Situated along the Nairobi River in beautiful Kenya, the capital of Nairobi is East Africa's most cosmopolitan city. It serves as an excellent starting point for African safari trips around Kenya. Nairobi is Africa’s 4th largest city and is a vibrant and exciting place to be. There are some fascinating attractions: its cafe culture, unbridled nightlife, the National Museum, the Karen Blixen Museum and most notably, just 20 minutes from the city centre, wild lions and buffalo roam in the world’s only urban game reserve. Make sure you pay a visit to the elephant orphanage operated by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for a once in a lifetime experience.
Spanning over thousands of hectares of vast open savannah grasslands in northern Kenya, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is home to the world’s largest population of Grevy’s zebra. Renowned as a pioneer and leader in responsible tourism, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy actively advances and develops community engagement and wildlife conservation. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and serves as an important sanctuary for a large selection of wildlife including the endangered black rhino as well as the white rhino. Lewa offers visitors the opportunity to have close encounters with these prehistoric creatures against an unspoilt backdrop, making it one of Kenya’s top game-viewing destinations. Boasting one of the highest wildlife densities in Kenya, the park is also inhabited by elephants, lions, buffalo, wild dogs, giraffes, cheetahs, and over 400 bird species.
The Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy lies nestled in the Matthews Mountain Range, spreading over 340,000 hectares at the heart of Kenya. The conservancy is run by the local Samburu community, said to be one of the lost tribes of Israel who celebrate Judaic culture and live in close harmony with the land, plants, and animals. The landscapes here, characterised by mighty purple peaks, vast bushlands and forests of cycad and juniper, have slowly welcomed back several threatened animal species, and visitors can look forward to seeing buffalo, leopard, lions, Grevy's zebra, De Brazza colobus monkey, reticulated giraffe, kudu, and wild dog. In the northern part of the conservancy, the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is home to large numbers of these gentle giants. Activities not-to-be-missed at Namunyak include guided forest walks, night-time game viewing, birdwatching, and taking part in Samburu traditional activities.
As previously described
The Masai Mara together with Tanzania’s Serengeti form Africa’s most famous wildlife park, the Masai Mara National Reserve. The image of acacia trees dotting endless grass plains epitomises Africa for many, then add a Maasai warrior and some cattle to the picture and the conversation need go no further. The undeniable highlight of the Masai Mara National Reserve is undoubtedly the annual wildebeest migration traversing the vast plains of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. It is known as the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet – with more than a million animals following the rains. Large prides of lions, herds of elephants, as well as giraffes, gazelles and eland can also be spotted in the reserve. Aside from horse riding safaris and traditional vehicle safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Mara plains has become almost essential.
Resting approximately 40 kilometres from the Tanzanian coast, Zanzibar Island is characterised by exquisite white-sand beaches fringed by palm trees, and the turquoise waters and reefs here brim with an abundance of exotic marine life. This is a great mecca for watersport enthusiasts who flock here for excellent scuba diving, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing, kayaking, and kitesurfing opportunities. Visitors can even go sailing on traditional dhows. The island’s old city, Stone Town, features a maze of narrow alleyways lined with boutiques, bars, restaurants, bazaars, mosques and ornate Arab houses.
