A visit to Kenya is synonymous with safari, and rightfully so. Kenya’s nationwide parks teem with wildlife, with probably the most well-known being Maasai Mara Recreation Reserve, well-known for the Massive 5 – lion, leopard, black rhino, elephant and buffalo – and the Nilotic Maasai tribe with their distinct pink conventional shuka (checkered material).
However Kenya has rather more to supply than nationwide parks. It options forested mountains begging to be clambered up and sprawling cities with eating places, nightclubs and retailers. You’ll be able to chill out on pristine seashores, dive to uncrowded spots on the Indian Ocean’s ground or go on an exciting off-road journey.
No matter sort of journey you’re after, you will discover it in Kenya. Listed here are the best places to add to your itinerary.
1. Nairobi
A metropolis on the heart of all of it, Kenya’s capital is a superb stopover in case you’re wanting to head off on safari, hit the seashore or visit every thing in between.
Unpack your luggage and spend a few days consuming your means throughout the array of bars and eating places in Nairobi – buzzy spots akin to Cultiva, the place the chef’s South American roots will be tasted in every farm-to-table dish, or Unseen Nairobi, an impartial artwork home and rooftop bar, the place signature sandwiches function the proper facet to indie movies. With artwork galleries, open-air cinemas showcasing African movies, buying, stand-up comedy reveals and museums, Nairobi is wealthy in city experiences.
Planning tip: Even in the capital, you possibly can rise up shut with wildlife. Choices embrace seeing orphaned child elephants at Sheldrick Wildlife Belief, feeding Rothschild giraffes at Giraffe Centre and recognizing 4 of the Massive 5 (excluding elephants) at Nairobi Nationwide Park towards an unlikely backdrop of billboards, visitors and skyscrapers.
2. Turkana
Distant, inhospitable and traditionally drought-stricken, Turkana appears to be like like an unlimited empty space on the map of Kenya, however it’s a giant draw for adventurers who thrive on problem. Though the area has an airport, the joys is in driving, which requires a dependable 4×4 to maneuver the craggy roads.
Given how scorching and arid the area is, jade-blue Lake Turkana, the most important desert lake in the world, supplies a beautiful shock. Visit Eliye Springs with its sandy seashores and towering inexperienced palm timber, and you may assume you’re on Diani Seaside on the Kenyan coast, or hire a speedboat and zip to Central Island, the place a brief hike leads up to a volcanic crater lake. Don’t neglect your swimming trunks, however be cautious of Nile crocodiles camouflaged on the rocks.
Quick-developing Lodwar city bursts with energetic nightlife and in addition options its personal reproduction of Brazil’s well-known Christ the Redeemer statue. For an actual glimpse into the previous, drive 129km (80 miles) west to see a duplicate of the archeological fossil stays of Turkana Boy, which has earned this area the identify “cradle of mankind,” a title seemingly claimed throughout Africa.
Planning tip: Time your visit with the annual Lake Turkana Cultural Pageant in June for higher perception into northern tribes such because the Borana, Rendille, Turkana and Samburu. Drive east of Lake Turkana, and also you’ll get to the Chalbi Desert, which has salt pans that unfold to the Ethiopian border. You’ll be able to sandboard the dunes and meet villagers at North Horr for an perception into their tradition.
3. Maasai Mara
Certainly one of Africa’s nice bucket-list safari locations, Maasai Mara lies in Kenya’s southwestern area and stretches for 1510 sq km (583 sq miles) into Tanzania’s Serengeti. Spot all of the Massive 5 and different wildlife, in addition to greater than 450 species of birds. Encounter wildlife from a safari automobile, scorching air balloon with a champagne breakfast, on horseback or on a guided strolling safari.
It’s also possible to visit Maasai villages for a first-hand perception into this well-known tribe’s lifestyle, from girls constructing homes plastered with cow dung to their shut relationship to the cattle they herd.
Planning tip: The best time to visit is in October, when thousands and thousands of wildebeest migrate throughout the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem in search of verdant pasture and to calve, an action-packed scene that usually includes them being hunted down by crocodiles and large cats.
4. Kisumu
Kisumu is the gateway into western Kenya and boasts an idyllic proximity to one of many African Nice Lakes, Lake Victoria.
Boat rides and bird-watching are the large attracts right here. Head to Le Pearl or Dunga Hill Camp to strive tilapia, both deep-fried or slathered in a thick and scrumptious fried tomato and onion base, served with ugali (a neighborhood staple comparable to a thick porridge) and no cutlery.
