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Mystical Kenya
Kenya is the major safari country and gateway to Africa, and Nairobi the safari capital of the world. In fact, ‘safari’ is a Swahili word meaning journey.One large national park is just a 10 minutes drive from the capital city – Nairobi.
Kenya is one of Africa’s most awesome inspiring destinations. Not only does it have friendly people but also breathtaking views, lush forested mountains, exotic wildlife populations, and the stunning savannah of the Maasai Mara are among the many amazing sights the country has to offer. Enjoy the thrilling safari holiday in one of the finest wildlife conservation areas on earth!
It is an open secret that Kenya also has beautiful white sand beaches along its more than 500-kilometre coastline, with palm trees, blue seas and resorts with a tropical climate and sun throughout the year.
The Nairobi Circuit
Nairobi, the home of safari, the green city in the sun, the only capital city in the world with a national park: The Nairobi
National Park has a lot to offer and you’ll be spoilt for choices. We have divided Nairobi into four categories namely:
Short Excursions
Here you can visit Maasai Market, Nairobi City Market, The National Archives, Uhuru Park, Kenyatta Mausoleum, The Parliament Building, KICC, Uhuru Gardens and Kenya National Museums.
The Maasai Market
The market, as the name suggests, was started by Maasai women who wanted to sell their beads, wooden sculptures, soapstone carvings, kikois, sisal bags, and shoes among other things directly to the tourists.
The open air market sells curios, drawings, paintings, maasai clothes, fabrics, souvenirs, Africa paints, soapstone and wood carvings, and jewelry made by the locals.
The mobile market moves around the city on different days of the week. The market runs from 8.00AM to 6.00PM.
Sunday: Yaya Centre in Hurlinghum
Tuesday: Prestige Plaza along Ngong Rd
Wednesday: Capital Centre on Mombasa Rd near airport
Thursday: Nakumatt Junction Shopping Mall on Ngong Rd
Friday: Village Market in Gigiri
Saturday: The Supreme Court parking lot behind Hilton Hotel
The Nairobi City Market
Nairobi city market is located along Muindi Mbingu Street in the CBD at the junction of Market road and Muindi Mbingu near Koinange Street.
It’s open 24/7 with market stalls that sell wood carvings, paintings, sculptures, soapstone carvings, Maasai clothes, and jewelry on one section and the other section sells all kinds of meat such as goat meat, beef, chicken, fish, and pork.
The market has souvenir stalls that extend from the central part of the building to the semi open area behind the main building.
And if you feel romantic enough to gift your partner a bouquet of flowers, the City Market has a section that deals in flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
Lastly, there are also money changers for those in need to change their foreign currencies into local ones.
Animal Sanctuaries
Summary of some of the animal sanctuaries in Nairobi. Here there is Karen Blixen Giraffe Center, David Sheldrick, and Nairobi Animal Orphanage located at the gate of Nairobi National Park.
Nairobi National Park
It’s the only national park in the entire world that is in the capital city and the first park to be gazette in Kenya on 16Th Dec, 1946.
A home to four of the Big Five with the exception of elephants and over 100 mammal species.
It’s 7km drive from the capital city centre hosting a variety of wildlife including lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffaloes, giraffes, hyenas, the endangered black rhino, and a variety of birdlife of over 400 species.
Spend your afternoon in the outskirts of the city enjoying the roaming lions of the park. Remember that occasionally the lions here take literal walks down the memory lane to neighboring estates to look at what was once their habitat!
You can get to the park by road or you can fly in from either Jomo Kenyatta or Wilson Airports. Nairobi Park has the Ivory Burning Site Monument, Nairobi Safari Walk, and spacious picnic sites.
Accommodation can be made at Twiga campsite and Lolo Lodge.
Nairobi Animal Orphanage
The orphanage popularly known as the “Refuge of the Wild” is located at the entrance of Nairobi National Park and acts as a treatment and a rehabilitation centre for wild animals and hosts lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, cats, warthogs, leopards, monkeys, buffalos, baboons, and a variety of birds such as ostriches, guinea fowls, and crowned cranes.
Visitors can come on game viewing, do photography, go on bird watching, or take part in animal adoption program.
Nairobi Mamba Village
The Mamba Resort is located in Nairobi’s leafy suburbs of Karen, 13km from the Kenya’s capital city spread over 30 acres of land. It is close to Nairobi Giraffe centre. Situated on Karen Road a few meters from Galleria Mall, Mamba Village is known for its Crocodile Farm that is home to about 70 Nile crocodiles and 4 Maasai ostriches.
Apart from the crocodiles, Mamba Village has a giraffe pen and an ostrich enclosure and a large manmade lake in the middle of it where visitors can go on boat rides.
The Resort has well maintained gardens ideal for graduation parties, photo shoots, team building, and weddings.
