1. The Coast
The coast of Kenya is a beautiful place to relax and unwind. It is low lying and sandy and shaded by coconut palms. As you relax on the beach you often see camels walking along the beautiful white sand shorelines with an electric azure-blue backdrop of crystal Indian Ocean.
The coast is alluring and perfect for above and beneath the water adventures. The region has a long and exotic history inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili.
2. Masai Mara
The best Safari destination in the world, the Mara is an amazing place to visit. The wildlife is in plenty, the culture diverse and the populace welcoming. One local nomadic tribe is the Maasai.
Adorned in their blue, black, striped, and checkered cloth and their beadwork which articulates their identity and position in society, The Maasai culture is a thing of beauty. Oftentimes you are actually able to see their homes from the inside getting a real feel for what living in unison with nature is all about.
3. Samburu
Located in the northern part of the country, this is a where the Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves are located. Many endangered species live and thrive here. You are able to see each one of them in their natural heritage.
There are also homesteads of the hospitable Samburu people. Tall and very regal, the amazing tribe loves brightly coloured clothing.
Men adorn themselves with necklaces, bracelets and anklets, like the Maasai with members of the moran age grade typically wearing their hair in long braids. Women keep their hair shaved and wear numerous necklaces and bracelets.
4. Lake Naivasha
It is a few minutes from Naivasha town. It is set in a complex geological combination of volcanic rocks and sedimentary deposits from a much larger Pleistocene era lake.The lake is spectacular for viewing game and wildlife. You can also get up close and personal with large Kenyan beasts like the rhinoceros, the leopard and the lion just to name a few.
Being a freshwater lake, it also has a healthy fish population to include black bass, tilapia and crayfish which attract a variety of fish-eating birds such as long-tailed and great cormorants, along with fish eagles, pelicans, and various types of kingfishers.
5. Amboseli
It will give you a magical view of the African grasslands like no other place on Earth. Kilimanjaro is a snow capped mountain that makes a beautiful setting for wildlife and bird watchers. The terrain is very diverse ranging from swampy to dessert and even a ravine forest.
From tropical rainforest storms to beautiful African sunsets this is a little piece of Heaven on Earth. The Amboseli National Park has 400 species of birds including water birds, pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hammerkops and 47 types of raptors. The park protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake.
6. Lamu
Lamu is Kenya’s oldest continually inhabited town, and was one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa. It contains many fine examples of Swahili architecture. The old city is inscribed on the World Heritage List as “the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa”.
It has an irresistible appeal that visitors love. This is a charming place, the locals are friendly and there is a lot to see when you visit the island town. Notable buildings in the town include, Lamu Fort, Riyadha Mosque and Donkey Sanctuary.
7. Mount Kenya
This is the second largest mountain in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian, Nelion and Point Lenana. Its forested slopes are an important source of water for much of Kenya. Many alpine species are endemic to Mount Kenya, such as the giant lobelias and senecios and a local subspecies of rock hyrax.
The mountain also houses the Mount Kenya National Park. Those who have climbed the mountain can attest to its lush and breathtaking scene. One would have to see this in person to appreciate its majestic glory.
8. Tsavo
It ranks amongst the most famous and largest national parks in Kenya. The Mudanda Rock is one of its greatest tourist attraction point. It is a 1.6 km inselberg of stratified rock that acts as a water catchment that supplies a natural dam below.
It offers an excellent vantage point for the hundreds of elephants and other wildlife that come to drink during the dry season. The Yatta plateau, Lugard falls and Aruba dam are some of its other attractions.
This is a great place for safari. It possesses some of the most diverse landscapes in Africa. Unspoiled wilderness teaming with wildlife and all sorts of nature is ready to be explored here. There is a viewing chamber and nature walks are also available.
9. The Aberdares
Picturesque, steep forested ravines and open moorland characterise the Aberdares. It is provides a habitat for elephants, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, buffalos, warthogs and bushbucks among others. It is a bit cooler than the lower lying areas in Kenya.
There are forest reserves waiting to be explored. It is a place close to Eden. Visitors to the park can find different types of accommodation according to their taste, ranging from the Treetops tree-house lodge, to the Ark – built in the shape of Noah’s Ark- and three self-help banda sites, eight special campsites and a public campsite in the moorland.
10. Lake Nakuru
This is one of Kenya’s best kept secrets. It is teaming with wildlife and bird life and offers amazing scenery. It is probably one of the most beautiful experiences you will ever have. The swelling Flamingo population makes Lake Nakuru a wonder to behold. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognisable due to the continually shifting mass of pink.
Other birds also flourish in the area, as do warthogs, baboons and other large mammals. No matter what brings you to Kenya, making out time to visit one or all of these beautiful locations will change the way you see Africa.