Vinod K
Best Places to Visit in Kenya
Kenya lies at the very heart of the East African valley. an area of world-class wildlife viewing and legendary game reserves, it’s surely amongst the most-visited of nations within the region.
Just inspect the bucket-list-busting migrations that happen within the vast Mara, or look to the soaring heights of Mount Kenya, surrounded by flamingos and rare rhinos and wildebeest and more! However, Kenya’s isn’t almost 4X4s across the savannahs to identify elephants and lions.
It’s also got mile upon mile of lovely coastline along the Indian Ocean.
And that means beaches! Yep, travelers flock to the shorelines around Malindi and Mombasa to taste all the exoticism of Zanzibar, all involved with the smells of Keralan curries and Arabic tagines because of the multi-layered history.
And then there are the cities, topping out with the heady and energetic mass that’s Nairobi – altogether |one amongst|one in every of”> one among the most important metropolises in all of East Africa!
Let’s explore the simplest places to go to in Kenya:
1. Maasai Mara, Kenya
Home to perhaps the only most famous park within the world, this relatively small national reserve magnesites thousands of travelers to the reaches of East Africa per annum.
It’s bordered to the south (and immediately contiguous with) Tanzania’s acclaimed Serengeti park and displays the quintessential backcountry of the East African Rift: undulating savannah plains peppered with galloping zebra herds; swaying grasslands punctuated with the lanky stalks of giraffes; meadows of topi and waterholes dotted with Cape buffalo.
Safari is – in fact – the most important pull, with countless people heading certain the good Migration and to ascertain the fabled Big Five of African mammals.
2. Lamu Island
Ringed by sandbanks, bobbing dhows, mangrove swamps, and therefore the lapping waters of the Indian Ocean on the eastern fringe of Kenya, little Lamu Island still plays host to at least one of the foremost historically rich towns within the nation.
Named – appropriately – Lamu Old Town, this historic port of whitewashed facades and tropical timber wood houses are tagged by UNESCO for its exposition of traditional Swahili building methods.
But that’s not it, because the villages of Shela and Matondoni further along the coast of Lamu also boast a series of fascinating ports and mosques from centuries gone, while the age-old celebrations of Mawlid are a requirement for any culture vultures!
3. Amboseli National Park
Amboseli lives up to its reputation together with the crème de la crème of East African safari parks, and not least of all thereupon fine location below the colossal outline of none aside from Mount Kilimanjaro! within the shadow of that snow-topped massif – the very best on the continent – this protected reserve spreads call at a patchwork of dusty plains and savannahs, fields of curious sulfur spouts, and riparian wetlands all trodden by a number of the most important elephant herds within the country.
Today, wildlife lovers flock here to safari and see the good galumphing beasts next to cheetahs, wildebeest, giraffes, zebra, and more!
4. Nairobi
Sprawling, steel-clad Nairobi isn’t the prettiest of African cities initially glance, granted.
But there’s real charm and energy to be found during this nigh on four-million-strong capital within the southern heart of Kenya needless to say.
For starters, the town is famed because the only great metropolis with a real park smack bang within city limits – just inspect the Nairobi park, where giraffes meet cheetahs against the meanders of the Mbagathi River.
Add to that a series of great central markets that bubble with East African hotpots and foods, alongside one among Kenya’s best nightlife scenes, and bingo: you’ve got yourself a town that’s really well worth the stopover!
5. Hell’s Gate National Park
Sat midway between the town of Nairobi and therefore the backcountry town of Nakuru, Hell’s Gate covers a humble 68 square kilometers within the midst of southern Kenya.
A place of real natural beauty, it’s defined by startling and unforgettable rock formations that rise like splinters from the scrub-dressed ground.
Considered by many to possess been the inspiration for the Disney film The Lion King, the world has high escarpments and deep valleys carved through its terrain, each bearing curious monikers like Fischer’s Tower and therefore the great Embarta.
Between the gorges and canyons, you’ll expect to ascertain wildebeest and vultures, African buffalo, and Thomson’s gazelle, to not mention packs of lions to boot!
6. Tsavo East National Park
One of the oldest and largest national parks altogether in East Africa, the good stretches of Tsavo East rarely fail to top the charts of the best safari destinations on the earth.
They can be found cascading down from the sun-baked highlands of the Chyulu Hills that straddle the border with Tanzania to the south; a mosaic of swaying savannah grasses and red-hued rocks that rise like escarpments from the dusty, arid grounds.
The eastern fringe of the park is delineated by the flow of the Athi River, which provides thanks to the good stones of Yatta – one among the most important lava channels within the world.
And then there are the animals: everything from white-tailed mongooses to Cape buffalo, ground pangolins to cheetahs!
7. Mombasa
With overtones as exotic as nearby Zanzibar and history as deep as any of East Africa’s cities, Mombasa is an enigmatic and wonderful place to go to.