Nature Trails
And if you’re a nature person, then we have something in store for you! You can go to the Arboretum, Oloolua forest, or spent your day in Ngong Hills the World’s most romantic movie location as voted by Travelzoo.
Ngong Hills
Ngong Hills scenic beauty that prompted the shooting of the film ‘Out of Africa’ in 1985 is located 22km from the city center and it covers an area of about 21,000 sq. km with a peak standing at 2,460m above sea level.
Ngong hills are a gazetted forest reserve separating Ngong Village from the so called ‘Maasai Land’. It overlooks the Nairobi national Park on the west side of the slopes, on your right is the magnificent view of the Great Rift valley where the Maasai villages can be sighted 4000ft below, and on your far left is the fantastic view of the city of Nairobi.
The forest reserve neighbors Karen Blixen and Oloolua forest. It is here that Denys Finch Halton, Karen Blixen’s lover is buried. Come enjoy the beautiful scenery that was enjoyed by the couples over a century ago!
It has a set of indigenous & exotic trees and boasts a wide variety of plants, flowers, and several bird species. It also has buffaloes and leopards can be sighted.
It’s an ideal location for walks, picnics, hiking, trekking, and jogging.
Oloolua
Oloolua forest is located 600m from Karen Blixen Giraffe Center which is 20km from the city center. It stands on a 250 hectares piece of land filled with indigenous tropical trees, an ideal place for picnics and camping.
The sound of trickling water, chirping birds, monkeys and the long winding trail definitely brings you closer to nature.
Presumed to have been the home of Mau Mau freedom fighters, you will encounter a 33m long cave and a 20 feet waterfall.
The forest has a picnic site complete with trash bins, toilets, and benches and a nice camping ground.
There’s also a papyrus swamp down the Mbagathi River with trails meandering in the thick indigenous oloolua trees and bushes that have heavy undergrowth.
Arboretum
Is a collection of over 350 living trees species that occupies 30 hectares of land with over 100 species of birds, small animals like porcupines and monkeys.
It was established in 1907 when the railway was being built and gazetted in 1932 as a national reserve.
Situated just 3km from city center, it has walkways, picnic lawns, and jogging trails and offers fresh air, a clean, beautiful, peaceful, and a safe tranquil environment away from the daily hustle and bustle of the city. It is adjacent to state house Nairobi.
Historical Sites & Monuments
It’s under this that you will find the national museum, the National Archives, Karen Blixen Museum, KICC and the Bomas of Kenya where you will learn cultures of Kenya in a nutshell.
KICC as it is commonly referred to is centrally located in Nairobi CBD and it neighbors City Hall & Holy Family Basilica to the North, Foreign Affairs building, Office of the President, and AGs chambers to the South, The Supreme Court & Jogoo House to the East and Kenyatta Mausoleum and the Kenyan Parliament to the West.
The iconic building, standing 105 meters high was built between 1966 and 1973. Its great size is attributed to an International Intervention. During the design, World Bank decided that it would host its 1973 Annual Meeting in Nairobi, and the building was chosen as the venue prompting an extension in size with an addition of a magnificent auditorium.
Karen Blixen Museum
The Museum which was established in1986 is on Karen Road at the foot of Ngong Hill is located 10km away from the city center. The Museum has spectacularly landscaped beautiful gardens and an enchanting Ngong Hills magnificent view.
The setting is in the former home a Danish woman called Karen Blixen who came to Kenya at the start of the 20Th century and established herself as a farmer but later departed in 1931 when she divorced her husband.
This farm house gained international fame when it was used during the filming of her Oscar winning book ‘Out of Africa’. The Museum house was built in1912 and was later bought by Karen and her husband in 1917 with 4500 acre farm.
Later on, the farm was bought by Remy Marin who subdivided the land into 20 acre parcels for development. The subdivision and subsequent development led to the current leafy suburb which derives its name from Karen Blixen.
The Bomas of Kenya
Bomas of Kenya is a cultural centre in Langata located 10kms from the city center and about 1km past Nairobi National Park’s main entrance.
The word “Boma” is a Swahili word for “homestead” and it suggests a homestead of traditional villages giving insights into the fascinating Kenyan culture as comprised of different tribes.
These traditional houses are clustered according to the region, with the first wife’s hut, second wife’s hut e.tc.
I should hasten to add that one of the most impressive dances never to be missed is that one of Samburu and Maasai warriors.
Bomas auditorium is one of the largest in Africa. And it was here, that the 2003 National Constitutional Conference was held.
This should be on top of the safari agenda, not only for cultural tourists, but also for visitors going for city tours and excursions.
