Kenya has always been one of the world best tourist destination attracting millions of tourists globally. It is your preferred destination if you are seeking for an adventure that is a combination of colorful culture, world heritage sites, wildlife safaris, mountain climbing, Bird watching and adventure holiday.
Kenya is an absolute must visit for the wildlife enthusiast.The country has an amazing game diversity being hosted in the game parks, reserves/conservancies and other wildlife protection areas. The areas include the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Aberdare National Park, Lake Naivasha National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Samburu National Reserve, Lake Turkana National Park and Nairobi National Park.Mombasa Marine Park, Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park are among Marine Wildlife Park that Kenya has.
Nairobi is one of Africa’s most vibrant and exciting cities. With excellent global cuisine and a buzzing nightlife, this city makes for a great and dynamic entertainment spot. Nairobi’s real claim to international fame is that just 20 minutes’ drive from the city Centre where you’ll find the world’s only urban park. The Nairobi National Park is a unique park as it is the World’s only National Park within a capital city of a country with a variety of wildlife.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is regarded as Africa’s Greatest Wildlife Reserve and was voted in 2007 as the eighth wonder of the world for its annual wildebeest migration that happen annually between mid-August and Late October.
The Reserves geographical features including rolling grasslands and wide-open savannah with beautiful dotted landscapes, is an attraction for shooting movies and documentaries like Big cat series which include Big Cats Diary, Out of Africa, Big Cats Live and Big Cats Week among other.
The Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya’s popular parks crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s Highest Mountain. It is the ‘Home of the African Elephant’ and the best place to view herd of elephants up close. Nature lovers can explore different habitats at the Amboseli ranging from dried up bed of Lake Amboseli, the Savannah, woodlands and wetlands with Sulphur springs. Here, you will also experience the unique bush dinners and breakfasts.
All the Parks/Reserves have a variety of wildlife from the Big five i.e Elephant, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino and others including Cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffes, Zebras, Crocodiles, Kudus, Hyenas, Dikdiks, Gazelle, Topi and Eland.
The Marine Parks are protected waters in the coastal area of Kenya, thriving with pure marine life. The parks have rich aquatic life and are paradise to the underwater lovers of flora and fauna.
The marine is a home to high fish diversity ranging from a rainbow of small fish, octopus and clams, Snappers, rubber-fish, angel fish, scorpion fish, marine mammals, turtles and shorebirds. The parks also have a variety of fringing reefs, coral, sea grass, mangroves and mudflats, Tourists can also enjoy diving, snorkeling, skiing, deep sea fishing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, dhow dining at the parks.
The combination of the diverse wildlife in the Marine and parks/reserves is the reason why Kenya is the home for safaris and your preferred wildlife safari destination.
Kenya is known as the bird watcher’s paradise for its diverse bird life and bird habitat. The National Parks/ Reserves, forests are excellent habitats for bird. The Common Ostrich found in the Parks and Reserves is the largest living bird that doesn’t fly. The Lake Nakuru, Lake Elmentaita and Lake Bogoria are among the lakes with outstanding beauty hosting a number of threatened bird species and some of the highest bird diversities in the world.
The lakes are also the most important foraging site for the flamingos and a major nesting and breeding ground for the great pelicans. Bird lovers can also enjoy a view of the Marabou Stork, Yellow billed Stork, White Stork, Black Headed Heron, Great Heron, The Great Egret, Red Cormorant, Jackson’s Francolin, the Secretary Bird, Keri Bustard and Speckled Mouse bird among others.
Kenya provides an opportunity for Mountain Climbers to reach to the peaks of Mountains. Mount Kenya for instance is the second highest mountain in Africa. The Austrian hut is the highest hut on the mountain and is a good base for exploring the surrounding area. There are also other important mountains such as Mount Elgon located in the border between Uganda and Kenya, Mount Satima in the Aberdare Range and Mount Longonot in the South East of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley.
Kenya’s beaches are unforgettable! They offer so much if you are looking for a beach holiday with a difference. The Soft Sandy beaches, clear water, coconut palms and tropical colours gives a rejuvenating time after a wildlife safari or just a holiday after work.
The Diani Beach is an award-winning beach, voted as one of Africa’s top 25 beaches and one of the best in the world. The weather in Diani is also favorable year-round.
The Nyali Beach is one of the top destinations in the Kenyan coastal area that’s dotted with a number of luxurious resorts. Watamu Beach on the other hand is a popular destination in the north coast and is also rated as one of Africa’s top 25 beaches. It’s also renowned for great deep-sea fishing. Malindi Beach is a haven for sky surfers and offer exciting glass-bottomed boat rides in the marine park.
Others include the Shanzu beach, Bamburi beach, Lamu beach, Vipingo beach, Tiwi beach, Gazi beach and Kikambala beach.
Kenya boasts of world class meeting places in addition to the traditional wildlife and beach attractions. It is a preferred Conference Tourism destination in Africa owing to its location and ease of international connections.
There are over 2000 meetings, incentive travel, conference and events/ exhibitions (M.I.C.E) facilities in form of hotels, lodges, learning institutions, Conference/Convention Centers and Stadia all over the country concentrated in the major towns, along the coast and national parks, all with conference facilities of varying capacities.
Nairobi hosts key International and regional meetings in the region. A leading MICE destination. The Kenyatta International Conference Center, United Nations office in Nairobi, Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi and the White sands hotel and Sun-n-sand hotel in Mombasa are among the main host venues for most of the international events / conferences coming to Kenya.
The most recent conferences that were held in Kenya include the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD 25) which brought 9,500 delegates IN November, 2019 and the 9th Summit of Afro Caribbean (ACP) Pacific Heads of State and Government 6 -10, December 2019.
Kenya is richly endowed with diverse and unique culture, history and heritage that have been developed for cultural heritage tourism. The Fort Jesus and Vasco da Gama Pillar are among the popular sites to visit.
The Coastal city of Mombasa which is the hub of Swahili culture and the town of Lamu (a UNESCO World heritage site) have a unique architecture. The old town has no modern roads and donkeys are the only means of transport. Other cultural heritage sites include:
Krapf Memorial Museum at Rabai in Kilifi county. It is considered as the first church in Kenya built by Luidwig Krapf in 1846. This church is associated with the arrival of Christianity and modern formal education in Kenya.
Kaya Kinondo, also known as Kaya Ngalaani is located on Kenya’s South coast in Msambweni, Kwale County. Kaya means ‘home’ or ‘village’ in the local dialect for the Digo community. In every Kaya, you will find huts, graveyards, and a ‘fingo’, a burial site for magical objects to protect the locals from calamities. They use the sacred forest as their primary place of worship and ceremonies.
Most memorable experience when visiting Kenya is the enriching cultural encounters with friendly Kenyans and ancient tribes.
There is a variety of accommodation to choose from ranging from hotels, lodges and tented Camps. They are located in the Urban cities, seaside towns and wildlife reserves and parks. The accommodations are price friendly from a low budget traveler to a high spending traveler.
Foods in Kenya are diverse and are a mix of ethnicity and tradition. Ugali is Kenyan staple. It’s a dish made of maize flour; it’s sometimes made of millet or sorghum flour. Kenya also offers a variety of international food offerings to suit every desire. You will also not miss an opportunity to have a taste of nyama choma, a specialty of barbecued meat, a very popular dish in Kenya during your stay.
Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife: https://www.tourism.go.ke/
Magical Kenya: https://magicalkenya.com/
Brand Kenya: https://brand.ke/
Kenya Tourism Board: https://ktb.go.ke/
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