Swahili roots and traditions prevail, even after the influence of the erstwhile Portuguese and Arabic rulers raised colonial edifices and grand mosques between the streets.
Take a while to wander the European-flavoured Old Town, sample the spicy Indian-influenced curries, and absorb the energy of Mombasa port.
But don’t linger too long, because the beaches await, going from the shimmering white stretches along Bamburi to the palm groves of Shanzu!
8. Malindi
Ah Malindi: a town of tin-shack homes and old mosque towers from centuries gone, where the ocean has never been so warm and therefore the sand has never been so white! Yep, this humble little trading town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast has risen and risen in recent decades to become the favorite choice of European and American visitors looking to taste the sun and saltwater of East Africa.
Monuments to the good Portuguese explore Vasco da Gama Pillar still mark the middle of the place – a sworn statement to its gone – while strips of palm-backed beaches and resorts, pretty piazzas, and even pizza restaurants usher in the most important crowds.
9. Samburu National Reserve
The Samburu National Reserve marks the very heart of Kenya as an entire.
Hundreds of miles from the coast, and just edging up to the rising highlands that outline East Africa , the world gets its lifeblood from the meanders of the trickling Ewaso Ng’iro, which drops down this manner from the ice-caked top of Mount Kenya itself.
The terrain is defined by flat-topped acacia trees and therefore the occasional riparian oases of palms, while the wildlife includes lions and gazelles, Tanzanian cheetahs, waterbucks, crocodiles, and olive baboons.
10. Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru now sits at the guts of its very own park.
Just a little speck of blue on the Kenya map, this curious body of water rises above the good valley from between the acacia groves and meadows that surround it.
It’s famed primarily for its truly kaleidoscopic array of birdlife, which is defined by the pinkish glow of flamingos for many of the years.
Head up to the high-perched lookout points of Baboon Cliff for a few dramatic views of the world, before hitting the winding dirt tracks that ring the water’s edge to identify Eastern black rhinos, baboons, and countless migrating birds alike.
11. Laikipia
The rise and rise of the Laikipia District together with Kenya prime ecotourist hotspots has defied all expectations.
Without any totemic national parks or game reserves, the region entered the scene with just the pulls of its natural backcountry.
And as soon because the tour companies caught on to the unspoiled beauties of the sweeping green highlands and hills that rise and fall here, the remainder was history.
Today, oodles of safari folk flock come to enjoy off-the-beaten-track wildlife spotting, with destinations just like the Sosian Game Ranch, the Ol Ari Nyiro Conservancy et al. boasting the likes of Grevy’s zebras, wild dogs, and uber-rare black rhinos.
12. Lake Naivasha
Lake Nakuru, Kenya, Lake Naivasha’s brother, located just to the northwest, this mirror-like body of water is one among the important jewels of the Kenyan Rift.
Shining in hues of sky-blue beneath the red rock ridges of the aforementioned Hell’s Gate Park, the spot is widely famed for its thriving birdlife.
For example, there are uber-rare bearded vultures to ascertain, alongside ospreys, hawks, and eagles.
Add to that the geothermal power plants and natural phenomenon that occur within the nearby mountains, and it’s easy to ascertain why Naivasha is now considered such a desirable place to visit!
13. Kisumu
With one foot in Lake Victoria and therefore the other on the good highways that lead east to Nairobi, Mombasa, and therefore the port towns of the Indian Ocean, it’s hardly surprising that Kisumu cut its teeth within the mercantile trade.
However, things have ebbed and flowed tons within the last few decades, with the steamboats and transports dropping off a few times.
Revival is now within the works, but Kisumu features a regained respect for its historical traditions and natural attractions too.
So, forget the good freight and oil pipes, and appearance instead to the biodiversity of Dunga Beach, or the curious architecture of the Kisumu Town punch in the middle of the town.
14. Nyeri
Nyeri is extremely much the self-proclaimed gateway to the Central Highlands of Kenya.
At heart, it’s a dusty transport hub of a town, with purring scooters and rickshaws moving through the square-cut blocks and between the low-rise marketplaces.
However, its enviable location on the very fringe of the Aberdare Mountains, accessible of the Aberdare park (home to leopards, African wild dogs, giant forest hogs, cape buffalos, rhinos, and more), Mount Suswa, and therefore the South-western Mau Reserve makes it a true magnet for outdoorsy types!
15. Marsabit
Rising during a medley of ramshackle tin homes and lean-to timber shacks from the midst of the good Kenyan deserts within the north, this largely untrodden town is one for the conservation buffs and ethical tourists.
It’s currently the main target of a variety of humanitarian missions, which are trying to supply schooling, clean water, and therefore the wish to the local tribal communities.
More than 422 kilometers from Nairobi, the town is far-flung to mention the smallest amount but meaning an authentic view of Kenyan life, and an opportunity to ascertain the wilder (if that’s possible!), more arid and unexplored section of this popular East African country.