The National Archives
Kenya National Archives has over 50,000 documents and was established by an Act of Parliament in 1965. Located between Tom Mboya Street and Moi Avenue, opposite KenCom House, the Archives is the largest Pan African art gallery in whole of Africa! Its ground floor is called Murumbi Gallery, named after Kenya’s second vice president Joseph Murumbi who resigned just after eight months in office to concentrate on his art collection.
The exhibition is one of its kinds. The Murumbi collection takes you on a cultural tour of the African continent and you will learn what inspired artists like Picasso.
If you can’t be at Bomas of Kenya, you can still see the Kenyan culture here at the National Archives. For history lovers, it’s here that you’ll find information on Kenyan heroes and African leaders, the Pan Africanists like Kwameh Nkuruma, Tom Mboya, Jaramogi Oginga, Patrice Lumumba just to name but a few.
The Archive has a library containing 8,000 rare books published before 1900 and researchers can find a nest here.
Open Monday to Friday 8.15AM – 4.15PM
Saturdays 8.15AM – 1.00PM.
Closed on Sundays and all public holidays.
Uhuru Park
It’s at this point that the women decided to strip naked! In African culture, it is a curse for an elderly woman to strip. The women received support from Martha Karua and Wangari Maathai and their sons were eventually released.
Uhuru Park was also a battle ground during the agitation for multi party democracy in early 90’s. And when the opposition finally managed to end 39 years of Kanus reign in power in 2002, it was here that Mwai Kibaki was sworn in.
Finally, Uhuru Park history cannot be written without mention the 2010 Kenya Constitution. It is here that it was promulgated.
Uhuru Park is Nairobis top most popular recreational spot, the most popular weekend gathering place for Nairobians. “Uhuru” is a Swahili word for “freedom”. The Parks covers 12.9 hectares of land and was officially opened to the public on 23rd May, 1969. The Park is located on the outskirts of Nairobi CBD with an artificial (manmade) lake where you can do boat riding. It also has a beautiful landscape with quiet reading spots.
Uhuru Park is home to history, fun, and protests. On September 1st, 1978, Kenyans gathered here for a prayer service following the death of Jomo Kenyatta.
In 1989, when the then president Arap Moi started plans to build a 60 storey building to be owned by Kenya Times at Uhuru Park, Professor Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Laureate and Green Belt Movement founder could hear none of it.
The Professor was at it again in 1992, in solidarity with the mothers of detainees that went to the now famous freedom corner to protest and demand the release of their sons. In fact, the name Freedom Corner was born from this incidence. As the mothers were on hunger strike and protesting, the KANU government sent a contingent of police to clobber and remove them from Uhuru Park because it was giving Kenya a bad image.
The Kenya Railway Museum
The facility consists of a resource center, an auditorium, main gallery, and an outdoor of locomotives, coaches and wagons of yesteryears.
The Museum is located in an old railway building along Uhuru highway and open daily between 8AM and 5PM. It displays records and relics of the East Africa railway since inception. It has also a collection of steam locomotives and rolling stock on display.
The construction of the railway line led to the loss of 2,493 lives during the undertaking, which started in 1886 and ended in 1901, led to creation of Nairobi City and later on the country; Kenya.
And this is what Sir Charles had to say at the time, “It is not uncommon for a country to create a railway, but is uncommon for a railway to create a country”. In this context, you will find a collection of photos from this period when Nairobi was starting to develop and images during railway construction.
The Coastal Circuit
The Coast has historical and archeological sites; not forgetting the beautiful beaches that stretch for miles along the North and South Coasts. Coast is a haven for those looking for a quiet, relaxing vacation, water sports and fishing enthusiasts and those on a honey moon can also get value for their money.
Remnants of historical and cultural attractions from centuries ago are in plenty. There is diversity of fauna and flora, nature parks, as well as opportunities to experience the different facets of the Kenyan culture.
Wemar Safaris will be privileged to take you to Fort Jesus, Gedi Ruins, Old Town, Haller Park the largest animal sanctuary next to Bamburi cement Factory, Mamba village in Nyali Kilifi, Lamu, Watamu, and Malindi.
The Snake Park
The park was built in 1959 at the entrance of Nairobi National Museum. The snake park has different types of snakes, amphibians and an aquarium. Crocodiles, alligators, lizards, turtles, tortoises, and fish can be found here.
Unlike in the museum where the animals on display are dead, the park has live animals. It offers a rescue and rehabilitation service and it has Kenya’s five most venomous snakes.
Mombasa Old Town
The Old town is a historical tourist attraction sitting on 180 acres of land located on Tudor Creed, next to Fort Jesus and southeast of Mombasa and behind it is the mighty Indian Ocean. A stroll in the streets will take you several centuries back in time, and as the ancient town lays bare, the beautiful rustling palm trees will be whispering the dark secrets of the 15Th century Slave Trade.
