Kenya

GEOGRAPHY
Some 583 000 kilometers square, bisected by the equator, inhabited by over 40 different tribes, and populated by the most numerous and varied wildlife in the world, Kenya is the 'Cradle of Mankind' and a land of spectacular contrast. From the pre-historic splendour of the Rift Valley to the beautiful beaches of the Indian Ocean, from the cultural hub of Nairobi to the game-parks of Tsavo and the Masai Mara, this vast country is a traveller's heaven. Kenya. In Hemingway's words, " Unknowable, unimaginable, unbelievable." And completely unforgettable.

MAJOR AREAS

NAIROBI
Just 140km south of the equator between the port of Mombasa on the Indian ocean, 494 km to the east, and Lake Victoria, 338 km to the west at an altitude of 1670 m, lies Nairobi. It was not until the turn of the century when the Uganda railway reached half way across East Africa at "Enkare Nyarobe" ( the place of the cold water), in 1896 that the area become a permanent settlement. In 1907 the British moved the colonial administration from Mombasa to Nairobi and since them, what was once a small group of huts, has grown spectacularly into East Africa's most modern city. Nairobi's moderate climate, rich history, modern facilities and central location makes it an obvious start to any visit to Kenya.

MOMBASA AND THE COASTLINE
The Kenya Coastline is truly a distinctive part of the country with a rich romantic history dating back over a 1000 years. It is home of the Miji Kenda civilization (the nine tribes who inhabited the area) from whose dialects the Swahili language, Kenya's Lingua Franca, evolved to be spoken across half of Africa. The island town of Mombasa, besides being the headquarters of the province, is the main sea gate on the Eastern African coastline and is Kenya's oldest and second major metropolis. Along the palm fringed coastline lies a spectacular coral reef running almost uninterrupted for 480 km teeming with wonders of marine life, lagoons, creeks and overwhelming bird life in mangrove forests or overhanging cliffs. These together with a variety of entertainment makes a holiday at the coast a truly memorable experience.

The 16'th century fort Jesus in the old town is important for it's historical significance. The Fort is the oldest in Africa built by the Portuguese explorers. It is now a national museum and houses well preserved artefacts and relics, some dating 300 years ago. A visit to the fort is a journey back in time. At the end of your visit you may enjoy a refreshing chilled class of lime juice atop the battlements symbolic of the turbulent history of the Fort cooled by breezes from the Indian Ocean.

Shimoni to the south of Mombasa is a popular fishing village. Nearby Funzi Island provides ideal bathing conditions and there is a Marine National Park. A variety of water sports are available at several hotels centered on the Diani Beach about 40km from Mombasa and the Shimba Hills National Reserve offer excursions for wildlife viewing. Jumba la Mtwana to the north offers insights to life during the 15'th and 16'th centuries when the economic and trading life of the Swahili people centered mainly on agriculture, wood carving, mangrove cutting, fishing, metal work, quarrying, boat building and construction as well as trade in ivory and gold.

WESTERN KENYA
Lake Naivasha and Nakuru, are a perfect day trip from Nairobi and the spotting point for hundreds and thousands of Flamingoes. Lake Bogoria features hot springs, the sight of fishermen in papyrus boats and the rare Greater Kudu. Nakuru boats the rare Rothschild Giraffe and an extraordinary Rhino sanctuary. While Naivasha is best seen by boat. Further west is Lake Victoria, source of the Nile, and the Afro-Alpine flora of Mt Elgon National Park, both reached through the immense pre-historic landscape of the Rift Valley.

Eight kilometres south of Nakuru Town and covering and area of 200 square kilometres, Nakuru park is unquestionably " the greatest ornithological spectacle on earth" - the congregation point of an estimated 100,000 to 2 million flamingoes and over 400 species of birds. With the park greatly enlarged since its creation in 1961, and extensive ecological cleaning up of the area, wildlife of a wide variety can now be seen in the park

MASAI MARA
The classic safari from July to September, the Mara provides one of nature's most dramatic spectacles, the annual migration of over a million wildebeest and zebras, teeming from the south to cross the Mara river into the Masai Mara National Reserve. The stunning Savannah streches on forever. In the vast landscape you can see Cheetah the fastest animal in the world, chasing Antelope and Gazelle. In the Mara river Hippos bathe, and on the banks, Crocodiles sun themselves. One of the world's very special places.

The Great Migration - an Ancient Impulse

As East Africa's plains fade yellow after the summer's rains, an ancient signal is sent to millions of beast as one, the horizon blurring with the bodies of 1.4 million wildebeest and 200 000 zebra, eland and gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa's great predators. This is the migration - one of the most awe-inspiring sights on earth.

