Kenya

Quick Facts

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Capital

Nairobi

Population

29,008,000

Government

Republic

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic), Indigenous beliefs, Islam

Languages

Swahili, English

Calling Code

+254

Nationality

Local name

Introduction

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Though it's probably best to leave your valuables at home before travelling to Kenya (the country's crime rate is shocking), the risk of getting mugged is well outweighed by the fabulous attractions Kenya has to offer. Straddling the coast are cities like Mombasa and Lamu: cities with a long and sometimes tumultuous history, but whose heritage is proudly preserved by architecture which has survived centuries. Also boasting a spot along the coast (known widely as the Coral Coast) is Malindi, where visitors can enjoy some of the nation's finest beaches and diving opportunities.

But the undeniable highlight of any trip to Kenya has to be the safari. Well-organized tours provide an ideal way of getting up close to the wildlife, for a truly ethereal experience. Images of elephant herds passing before the mighty backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro (at Amboseli National Park) will undoubtedly be ingrained on your memory forever.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Kenya consists of 8 provinces, subdivided into 71 districts. The provinces and their districts are:

• Central province: Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Maragua, Muranga, Thika and Kiambu;

• Coastal province: Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa, Taita-Taveta and Tana River;

• Eastern province: Embu, Isiolo, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Marsabit, Mbeere, Central Meru, Northern Meru, Southern Meru, Moyale, Mwingi and Tharaka;

• Nairobi: It's both a province and a district and forms the total urban area of the capital Nairobi
• Northeastern province: Garissa, Ijara, Wajir and Mandera;

• Nyanza: Bondo, Gucha, Homa Bay, Kisii, Kisumu, Kuria, Migori, Nyamira, Nyando, Rachuonyo, Siaya and Suba;

• Rift Valley: Baringo, Bomet, Buret, Kajiado, Keiyo, Kericho, Koibatek, Laikipia, Marakwet, Nakuru, Nandi, Narok, Samburu, Trans Mara, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot;

• Western province: Bungoma, Busia, Butere, Kakamega, Lugari, Mount Elgon, Teso and Vihiga.

Cities

• Nairobi
• Mombasa
• Nakuru
• Meru
• Kisumu
• Eldoret

Sights and Activities

Kenya, along with Tanzania, is East Africa's prime country to enjoy a real African safari. There are many national parks to enjoy, all with their own characteristics and some parks have animals you won't see anywhere else, like certain types of zebra or giraffe.

Masai Mara Game Reserve

Although it does not enjoy the privilege to be called a national park, that doesn't change anything to the experience of this most famous park in Kenya. The park is actually a continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the yearly migration of hundreds of thousands of animals, manly gazelles, zebras and wildebeests, is something you can enjoy in this game reserve as well. The Masai Mara is also known for its relative easy to see large quantities of predators, like lion, cheetah, leopard and several smaller ones like the caracal, serval and jackall. Other animals include the giraffe and all other large animals of the big five, like elephant, buffalo and rhino. Hippos and crocs are mostly seen in or near the Mara river and prey of the latter one include many sorts of antelopes. Birds are equally impressive though, albeit way smaller, but more colourful.

Amboseli National Park

Shower Time

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If you have seen photos of elephants or giraffes in front of a snowcapped cone of the Kilimanjaro, chances are almost 100% they were taken in this park, on the southern border of Kenya with Tanzania. You will see elephants for sure and very close as well, just roaming freely along the roads in this park, which mainly protects swampy areas and savanna grasslands. The park is relatively small though and a few days here is probably enough before moving on to other impressive safari places in Kenya.

Tsavo National Park

This is the largest of all national parks in Kenya, and actually consists of two national parks, aptly named Tsavo West and Tsavo East with the main Mombasa-Nairobi road dividing the two. While Tsavo East is the biggest, Tsavo West is the one which enjoys the most scenic landscapes, higher animal densities and a beautiful black rhino sanctuary. As a consequence Tsave West is more visited, but Tsavo East is equally good and you won't see many travellers here, which only adds to the experience. The park is also known for its lions which killed many people working on the railway across the park in the early twentieth century.

Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park is located in the central southern parts of Kenya, close to the city of Nakuru. The park is famous for its tens of thousands of flamingos nesting along the shores and the lake sometimes looks like one big pink mass. The park has been enlarged mainly to protect other animals as well, like the Rothschild giraffes and black rhinos who roam here since several years. Other animals include predators like lion and leopard as well as several of antelope species and numerous birds.

Events and Festivals

Weather

While most of Kenay lies in the hot and humid tropical zone, there are huge differences regarding temperatures and rainfall that mainly coincide with either altitude or latitude. The coastal zone is hot and humid year round with temperatures above or around 30 degrees Celcius during the day and still above 20 degrees at night. Like the rest of the country, the hottest months are from December to March while June to September is the coolest time of the year. Also like most of Kenya, the area has two rainy seasons, a longer and heavier one from March to early June and a shorter one from late October to early December, with some downpours at the end of the day instead of days of rain on end in April and May. This climate applies to the southwest of the country as well, albeit with cooler nights.
South central parts of Kenya are mainly somewhat cooler and less humid because of its elevation. Nairobi rarely sees temperatures of more than 28 degrees during the day while nights can drop below 10 degrees in July and August.
The centre and the north of the country are much hotter and drier with temperatures even in the cooler months of June to September rarely below 32 degrees during the day and even hitting 40 degrees (or more!) up north in January and February. Rain is becoming less reliable here and even the wetter months of April or November can see days withouth a single drop.

Getting there

Plane

Kenya Airways is the national airline of the country and one of the biggest in Africa. Its base is at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) near the capital Nairobi. International destinations include those to and from Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Bamako, Bangkok, Bujumbura, Cairo, Moroni (Comoros), Dar Es Salaam, Dakar, Djibouti, Douala, Dubai, Entebbe, Freetown, Guangzhou, Harare, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lilongwe, London-Heathrow, Lubumbashi, Maputo, Mayotte, Monrovia, Mumbai, Port Louis, Seychelles, Yaoundé and Zanzibar.
Several dozens of other airlines serve Nairobi, mainly from other African and European cities.
Moi International Airport (MBA) near Mombasa receives international flights as well, mainly catering to package holidays from the west. From Brussels, London, Milan, Zürich, Amsterdam (Martinair), Manchester, Frankfurt and Paris there are direct flights.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Bus services to international destinations include those from Nairobi to Kampala in Uganda, and Arusha and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

By Boat

Getting around

Plane

Kenya Airways has flights between Nairobi, Mombasa and Lamu.

By Train

There are trains that connect the coastal city of Mombasa with the capital Nairobi. Unfortunately, trains don't travel further to Kampala in Uganda anymore.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

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