The Old Towns architecture was influenced by Mombasa’s trade culture and it’s a rich cultural melting point and home to a mixture of communities; Arabs, Portuguese, Swahilis, Asians, and the British.
Historical structures include Oman House, Gede Ruins, Hindu temples, Mombasa Tusks, and Bombolulu Workshops.
Fort Jesus, Mombasa
This UNESCO heritage site located in Mombasa on the Kenyan coast and one of the three outstanding Portuguese forts built along the coast of Africa in the 16Th C between 1593 and 1596 sits on a 2.36ha of land. The other two are Mazagan in Morocco, and the Island of Mozambique.
Fort Jesus is a testimony of the first successful attempt by the Western civilization to rule the Indian Ocean trade which had remained under the Eastern influence.
Vasco Da Gama the Portuguese explorer, arrived in Mombasa on his way to India in 1498 and one century later, the Fort was constructed.
The Forts imposing structure bears witness to the cultural interchange among the Arabs, Africans, Persians, Turkish, and European origins. It symbolizes the history of Mombasa and the architectural prowess of the Portuguese.
Fort Jesus has a museum that gives insights into the origins of Swahili life and the culture.
Mamba Village,Mombasa
Mamba Village is situated in Nyali area on the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa and is East Africa’s largest crocodile farm. It is home to all categories, both baby and white crocodiles.
The Farm has a very big crocodile named Big Daddy who was captured in River Tana in 1986 after mauling 5 people. On his arrival at The Village, he gobbled up 10 of his buddies and his abnormal appetite led to Mamba Village Managers to isolate him in a confinement. He is believed to be over 100 years old.
Mamba village has a collection of beautiful flowers and plants especially orchids and aquatic flora. It also hosts giraffes, ostriches, snakes and a marine aquarium.
Visitors can go horse riding or camel riding.
Haller Park
The park which is named after Dr. Rene Haller who helped convert the abandoned Bamburi quarry wasteland into an ecological heaven is the largest animal sanctuary in Mombasa city located next to Bamburi Cement Factory. It was formerly called Bamburi Nature Trail.
It’s a thriving ecosystem of forests, grasslands, ponds, wildlife, and birds. It’s here that you will be told the story of Owen and Mzee, Owen is a hippo and Mzee is a tortoise. They have been friend since young Owen was introduced into the park after being abandoned by its family due to heavy floods.
Mombasa Marine National Park & Reserve
The Mombasa Marine Park, popularly known as the “Allure of Natural Beauty” is 210km² in size and is located in the coastal city of Mombasa which is 487km from Kenyas capital city Nairobi.
The park lies between Mtwapa and Tudor Creeks with swaying coconut palms on white sandy beaches that bows to the winds blowing from the Indian Ocean. The palm trees blow fresh air and cool breeze to Mombasa Island.
The waters are a habitat for star fish, crabs, stone fish, turtles, migratory birds, and a variety of marine life.
The blue waters are ideal for visitors who cherish scuba diving, water skiing, wind surfing, and snorkeling.
The park has an accommodation for tourists at Mombasa Marine Campsite.
Gedi Ruins
The Unesco site is one of the wonders of Watamu located in Malindi on the Kenyan coast. Gedi Ruins is a 12th century Swahili village that was mysteriously abandoned in the 18th century some 600 years after its coming into being. The village is hidden deep in the forest 94km north of Mombasa city and occupies an area of 44ha of land and was discovered by British who were clearing the forest in the early 1900s.
Gedi Ruins, from all evidence are remnants of one of the Arab-African settlements in a cosmopolitan urban setting with several impressive mosques, a magnificent palace, elaborate pillar tombs, and well planned residential houses as early as 1300, discrediting the notion or assumption that Africa was far behind the rest of the world before colonialism in terms of civilization. To give credence to this is the fact that archeologists have found venetian glass as well as Ming Chinese vases pointing to evidence that the place was inhabited by traders, sailors, and settlers from Oman.
Shimba Hills National Reserve
Shimba Hills Reserve is the second largest forest in East Africa after Arabuko Sokoke Forest. It sits on a 300km² piece of land and it’s rich in both fauna and flora. It has the highest density of African elephants in Kenya, and the dense Mwaluganje Forest is a big contributor to the scenic Sheldrick Falls. Its Main Gate is just 3km from Kwale.
Among the wildlife that call Shimba hills home are elephants, antelopes, giraffes, hyenas, leopards, bush pig, bush bucks, buffalos, variety of monkeys, reptiles such as pythons, cobras, geckos, and 111 species of birds.
The reserve is also endowed with various view points and accommodations can be at Shimba Hills Lodge, Kutazama Lodge, Professional Campsite, Sheldrick Walk Falls Campsite, Ocean View Campsite, or Makadara Picnic sites.
