Kenya

One of the most beautiful lands in Africa, with its long tropical beaches and adventurous wildlife parks, Kenya is an exciting and relatively easy place to travel. Travelling independently is the only way to do Kenya, you can enter the more genuine world inhabited by most Kenyans, landscapes of farm and field, iron shacks, overstuffed buses, vans, even bicycles and streets full of goats, cows and chickens.As in most countries, the further you go out of cities, the friendlier the people. Out in the wilds, there are vistas of rolling savannah dotted with Maasai and their herds, high moorlands, dense forests bursting with bird song and insect noise. On the Indian Ocean coast, there are beaches shaded with palms, a long continuous reef-Marine Conservation Area, that the tourist brochures do not do justice to. Add to that the many wildlife parks such as the Masai Mara and Tsavo, Amboseli and Nairobi National Park to name a few. The Great Rift Valley, a dry savannah, rips through the heart of the highlands and is dotted with lakes and hot springs.

Hostels and Student Accomodation



Places to See

Amboseli
North-west of Mt Kilimanjaro on the Kenya/Tanzania border, Amboseli is one of the best places to see lions, cheetahs, elephants and giraffes. A herd of elephants moving across the plain with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop, has got to be one of the most stunning sights in the world.

Lake Turkana
There are a lots of interesting places to visit on the way to Turkana. The main route, from Kitale to Lodwarhas two of the most interesting. Salwa Swamp National Park is small and you have to walk round it, the main attraction is the elusive Sitatunga swamp antelope. Further north is the Cherangari Hills one of the greatest trekking regions in the world. Climb up to 10,000 feet from Ortum for some stunning views.

Lake Nakuru
Once one of Kenya's largest bird sanctuary, at times it was possible to see over two million flamingoes-hence the name 'The Pink Lake'. The birds then moved to Lake Baringo in the north, but are now moving back and the choice is yours. The lake isn't a national park, so camp where you like.

Lamu
A travellers mecca, Lamu remains a beautiful place full of old Arab houses dating back to when Lamu was a trading center. The best time to visit is outside of the tourist season(March to November) preferably on the Prophet's Birthday when there is a week long festival for which Lamu is famed throughout the area.

Malindi
Very similar to Lamu, white-sand beaches, coral reefs, surfing and scuba diving, but more commercialised. The villages of Watamu and Gedi are not far from Malindi, the latter boasting ruins dating back to the 13th century. Tracks have been cleared through the jungle and excavations have unearthed mosques, a palace, houses and wells. A good place to visit if you have an interest in archaeology.

Masai Mara Game Reserve
Noted for its wildebeeste migration from Tanzania during July, August and September. Numerous animals can be seen here, lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, hippo's and crocodiles. A rarer sight nowadays is the Rhinoceros. Visits to a Masai village are a tourist attraction, but don't come cheap. Hire a 4x4 and go it alone, you will see far more than the guided tours show you. We went out all day and sat and watched groups of lions being teased by a Topi, sat in the jeep 100 yards away from 2 elephants and ate our lunch, saw the best rainbow we have ever seen anywhere, watched a lioness protect her 3 cubs from tourists and arrived back at the camp to discover the tour buses had been out twice for 1 hour and seen only 1 lion and a few gazelles.

Mombassa
Beaches and bazaars are plentiful in Mombassa, Likoni Beach, Diani and Tiwi to name a few. Fort Jesus was built by the Portuguese and taken by the Arabs in 1698 after a long 33 month siege, it is now a museum with lots of relics and artifacts from other ruins along the coast. Pay a visit to The Castle Hotel on Moi Avenue - lots of local color, sailors, prostitutes and travellers, a good place for a beer in the evenings. If you venture out of the city there are some excellent reggae clubs in the suburbs that are cheap and good fun.

Mount Kenya National Park
At 5200 metres, Mt.Kenya is one of Africa's highest mountains and very popular with climbers and trekkers.

Maasai Market
Every Tuesday, several dozen Maasai women vend beaded jewelry, baskets and gourds in the vicinity of the Meridian Court Hotel, Save your money don't use the souvenir shops buy here.