Safari parks, coral reefs and colorful cities of the African continent have been attracting travelers from all over the world for hundreds of years. Do you dream of observing wild animals in their natural habitat, seeing with your own eyes the place where the human race was born and standing on the equator? So, you definitely need to visit
Kenya.
Thanks to the diversity of natural areas, flora and fauna, Kenyan national parks are the most visited in Africa. On a safari in Kenya you can see not only all the representatives of the famous big five (elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion and leopard),
but also hippos, crocodiles, zebras, giraffes and exotic birds. In total, Kenya has more than 50 national parks and reserves located in different climatic zones – from savannas and deserts to mangrove forests and jungles.
Kenya’s most popular park is the Masai Mara. Between July and October, tourists flock here to witness one of the world’s most spectacular natural phenomena – the Great Animal Migration, during which an estimated two million antelope, gazelles and zebras cross from Tanzania to Kenya. Every year, following the rainy season in search of green pastures, artiodactyls travel more than 800 kilometers. The most spectacular and dramatic part of this journey is the crossing of the Mara River, in the waters of which crocodiles await mammals.
If you’re more interested in elephants, head to Amboseli Park on the Tanzanian border, where you can not only get a very close look at these animals, but also photograph them with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. A little to the east is the Tsavo Nature Reserve, on the territory of which there is a chance to meet all representatives of the big African five in one day.
Among other reserves and national parks in Kenya, the relatively small but very original Nairobi Park stands out. Its border runs just 7 kilometers from the center of the Kenyan capital, so here giraffes and rhinoceroses walk against the backdrop of skyscrapers made of glass and concrete. Inside this park there is a shelter for orphaned elephant calves, where they are first fed and then tried to be returned to a full life in the wild. Since this nursery is not essentially a tourist site, it is open to the public for only one hour a day (from 11 to 12),
but during the excursion you can feed and pet the baby elephants. Elephants are not the only animals you can get up close and personal with in Nairobi. Not far from the elephant nursery there is a national giraffe breeding center, where you are allowed to cuddle and hand feed them. Directly on the territory of this center there is a hotel, in the courtyard of which giraffes graze freely, periodically looking through the windows at vacationers.
The Kenyan capital is interesting not only for its animal nurseries and nature reserves – Nairobi has a rich cultural heritage. Be sure to visit the house-museum of the Danish Karen Blixen, author of the cult novel Out of Africa. The house has fully preserved the original furnishings of the early 20th century, which perfectly conveys the atmosphere of a typical African plantation of that time. We also recommend checking out the Kenyan National Museum – in addition to the ethnographic exhibition and an exhibition on colonization, there are thousands of stuffed birds and mammals and an impressive collection of hominid skulls.
Kenya is called the “cradle of humanity” because it was in this country, on the territory of the Rift Valley, that the oldest remains of hominids, the first ancestors of man, were discovered. The Rift Valley or East African Rift is a deep crack in the earth that runs through nine African countries. Anthropologists believe that in 3-4 million years East Africa will become an island, separated from the continent along this crack, and the outlines of the continents familiar to us will change forever. Of course, tourists are attracted to the rift valley not so much by its geological significance as by its magnificent views. This deep depression, along the bottom of which stretches a chain of salt lakes, and along the edges rise mountain peaks and volcanoes, is truly a magnificent sight.
Birds, in particular pink flamingos, love to settle on the shores of lakes in the rift valley. One of the best places to see flamingos is Lake Nakuru National Park in Central Kenya. Flocks of up to one and a half million flamingos gather on Nakuru, sometimes completely covering the surface of the lake. In addition to flamingos, the park is also home to about 400 species of birds and many mammals, including the rare white rhinoceros.
Kenya amazes with the diversity of fauna not only on land, but also under water. The waters of Malindi and Watamu National Marine Parks are home to stingrays, octopuses, whale sharks, sea turtles and a huge variety of tropical fish. The best diving season is from January to March; During this period, visibility under water exceeds 20 meters. Thanks to its developed infrastructure, first-class hotels and white sandy beaches, the Kenyan Indian Ocean coast is ideal not only for divers, but also for beach lovers.
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