Arabuko Sokoke National Park
The 420km² park sits between Kilifi and Malindi and has the largest and most intact coastal forest in East Africa with 600 plant species, over 270 species of birds, 261 species of butterflies, 49 reptiles, 40 mammal species, and 25 amphibian species. The park was gazette in1943.
The largest existing tropical forest lies along Mombasa-Malindi highway, 105km from Mombasa city, 18km from malindi town, and 45km from Kilifi.
Mida Creek, a beautiful tidal inlet has six species of mangrove trees and it lies just 1km from the entrance of Arabuko forest.
Visitors can go cycling, camping, butterfly watching, bird watching, or do forest walks and drives.
Kiunga Marine National Reserve
The 270km² Park is located in the remote, unspoiled Kiunga village, 150km east of Lamu along the Kenyas’ spectacular Indian Ocean Coast. The Marine bubbles with teaming sea life in the coral reefs, with extensive mangrove forests that hosts sea turtles, reef fish, lobsters, crabs etc.
Romantic gate away for honeymooners, Kiunga Reserve gives visitors an ideal opportunity for to indulge in many activities such as snorkeling, diving, wind surfing, water skiing, and sun bathing on the white sandy beaches.
Accommodations can be in Munira Island Camp or Kiwayu Safari village.
Malindi Marine National Park & Reserve
Malindi Marine is situated on Kenyas magnificent Indian Ocean coastline in Malindi town, 110km north of Mombasa.
Malindi National Reserve is 213km² in size and just 2km off Casuarina point on the northern Kenyan coast lies 6km² Malindi National Park south of Malindi town and it neighbours the Gede Ruins and Arabuko Sokoke National Park.
The park has spectacular fringing reefs, sea grass beds, coral gardens in the lagoons, mangroves, marine mammals, turtles and several shore birds.
Visitors can enjoy glass bottom boat rides, diving, beach walks, wind surfing & water skiing, snorkeling, camping not forgetting sun bathing, swimming, and educational tours.
Some of the attractions include dolphins, corals, sea turtles, magical island, over 300 species of fish including Sharks, lobsters, octopus, and star fish and of course the clean oceanic beach and warm salty water.
On the accommodation front, Malindi town offers various options for visitors and tourists.
Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park & Reserve
The Marine comprises of Kisite Park 28km² and Mpunguti Reserve which is 11km² making a total of 39km². Kisite Mpunguti is located in Kwale county o the Kenyan coast and 8km north of Tanzanian border. It’s 90kms from Mombasa, and 574kms from Nairobi.
The Marine lies in the coral gardens with fringing reefs south of Wasini Island, and has over 250 fish species, over 140 varieties of other individual animals like sea turtles & whales, over 70 dolphins, and many sea birds.
Attractions are not limited to turtles, dolphins, sea birds, coral reefs, snorkeling, or slave caves. Visitors and tourists are spoilt for a variety of choices ranging from bird watching, sun bathing, diving, to scenic.
In order to book for accommodation visitors can choose Shimoni Cottages, Chlobus Campsite, or Mpunguti Campsite.
Watamu Marine National Park & Reserve
If there is one park that has it all in terms of sea life, then it’s Watamu. The Park is 10km² in size and is part of a complex of tidal habitats and marine to be found on the Kenya's north coast.
Watamu is 120km north of Mombasa and 28km south of Malindi, and 11km from the Main road is Watamu Marine itself. Here you will find turtles, fish, birds and much more, and visitors can enjoy glass bottom boat tours, white sandy beaches, water skiing, wind surfing, and snorkeling.
Major attractions include:
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Gede Ruins
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Kipepeo Project
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Mida Creek
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Unique Coral garden
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Green turtles
The Central Circuit
The Central Highlands of Kenya is densely populated and considered the heartland of Kenya. It has the Aberdares and Mount Kenya, Mount Kenya National Park, Tree Tops that has Tree Hotels where Queen Elizabeth was in 1952 where she had come as a princess but left as a Queen. There is also Meru National Park, Mwea National Reserve, Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, Aberdare National Park, Mount Longonot National Park, and Mount Longonot which were created during the volcanic eruptions that formed the Great Rift Valley are also found here.
In 1952, the Mau Mau rebellion took place between the Kikuyus and white settlers because Kikuyus were losing their fertile land and through the war that erupted; the colonial authorities had to grant independence to the country.
Mt Longonot National Park
Longonot is a Maasai word Olo Ngonot meaning ‘mountain of many summits’. The park sits on 52km² pieces of land and Mt Longonot a dormant volcano is 2776m tall and rises 1000m from the floor of the Great Rift Valley with a unique thick forest lying within the crater of the mountain. It last erupted in 1860s.
The park is inhabited by giraffes, zebras, gazelles, bush bucks, lions, leopards, elands, and buffaloes.