The sunsets over the water in Kisumu are well worth the journey, however you can too dance till morning to fashionable ohangla music at varied spots in city, stroll round Impala Sanctuary or discover out-of-town caves and rock formations, akin to Package-Mikayi and the lesser-known Abindu Caves.
Zip down to the lake’s hottest islands: Mbita, Rusinga or Takawiri, the place the seashores are powder white and the sunsets glow. Because the solar units, you will see the “ghost cities” fashioned by tons of of lanterns hoisted on wood canoes by fishermen heading off to fish by night time.
Planning tip: Getting right here from Nairobi can contain both a 45-minute flight or no less than six hours on the street, however your best wager is the passenger prepare service launched in December 2021.
5. Lamu Island
In case you’re in search of a laid-back vacation spot with attractive seashores in Kenya, the Lamu archipelago is the place.
Historical past buffs ought to head to historic Lamu City – because the oldest Swahili settlement alongside East Africa’s shoreline, every thing from the structure to the meals is storied. The streets are so slender that it’s inaccessible by automobile; donkeys or strolling had been as soon as the one mode of transport, however in current years, motorcycle taxis known as boda-boda have modified the vibe of the city, whizzing via the corridors blasting the newest hits.
Hop on a speedboat and discover different spots throughout the archipelago, akin to Kiwayu Island. Sitting in Kiunga Marine Nationwide Reserve, it’s best for diving or sportfishing. In Shela village, vacation houses with infinity swimming pools that gaze out to the ocean are the norm. The annual Lamu Yoga Pageant in October attracts college students from internationally.
A night sundown cruise aboard a standard Mozambican-style dhow (wood boat) is a should. The island has a lot of nice eating places, akin to these at Peponi Lodge, Kijani and Diamond Seaside Village (don’t miss the total moon events!), or have a drink on the Floating Bar.
Planning tip: Modest clothes is predicted, overlaying shoulders and chests; Lamu is a largely Muslim city.
6. Amboseli Nationwide Park
With miles of dusty semi-arid grassland unexpectedly dotted with acacia timber and inexperienced marsh fed by underground water sources, Amboseli Nationwide Park options massive herds of elephants wallowing in the shallows, dust-bathing or coming so shut to your automobile that you may see their eyelashes.
Africa’s tallest mountain is likely to be in Tanzania, however the best views of Mt Kilimanjaro are undoubtedly from Kenya. On a transparent day, you possibly can see its snowcapped peak jutting out into the sky, making an unbelievable seize for photographers. Come night, sit back with a sundowner and benefit from the views, that are even higher at dawn from the vantage level of a scorching air balloon.
Wildlife use neighboring Kimana Sanctuary as a hall to transfer from the park to the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo, and your visit helps a community-owned conservancy – Kenya’s first, arrange in 1996. To champion the shift from looking to conservation in a neighborhood the place killing lions was as soon as a ceremony of passage, in addition they host a enjoyable biennial Maasai Olympics, in which younger males compete in club- and spear-throwing, excessive leaping and sprinting races.
7. Matthews Vary
Getting to the far-flung Matthews Vary in Samburu isn’t any simple feat. Hikers can select from varied scenic routes, every simply as serene as the subsequent, however for the best expertise, decide a path that leads via a cover of timber with emerald undergrowth so thick you will want a machete to clear the pathway, rising at an icy chilly rock pool on River Ngeng.
The best peak in these mountains is 2688m (8819ft), and temperatures get as little as 10ºC (50ºF). You’ll be able to camp or keep at distant lodges, like Kitich Forest Camp, the place you will be paired up with a Samburu information who will allow you to navigate the realm and level out wildlife by their tracks and sound. In your means down from the height, strive to spot Hartlaub’s turaco, a fowl which will as nicely be the Kenyan mascot as a result of it has the identical colours because the flag, and De Brazza’s monkey, a grasp at camouflage.
8. Watamu
Watamu is a superb hub for exploring the north coast, and the tradition has such a definite Italian affect that a number of locals communicate the language; improbably, Italians first got here right here in the 1960s to work on the close by Luigi Broglio House Middle. Many eating places supply pasta, pizza and gelato, and even some road indicators are in Italian.
Go diving or snorkeling in the marine park, be part of the Saturday night events at Papa Remo Seaside Restaurant, visit the putting canyons at Marafa Hell’s Kitchen (simply not in the center of the day since you may go out from the warmth), join boozy sundown cruises down Mida Creek or kite surf at Che Shale.
Planning tip: In case you’re right here in October, watch enormous humpback whales launch themselves into the air earlier than touchdown again in the ocean a number of toes away out of your boat.
Lonely Planet contributor Helena Smith supplied further edits and fact-checking.