Where to go in Kenya
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List of regions
Naivasha means ‘Rippling Water' and the glittering waters of Lake Naivasha resemble a gem strung along the stunning necklace that is the Great Rift Valley. The approach from the top of the escarpment into the Great Rift Valley is perhaps one of the most stunning views in Kenya, with the stark volca…
Lake Nakuru, with its swathes of pink flamingos, is the focal point of the small but perfectly formed Lake Nakuru National Park. Its size belies the great diversity of flora within - from the striking succulent Euphorbia tree to a glorious forest of fever trees.
The rugged peaks of Mount Kenya, sacred to the local Kikuyu tribe, dominate the landscape of the Central Highlands. The name Kenya in fact derives from the Akamba word Kiinya - mountain of the ostrich - as the twin peaks of Nelion and Batian are said to look like an ostrich feather.
Mombasa is Kenya's second city and perhaps its most charming. Saturating the offshore island it's situated on, it's a crowded city but somehow always chilled, far less frenetic than the capital, Nairobi.
The Masai gave Nairobi its name when there was nothing here but a swamp - Ewasa Nai'beri means ‘Place of Cold Water'. Then there were a few shacks, but during the construction of the railway from the coast into the interior this nothingness became Nairobi, a bustling boomtown.
The Masai Mara is where Big Five viewing is almost assured. The Mara also hosts one of the most stunning wildlife spectaculars in the world - the annual wildebeest migration into the neighbouring Serengeti, in Tanzania, stirring the dust along the plains on their way.
Amboseli has the perfect backdrop at all times - the flat-topped Kilimanjaro rising above it in dramatic fashion. It's a scene straight from central casting for perfect safaris - the daily cycle of life on the plains played out against the imposing snow capped mountain, the highest in Africa.
Kenya is the home of safari as we know it. From the early days, when hunters congregated at the bar of the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi to plot their routes, to today's tailor-made options taking in different game reserves and luxury lodges and camps, the thrill of setting off on safari is a real Kenya…
The Great Rift Valley is perhaps at its most staggeringly beautiful in Kenya. The sheer sides of the escarpment offer endless views of wide plains and dramatic volcanic sculptures. There's also sweeping savannah, offset here and there by lakes of jewel hues, from emerald to sapphire, supporting bot…