The crater rim provides a nice and beautiful scenic view that extends to Lake Naivasha. The Park is a paradise for birds of prey. It’s an ideal for visitors who love game viewing, rock climbing, hiking, biking, and walking.
The Park is 90kms from Nairobi by road and you can get an accommodation at Oloongonot campsite.
Mt. Kenya National Park
Popularly known as ‘Come touch the sky’, Mt. Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa standing at 5199m above sea level with a breathtaking scenery and a very impressive landscape. The mountain park covers 715km² and the forest reserve at the base sits on 705km² totaling to 1420km². The erosion of the crater rim has given way to formation of three peaks; Batian (5199m),Nelion (5188m), and Lenana (4985m).
It has pristine wilderness with lakes, dense forest, 12 remnant glaciers, mineral springs, alpine vegetation, plains and rare endangered animals.
Visitors can enjoy game viewing, camping, mountain climbing, cave exploration on the mountains rugged glacier clad peaks but the main pursuit is trekking or hiking through the ever-changing wonderful landscape that is dotted with waterfalls, moorland & alpine vegetation, gorges, cliffs, and beautiful glacial lakes.
Mountain climbing routes include: Kamweti, Marania, Burguret, and Themwe.
The park is located on the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley about 175km north-East of Nairobi and it can be reached by road, Nanyuki-Isiolo via Sirimon or Nyeri-Nanyuki road near Noru Moru or through Chogoria which is 150km north of Nairobi. It can also be accessed by an airstrip at Nanyuki.
There are several accommodation joints: Batian Guest House, Sirimon Cottage, Major Campsite, Solo, Shipton, Road Head, Kinondoni campsites among others.
Aberdares National Park
Aberdare Park covers 766km² area of land located in Kenya’s central highlands. It has two peaks; Kinangop (3906m) and Ol Donyo Lesatima (3999m).
‘The Majestic Moorland’ as is popularly known, has picturesque, steep forested ravines and open moorland that provides a nice habitat to leopards, elephants, hyenas, baboons and colobus monkeys, buffaloes, bushbucks, warthogs, wild cats are in plenty and is home to the second largest herd of endangered black rhino. There are over 250 species of birds that include goshawks, eagles, sparrow hawks, and sunbirds.
The Ark and Treetops lodges are located here. It was at the Treetops Lodge where Elizabeth came on a vacation as a princess but left as a Queen in 1952 on the death of her father!
Visitors and tourists can undertake several activities such as horse riding, trekking, photography, wildlife viewing, camping, bird watching, trout fishing, picnics, and viewing the very beautiful scenery.
The park can be accessed by road, Nyeri to Noru Moru, its 150km from Nairobi or by air, there is Nyeri airstrip and Mweiga airstrip on the opposite side of the Park HQs along Nyeri-Nyahururu road near Sasini Estate.
Guests can be accommodated in Fishing lodge-Aberdare, Treetops Lodge, The Ark, Sapper Hut Shimoni Cottages, Prince Charles campsite, Muringato, Bongo, Nyati, Reedbuck, P.C Hajis, Shamata, Bill Woodley, Honi, kifaru, and Kiguru campsites.
Tree Tops Hotel
{Closed due to Covid-19}
The royal hotel in Aberdares National Park was made famous on the unexpected death of King George VI in 1952 when princess Elizabeth was on holiday at the now Queens hotel with the Duke of Edinburgh.
The hotel was founded in 1932 and is Kenya’s oldest safari lodge. When you stay at this hotel, there is no need to go on game drives in the bush because wild animals come to you, be it a buffalo, elephants, bushbucks etc.
Meru National Park
Meru National Park sits right on the equator and covers 870km² of land located 350km away from Nairobi. Established in 1968, the park features a luxurious jungle, swamps and rivers dotted with palms, mountains woodlands and khaki grasslands.
The park is home to elephants, a large pride of lions, hippos, leopards, cheetahs, Kenya’s largest herd of buffalo, Lesser Kudu, dik-dik, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, a variety of snakes such as pythons & cobras, and over 427 species of birds.
Major attractions are the wildlife, the mighty Tana River, Rivers and riverine habitats, Adamson’s fall, and the views of Mt. Kenya.
Visitors access the park either by road which is 350km from Nairobi or by chartered light aircrafts with airstrips at Kina Mulika next to Meru Mulika Lodge and Elsa’s Kopje airstrip.
Travelers can get accommodations at Mugunga, Rojawero, Golo 1&2, Fisi, Kampi Baridi, Chuma, and Ekime campsites or Elsa’s Kopje and Leopard Rock lodges.
Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park
Commonly known as Kilimambogo, the park is situated 85km north-east of Nairobi between Machakos and Thika districts and covers 20.7km² piece of land. Both Ol Donyo Sabuk and Kilimambogo are Maasai words meaning ‘Mountain of Buffalo’. This mountain stands 2145m high.