The migration has its origin on Tanzania's southern Serengeti plains, where great herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson's gazelle gather to graze on the rain-ripened grass in January.

But by the end of May the depleted plains are unable to sustain them - and an ancient impulse commands them to move. Like iron filings being drawn by a magnet, the great herds sweep north towards the Masai-Mara plains.

By July the herds have amassed along the swollen Mara River - their final barrier from the short, sweet grasses ahead. With wild eyes, they plunge in to face the crocodiles which await them. Many who struggle through the deadly flotilla are drowned, or else weakened, falling prey to ambushing lions. This is the dramatic life-and-death struggle that travelers have come to see.
Between June and October the herds total 1.4 million beasts in the Masai Mara and a dust cloud of movement and noise pervades the air. Here the green grass of the Mara-plains nourishes them - until the arrival of the November rains, calling them back south again. Back on the rain-sweetened Serengeti grasslands, the pregnant females give birth in spontaneous profusion. The circle of life is completed.

MOUNT KENYA & THE ABEDARES
Snow-capped Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain, a stunning and challenging destination for climbers and trekkers. Below the mountain's alpine meadows roam Mountain Elephant, Black Rhino, Cape Buffalo and Antelope. On it's lower slopes is Ol Pejeta, a private range and Rhino sanctuary and nearby is the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club founded by William Holden. The Aberdares sport high alpine moorland and primeval aloe forest. Here you can visit Treetops where leopard can regularly be seen refreshing themselves.

The Aberdare Ranges are a mountain group that are also known as the Nyandarua Ranges in Kikuyu. They were explored in 1883. The mountains were named by Joseph Thomson in 1883 after Lord Aberdare who was the then president of the Royal Geographical Society. Lying in these mountains, this park covers an area of 770 square kilometres. A mixture of mountain rain forest, moorland, thick bamboo forests and sub alpine plants make up the vegetation in this park. Giant Health and Tussock grass cover the moorlands which are crossed by wandering trout filled streams that cascade into beautiful waterfalls. Vast numbers of wildlife are found on the eastern side of the Aberdares as compared to the Western side which is surrounded by the steep eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley.

AMBOSELI
Ever present is the remarkable view of Kilimanjaro, under which the park boasts one of Kenya's best displays of wildlife. Hemingway wrote of it as the essence of Africa. Elephants rummage in the lower forests, Leopards prowl the salt flats, Antelope graze. All against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro's majestic peak. The classic image of Africa.

Apart from a few patches of acacia forest, Amboseli parklands comprise of only scrub and very fragile saline grass-the dry volcanic ash would host little more. The melting snows of Kilimanjaro feed rivers and springs that supply water to the swamps and like Amboseli, which is usually completely dry flooding only in the rainy seasons. Attracted to the swamps are a large variety of wildlife comprising of Antelope, Wildebeeste, Giraffe, Zebra, large herds of Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo, and the predators, the Lion, Cheetah and occasionally the Leopard. Much a part of the Amboseli scenery are the Maasai tribesmen who graze their cattle here, for this is also the home of the Maasai.

SAMBURU & BUFFALO SPRINGS
The semi-arid country of northern Kenya, framed by volcanic mountain ranges and dotted with lakes, each unique. Throughout the region, rare animals abound; the Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Grevy's Zebra, and long-necked Gerenuk. Adjacent to this area is the beautiful Meru National park home of Elsa the Lioness befriended by Joy and George Adamson and featured in Joy's Book and the film, Born Free. Similar in the flora and fauna the three reserves of Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs are situated around the Uaso Nyiro River. The park lies in a semi arid, open savannah plain broken occasionally by small rugged hills.

TSAVO EAST & TSAVO WEST
Possibly the world's biggest game sanctuary. On the east side roam 'red' Elephants, named from the colour of rich earth of the area they throw over themselves. On the west are the Mzima springs where Hippo and Crocodile bathe. A model national park in geographic, animal and plant diversity, situated half way between Nairobi and Mombasa - making it ideal for those wanting to include both safari and coast on their itinerary. In the evening Tsavo Sunsets span the sky filling the horizons with incredible colour. One of the great geological spectacles of Tsavo East National Park is the Mudunda Rock 24 kilometres north of Voi Safari Lodge between the Voi and Manyani Gates. This stratified rock is a water catchment area supplying a dam at its base-a congregation point during dry seasons for hundreds of Elephant, Buffalo and other game which can be viewed from a vantage poing halfway up the rock.

