up to two million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras and Thomson's gazelles make this journey, seeking greener grasses.
Predators stalk the enormous, ever-moving herds, from lions in the grasslands to crocodiles during the dramatic, frenetic river crossings. The river crossings at the Grumeti River and Mara River are the most popular part of the migration to witness and there are many great camps set up near the rivers in the Mara.
A thrilling way to experience the migration is on a riding safari, when travellers' horses can actually wander among the animals, or in a hot air balloon, which gives them breathtaking views.
Website www.maratriangle.org
Lamu
A gentle and relaxed holiday destination, Lamu is Kenya's oldest inhabited town and the unhurried way of life has changed little over the centuries. Part of the Lamu Archipelago, i…
Lamu
A gentle and relaxed holiday destination, Lamu is Kenya's oldest inhabited town and the unhurried way of life has changed little over the centuries. Part of the Lamu Archipelago, it's reached by boat from the mainland. The narrow, winding streets are crowded with pedestrians, markets, vendors and donkeys.
Lamu's lovely old Arab houses feature intricately carved doors and lintels, and mosques decorate the streets of one of the last remaining Swahili towns from a civilisation that used to be the cultural force along the coast. A dhow trip is a mandatory holiday outing and sailing around the little islands or to the beautiful beaches is a memorable experience.
The Takwa ruins on Manda Island and ancient settlements on Pate are great attractions too, and the beautiful whites sands of Shela Beach are popular for sunbathing and watersports. For a sense of local history and Swahili culture, visitors can explore the Lamu Museum, the Swahili House Museum or Lamu Fort.
Malindi
Situated on the beach 60 miles (40km) north of Mombasa is the lazy and unashamedly hedonistic holiday resort of Malindi, its dazzling white-sand beaches lining the shore. The more …
Malindi
Situated on the beach 60 miles (40km) north of Mombasa is the lazy and unashamedly hedonistic holiday resort of Malindi, its dazzling white-sand beaches lining the shore. The more adventurous should join the excellent fishing trips in Malindi, which leave early before the heat of the day sets in, in search of barracuda, tuna and marlin.
The cross of Vasco da Gama is one of the few authentic Portuguese relics left on the coast and commemorates the famous explorer's arrival here in 1498. It can be found on the cliffs near Malindi Harbour.
South of Malindi are the Watamu and Malindi Marine National Parks, protected areas of white-coral beaches and stunning, crystal-clear blue lagoons attracting many snorkelers and scuba divers. Between the two marine parks is the abandoned 15th century Swahili town of Gedi, where visitors can wander the ruins of the palace, market place, houses, mosques and pillared tombs.
Mombasa
The hot and humid holiday destination of Mombasa is the biggest port on the east coast of Africa. Situated on an island linked to the mainland by bridges, it's surrounded by a natu
Mombasa
The hot and humid holiday destination of Mombasa is the biggest port on the east coast of Africa. Situated on an island linked to the mainland by bridges, it's surrounded by a natural harbour where commercial shipping mixes with traditional sailing dhows.
The main Mombasa holiday attraction is the commanding 16th-century fort that protects the entrance of the harbour, Fort Jesus, whose remnants relay the story of a historic struggle for control of the coast between the Portuguese and Arabs.
The Government Game Department's Ivory Room exhibits elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns and hippopotamus teeth, along with other animal trophies confiscated from poachers or taken from dead animals on the reserve. Mombasa's Old Town retains a strong Arab flavour, its winding streets and crammed faded houses alive with the colours of the traditional wrap-around clothing and street sellers.