Kenya

Overview

I didn’t spend as much time in Kenya as I did other countries in East Africa during my trip to the region but it was a food place to start and end my trip. The country is used to western visitors so is a good place to visit if it’s your first time in Africa.

Kenya is famous for it’s National Parks such as Masai Mara and Tsavo although my trip stopped at the less visited but equally impressive Lake Nakuru National Park. All parks in the region contain a wealth of animals and you could see Lion, Rhino, Giraffe, Zebra, Baboon, Flamingo, Hyena, Dassie and much much more.

The people in Kenya are great. I probably got on better with the people in Uganda than I did in Kenya or Rwanda but I never had a problem with anybody in the area except during the usual pushy selling activity in the touristy regions.

Overall Kenya is a good place to visit if it’s your first time to the region and is fairly safe although I’d be careful at night in the cities and I’d stay away from the border with Somalia.

I’m glad I visited and would like to go back some day although there are other countries in the region I would like to visit first.

 

My Trips

August 22nd – 25th & September 5th – 7th, 2009 [view blog]
An overland trip around East Africa with Dragoman where we Kenya was the start and finish point.

 

My Experiences

	Nairobi – This is the capital city of Kenya and the starting / finishing points for many of the trips in the region. I only spent a couple of hours exploring the city in general, visited the Masai Market and checked out the cafes but there are several museums and memorials you can visit in the centre of the city. On the outskirts there is a National Park and Giraffe breeding centre which you can visit. It is a busy introduction to Africa and safe during the day but be careful at night.
	Lake Nakuru NP – Lake Nakuru is a great National Park on the road north from Nairobi to Eldoret. It centres around Lake Nakuru and is famous for being home to Flamingoes which can number millions in the busy seasons. Make sure you check out Baboon Cliff for some great views of the park and also go on a couple of game drives to see many types of animals including Hyena, Flamingo, Baboon, Rhino and Buffalo.
	Gilgil – We stopped for a couple of hours at the Ngumo Primary School in Gilgil which the company we had been touring with were sponsoring. As part of our visit we toured the school, painted classrooms and played football with the kids. The school was on top of a hill and provided some great views of the surrounding area.
	Naiberi Overland Resort – We stayed here a couple of times while in Kenya and it was a great place to stop. They have a campsite area with parking space for overland trucks in addition to a building containing private rooms. There were ample toilets and showers, a swimming pool, well stocked bar and restaurant which is able to provide buffet Indian meals for groups.
	Kivi Milimani Hotel – This was the start and end point for my trip around East Africa. The rooms were basic but clean and comfortable. The hotel has a restaurant, although this was unreliable when we visited, as well as a bar and a swimming pool. It’s a short taxi ride into the city centre.

 

Other Highlights

If you have more time to explore the country you could easily spend a few weeks travelling around the National Parks. In addition to the Lake Nakuru National Park there is Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara and Tsavo in addition to the less well known parks in the north of the country. You could also visit Mombasa and relax on the beaches along the coast of the Indian Ocean.

 

Conclusion

I liked Kenya, not as much as Uganda or Rwanda but it was a good introduction to East Africa. The National Parks were great and the facilities were generally better than around the rest of East Africa. I would like to go back to the area to explore some of the lesser well-known parks although I would most likely do this in Uganda or Rwanda instead of Kenya due to the fact the country is more built up and touristy. I would recommend it as a good introduction to Africa though.

 

Photo Highlights