Kenya
Of all the countries in Africa, none can match the sheer range of scenery and landscapes found in Kenya. No other country contains a greater variety and concentration of wild animals and birds. Nowhere else in Africa is such diversity found in such abundance. This is the magic of Kenya. There is so much to see and do, the difficulty lies in deciding in what to leave out of a Kenyan safari.
The annual wildebeast migration to the Masai Mara is one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles, not to be missed if visiting between August and October. Kenya is the original safari destination, and today the teeming herds of plains, game and their attendant predators, and the endless rolling grasslands still cast a fascinating spell on all who see them.
With a thousand species of birds to spot, a million pink flamingo to count, not to mention spotting the big game, Kenya really is a feast for the eyes!
Kenya is an all round safari destination, although the varying weather patterns through the year will dictate the types of animals you are likely to see. For more detailed information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our specialist staff.
Annual rainfall over most of the country is surprisingly low and rather variable from year to year however a trend of a double rainy season between March and May and between November and December, with two intervening dry seasons can be distinguished. Temperatures over much of Kenya are subtropical or temperate, because of the reduction of temperature with altitude, and are similar to those in California summer in France or southern Britain rather than those elsewhere in equatorial Africa.
Only the coastal lowlands experience the constant high temperatures and humidity associated with equatorial latitudes. Even here they are less oppressive than one might expect, because of the regular daytime sea breezes and longer hours of sunshine.
It is not surprising that with such a favourable climate - sunny, only moderately wet, and not too hot - and a great variety of scenery, wild life, game parks, and good communications, Kenya has many attractions for the tourist.
The variety of relief and the range of altitude in Kenya produce a considerable number of distinctive local climates and local weather. The country can be divided broadly into four climatic regions – The Coastal Region; The Northern Frontier Districts and the Lower Inland Plateau; The Kenya Highlands; and the higher mountain regions - each of these with certain features of equatorial climates.
Safari
The obvious Kenya activity is the safari, but there are many ways to safari. Camel safaris - in the Samburu and Turkana tribal areas between Isiolo and Lake Turkana - must rate as the most unforgettable. The country´s most talked about game park is the quintessential Masai Mara National Reserve west of Nairobi. Other highly rated parks include the Amboseli for its black rhinos and the dense Kakamega with its 330-plus species of birds. For a superb, silent aerial overview of the Mara and Serengeti, several lodges in the Masai Mara National Reserve offer ballooning, or you could even have a go at microlighting.
Hiking and climbing
You don´t have to be a mountaineer to climb Mount Kenya just very fit, able to read a map, use a compass and allow time to acclimatise yourself to the altitude. The mountain has several peaks, only Point Lenana the third highest can be reached by those without technical skills, but at just under 5,000 metres it´s still a demanding undertaking. The Aberdare Range also provides some good hiking.
Beaches & Water Sports
The Indian Ocean coast has many white coral sand beaches with reefs and warm water. Around coastal towns such as Malindi and the Lamu Archipelago, there´s plenty of diving, windsurfing and good old beach lazing to be had. Kenya is famous for its game-fishing opportunities off the coast around Malindi. White-water rafting on the blood-curdling Athi/Galana River is also becoming increasingly popular