Ol Donyo Sabuk is home to over 250 buffalos that roam the slopes, dominating the ecosystem, over 45 species of birds, leopards, bushbucks, baboons, porcupines, mongoose and pythons.
The summit of the mountain offers visitors scenic views of Mt. Kenya and Mt. Longonot. Several attractions such as the Fourteen Falls, montane landscape, and burial site of McMillan grave.
Guests can book for their accommodations at Sabuk Guest House, Rock Hyrax and Summit campsites.
The Rift Valley Circuit
Experience the stunning beauty of the Rift Valley that is as a result of a variety of landscape from semi desert in the north to lush hills in the west. There are lakes and volcanoes to marvel about such as Lake Bogoria and Nakuru famed for its pink flamingos. Hell’s Gate National Park is famous for the hot geysers, eagle and vulture breeding grounds. Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Kesubo Swamp an ideal location for bird enthusiasts with over 200 species not forgetting Lakes Naivasha, Baringo, Solai and Crater Lake Game Sanctuary.
Lake Nakuru National Park
The park was gazetted as a bird sanctuary in 1960 before elevating it to a national park in1968 and covers an area of 118km². One third of the park is covered by the lake and it is surrounded by wooded & bushy grassland lying on the floor of the Great Rift Valley. The ecosystem has a wide ecological diversity with varied habitats ranging from the lake to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges.
With over 450 species of birds, 56 different species of mammals, Makalia waterfall, several viewpoints namely Lion hill, Baboon cliff & Out of Africa and Hills such as Enasoit, Honeymoon, Lion hill ridge, the park is an ideal location for hiking, picnic, camping, game drives, and bird watching.
The greatest bird spectacle in the world is found at Lake Nakuru with a population of about 2 million lesser flamingoes, the highest on earth. The park has also the largest population of rhinos in Kenya.
The park is 156km northwest of Nairobi and it can be accessed via three gates: Nderit used by people coming from Maasai Mara or Elementaita, Lanet Gate, and the Main Gate which is 4km from Nakuru Town. The Naishi airstrip services the park.
Accommodation:
Lodges: L. Nakuru & Sarova Lion Hill
Campsites: Makalia, Naishi, Rhino, Soysambu, Kambi Nyuki, Kambi Nyati, Out of Africa, Baboon Cliff, Acacia Picnic Site, Chui, & Pelican Picnic site.
Hells Gate National Park
Covering an area of 68km², Hell’s gate is known for its intense geothermal activities; beautiful scenery that includes water-logged gorges, towering cliffs, clad volcanoes, and plumes of geothermal smoke is located 90km from Nairobi. It is one of the most atmospheric parks in Africa.
The park has hot springs, the Olkaria Geothermal Station, spectacular scenery, health spa, and tourist circuits and nature trails.
Visitors can go camping, enjoy biking, bard watching expedition, rock climbing, hiking, horse riding, or go on a game viewing ride.
The park can be accessed by road or air by landing at Naivasha airstrip. The park has two entrances, main Elsa Gate and Olkaria Gate located in the park.
There are campsites for accommodation. Oldubai. Naiburta, and Endachata.
Samburu Game Reserve
Samburu National Reserve encompasses Shaba, Samburu, and Buffalo Springs, forming parks only separated by Ewaso Nyiro River. Samburu Game Reserve is situated in the rugged hot semi-arid lowlands of the vast Northern Frontier District 350km away from Nairobi, covering 165 sq. km of land.
The Reserve is known for its rare species of animals, crocodiles, and the abundant species of birds. On your way to this reserve, you will have the pleasure of crossing the Equator at Nanyuki and as you head northwards, you will spot the snow capped Mt. Kenya lying on the Equator and also discover the lifeline of Samburu Game Reserve which is Ewaso Nyiro River. Ewaso Nyiro in Samburu means ‘River of Brown Water’.
The Samburu people who are pastoralists and nomads inhabit this area with their indigenous culture and traditions which have stood taste of time. Tourists can experience or witness the cultural rites and ceremonies such as initiation into adulthood when on meet-the-locals-tour.
Sibiloi National Park
Sibiloi is 1570km² and 800km north of Nairobi located on the rugged shores of L. Turkana, the home to Koobi Fora an archeological site where human fossil remains were found, the famous ‘Cradle of Mankind’.
Sibiloi is a major breeding ground for Nile crocodiles and terrestrial animals such as zebras, gazelles, lions, leopards, stripped hyenas, oryx, the kudu, and cheetahs. The park borders L. Turkana, the world’s largest permanent desert lake and the world’s largest alkaline lake where over 350 species of birds both aquatic and terrestrial have been recorded.
The park offers visitors who are both on cultural tours and archeological safaris something to smile about in terms of unpolluted traditions of the Gabra, Turkana, and the Dassanach communities.
