Kenya's capital of Nairobi is East Africa's most cosmopolitan city, serving as an excellent starting point for African safari trips around Kenya. Stop for a trip down memory lane with a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum made famous from the award winning film Out of Africa. Enjoy a close up view of the endangered giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, whilst the nearby David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust hand rears orphaned elephant and rhinos and rehabilitates them so that they can re-enter the wild. Just outside the city is Nairobi National Park, 113 sq kms of plains, cliffs and forest. The park is home to large herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe and more. Rhino, Cheetah, and a large number of Lions are all found here, living wild within 20 minutes of the centre of town.
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.
Quite possibly the most famous wildlife reserve in the world, Kenya’s Masai Mara offers breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and unrivalled game viewing all year round. From July to November, the Mara plays host to the spectacular Great Migration, when vast herds of wildebeest plunge across the Mara River on their quest for fresh grass, braving Nile crocodile in the rivers and hungry lion, cheetah and leopard on the other side. With both resident and transient populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, giraffe and elephant, to name a few, as well as over 500 bird species, the vast fertile plains are dense with game. The Masai Mara National Reserve itself, measuring 1510 Km2 , is part of the Greater Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem, much of which falls under ownership of Masai pastoralist communities. There are three main rivers: Sand River (seasonal), the Talek, and the Mara. The Talek and the Mara meet in the centre of the park and continue on as the Mara River. Some of the ecosystem’s prime game viewing lies within the conservation areas outside the Reserve. These conservancies have been set up by the private sector in partnership with local Masai landowners to conserve the larger Masai Mara ecosystem by extending the protection area for wildlife and standardizing income distribution and eco-system management. The Mara North Conservancy (MNC) is one of the largest community and private sector-managed conservancies in the world. Regarded as one of Kenya’s most successful conservation models, Mara North Conservancy is an exclusive safari destination in a prime wildlife area with small, exclusive camps located away from the high traffic areas.
Fringing the northern border of Tanzania and the southern coast of Kenya, Kilifi County is home to the city of Kilifi, which serves as the county's capital. Visitors are known for its magnificent scenery while exploring the incredible landscapes boasting a pristine shoreline and African bushveld dotted with abundant wildlife and charming traditional villages. Visitors can look forward to various natural attractions, including soft white sand beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters. Spot the elusive whale shark in the Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, or soak up local history at the Mnarani Ruins, an archaeological site of an ancient Swahili settlement, and sample fresh oysters along the coast.
