Friendly people, loads of wildlife. Modern amenities.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful, geologically and biologically diverse country
I spent about 4 months (August to December) traveling in Kenya, visiting several different regions of the country from Lake Victoria to the Indian Ocean. I passed through Nairobi several times between different legs of the trip and I gradually became accustomed to the hustle and bustle. The roads were overall in poor condition when I visited in 2002, but they were dramatically better when I went back briefly in 2010.
While in Kenya, I snorkeled in the Indian Ocean, summited Mount Kenya, watched the big game in Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and near Tsavo, drank cow's blood with Maasai, camped and had an exciting close encounter with wildlife in Hell's Gate, and explored the rainforest in Kakamega. There is tremendous ecological diversity in Kenya- not just the classic savannah!
One of my favorite places was the island of Lamu. Nearly 10 years later, I sometimes still fantasize about the fruit smoothies they sell there. Delicious! If you have time, I highly recommend visiting the Kenyan coast. The history of trade is fascinating and the beaches are beautiful! Watamu was one of my favorites because you can easily swim to the reef for snorkeling.
Another highlight of the trip was climbing Mount Kenya. I went with two girlfriends and we hired a guide but no porters so we carried all of our own things. We only saw two other people without porters in the 6 days we were on the mountain, and we definitely felt like a bad-ass group of women. The climb up Mount Kenya was scenic and interesting- well worth it even if you don't get to the peak. Our guide was impressively agile and a great help.
I spent a fair amount of time in western Kenya, in the rolling, tea-covered hills between Lake Victoria and Mount Elgon. Kakamega Forest, a unique habitat in Kenya, has tremendous biodiversity. I am not a birder, but I know that Kakamega is one of the best places for birding in Kenya. One of my favorite memories is from walking up to a hill in the forest before dawn to watch the sunrise and see the mist and birds above the tree canopy. I loved Kakamega so much that I almost did my dissertation research there, but ended up working in Tanzania instead.
Throughout Kenya, I stayed in homestays, budget, or mid-range accommodations. I often took public transportation (for both long and short trips). The basics of Swahili are relatively easy to pick up, but most people in Kenya also speak English.
there are various destinations worth visiting by people from all walks of life; animals, beaches, culture, etc.
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35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful scenery and an abundance of animals.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari, great people beautiful area
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35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
From our understanding, this is one of the best places in Africa to get up and close to wildlife. Tanzania get's busier and more visitors, and that "Bush Vibe" isn't as great there. With that said, we haven't compared this ourselves. We've talked about safaris all over Africa but found that this is the best place to get your first - great - safari experience.
Amazing diversity and for the most part, the park infrastructure is great.
Email Mark Hancock | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We love Kenya as a safari destination. We've been twice and wouldn't hesitate to return.
There is a lot of wildlife in the parks in the south. You need to have some luck and be in the right season, but it is impossible not to be excited. I am not a real safari man, but even though I liked visiting some of the parks. The 'Bush vibe' is less in the south, it is all very organized. There are a lot of tours going around and Kenya gets a lot of tourists. The north is different, not many people venture north to the Turkana area. It takes time and effort to go there and besides that, most people go to Kenya for the wildlife that is more in the south.
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Email JerseyMolly | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This trip was a dream come true, I would love to come back to Kenya.