More popular of the two is the wilderness north of Tsavo West with its fine extensive plains, lava flows, steep rocky hills and the famous Mzima Springs. A natural wonder this oasis in an arid lava plain pours out daily 2,250 litres of water that has travelled 48 kilometres under the ground from the Chyullu Hills. Hippos, Crocodiles and a wide variety of fish can be seen in the crystal clear water from a sunken observation tank. Numbering over 20,000 the world's greatest concentration of elephants are the dominant animals of theis park, for decades devastating vegetation to its present scrub grassland.

TRANSPORT

INTERNAL AIR SERVICES
Kenya Airways flies daily to Mombasa, Malindi and Kisumu. Sunbird operate regular flights to the Masai Mara and Lamu.

AIR CHARTER
Kenya's air charter services are amongst the most sophisticated in the world. The major charter companies operate from Nairobi's Wilson Airport.

SELF DRIVE
With a self-drive car all of Kenya is open to you. Our road network is extensive and growing all the time. If you have any questions or are travelling in the rainy seasons, check with the AA in Nairobi.

DRIVING
Short-stay drivers need only their own valid driving license endorsed at the road transport office in Nairobi, but an international licence is the most convenient. Distances in Kenya are given in kilometers, petrol is sold in liters and driving is on the left.

CLIMATE
The vegetation which covers the rocks and the wildlife that live there and the overall attractiveness of a climate essentially depend on three major factors: temperature, rainfall and humidity. In Kenya these three factors are con trolled by altitude. In general the low areas are very hot and the temperature falls as the land rises. The low areas also tend to have poor rainfall and a dry atmosphere with low humidity. The main exceptions are the coastal strip and the area along the shore of Lake Victoria in the west. Both are hot with high rainfall and high humidity.

HISTORY
The region has long been a migratory path, passed through by wave upon wave of peoples from all over Africa and, later, from the Middle East as well. By the 10th century or so, the region had developed its own lingua franca, Swahili, which is a Bantu language heavily overlaid with Arabic. Among other familiar words, safari is Swahili, meaning simply travel. With the arrival of the Portuguese at the end of the 15th century, the East African coastal region was for a time dominated by the Europeans. However, in 1729 the Portuguese were expelled, to be replaced by two Arab dynasties. Arab rule lasted until the end of the 18th century, when Kenya passed into the British sphere of influence. The country became independent in 1963. Although it has experienced its share of internal and external strife, Kenya has in recent years been moving toward a more stable, multi-party political system.

HEALTH
Regulations regarding health may change from time to time, therefore a check with any airline flying scheduled flights to Kenya is advised. There is high malaria prevalence in some parts of Kenya and visitors are advised to take anti-malarial drugs two weeks before departing for Kenya. There are good medical facilities in major towns and Nairobi has excellent medical specialists. You can also look the following site for more information. www.travelclinics.co.za

TRAVEL TIPS

WATER
It is not advisable to drink tap water in Kenya. All hotels and lodges provide boiled water in flasks in their rooms. Bottled is widely available.

FOOD
Hotel cuisine is good, usually buffet style, offering a wide variety. Most hotels have a speciality. These are very popular and some require table reservations especially on Fridays and weekends. Fish and meat are widely eaten and are of excellent quality. Fresh vegetables & fruits are readily available as well as tasty vegetarian dishes. Plenty of spice & chillies are used in local dishes.

DRINK
Kenya produces good wines and beers of various brands. Fresh fruit juice is plentiful and available in most restaurants and bars. Prices vary with hotel bars being the most expensive.

CLOTHING
Coast Light clothing due to high humidity. Cotton and loose fitting garments are comfortable. Other towns Knee length shorts or skirts and T-shirts are acceptable. To a place of worship, men should wear long trousers and ladies skirts below the knee.

NATIONAL PARKS
Amboseli National Park
Kerio Valley National Reserve
Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria National Reserve
Lake Nakuru National Park
Longonot National Reserve and Lake Naivasha
Masai Mara National Reserve
Maralal National Reserve
Central Island National Parks
Aberdare National Park
Mount Kenya National Park
Arabuko - Sokoke Forest Reserve
Kiunga - Malindi - Watamu - Kisite Marine National Parks
Tana River Primate National Reserve
Tsavo West National Park
Shimba Hills National Reserve
Marsabit National Reserve
Meru National Park
Ol Doinyo Supuk National Park
Samburu - Buffalo Springs - Shaba National Reserves
Tsavo East /Chyullu Hills National Park
South Island National Parks
Sibiloi National Park
Nairobi National Park
Arawale National Park
Boni and Dodori National Reserves
Losai National Reserve
Nasalot and South Turkana National Reserves
Lambwe Valley National Reserve and Lake Victoria
Mount Elgon National Park