Getting here by road will take you three days from Nairobi via Marsabit & North Hoor, or Marlal and South Horr. An alternative route is from Nairobi to Kalokol on the western shores, via Kitale and Lodwar.
For light chartered aircrafts, you will land at the airstrips at Marsabit, Loiyangalani, Kalokol, North Horr, Lodwar.
Accommodation: Oasis Lodge, Lobolo Tented Camp, Sunset Strip Camp, Turkana Campsite, and National Museums of Kenya – Koobi Fora.
Marsabit National Park
The densely forested mount Marsabit standing at 1456m high has three crater lakes and is located 560km north of Nairobi and 263km north of Isiolo in Kenya’s desert northern frontier. Marsabit National Park was established in 1949. The green oasis is a refuge to a variety of wildlife, reptiles, diverse birdlife and mammals in the region.
The parks 1554 sq. km is home to huge tusked elephants, pristine forest, lake paradise, and a variety of butterflies. Guests can enjoy game drives, camel safaris, hiking, and bird watching.
Marsabit National Park can be reached via Nanyuki & Isiolo or by air which takes two hours and the landing airstrip is at Marsabit, 4km from the park’s main gate.
Accommodation will be at Marsabit Lodge.
The Western/Nyanza Circuit
Kisumu is the third largest city in Kenya and the second most important city after Kampala in the greater Lake Victoria basin, surrounded with some of the richest sites in Africa. We have the Ndere Island (Ndere means meeting place) where Kit Mikayi (meaning the stone of the eldest wife), mother of the Luo tribe rested after her long journey. There is the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary and Rusinga Island where the legendary Tom Mboya; the of father of trade unions rests.
The Kisumu Museum founded in 1900 has mambas, cobras, puff adders and other venomous snakes.
Simbi Nyaima a sunken crater lake located in Kendu bay on the shores of Lake Victoria. The lake’s water is said to have medicinal value.
We will take you to the land of President Obama’s forefathers: K’ogelo. The pleasure will all be ours when we show you the second largest fresh water lake in the world which has been invaded by the water hyacinth.
Later, our tour guide will show you the Crying stone of Kakamega, the Ruma National Park in Nyanza. Tropical rain forest: the Kakamega Forest National Reserve with its baboons, monkeys and dik diks, bull fighting in Kakamega loved by former Kakamega senator and not forgetting the Wanga Kingdom in Mumias. If there will still be time on your side you can visit the Mt. Elgon national Park on Kenya/Uganda border.
Kenya retains pride of place in the heart of our company – it was here that we started out. We are proud that we continue to bring people on holiday to this fantastic country and showing them the amazing natural highlights.
Kisumu Impala Sanctuary
The small park sits on 0.34 sq. km piece of land on the shores of L. Victoria, the largest fresh water lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. The sanctuary is home to Impalas, buffaloes, giraffes, cheetahs, primates, and the rare sitatunga antelope.
The park has an animal orphanage, free ranging herds of impalas, zebras & monkeys; picnic sites with abundant birdlife, and of course, the spectacularly beautiful blue waters of L. Victoria. The park is an ideal place for game viewing, boat rides, walking, camping, and scenic viewing.
Visitors can access this park by road, air, or water.
By road, Kisumu is 355km northwest of Nairobi and the sanctuary is 3km from Kisumu city.
By air, flight from Nairobi takes 45minutes to Kisumu international Airport.
By water, ferry links people to Kendu Bay, Homa Bay, & Mbita.
Accommodations are available at Impala Picnic Site, Baboon Picnic Site, Sunset Picnic Site, Fig Tree Picnic Site, Simba Picnic Site, Kisumu Impala Public Campsite, State Lodge Campsite, and Jambo Lake Victoria Ecolodge and many hotel accommodations in the lakeside city: Sunset Hotel, Victoria Hotel, Acacia Hotel, and Jumia Hotel.
Nyang'oma K'ogelo
The little famous village of Kogelo is 60km from Kisumu town located in Siaya County situated not far from the Equator. Kogelo is home to Obama Senior, the father to the first American black president and the 44th president Barack Obama. Obamas father is buried here in his ancestral village.
There is Luo culture on display after the Kenyan government gazetted Kogelo as a heritage site, and there is newly constructed Kogelo Village, a private resort; 200m from Obamas ancestral home.
The Village has a commercial center with shops and a resort to privately cater for guests, a Kenya Police post, and a healthcare centre.
Visitors on cultural tours or historical safaris can come ponder and experience the former president’s unique cross cultural identity.
Tom Mboya Mausoleum
It was built in honour of the legendary Tom Joseph Mboya, the firebrand pioneer trade unionist and a brilliant, eloquent, and flamboyant politician who was assassinated on 5th July, 1969. The gifted orator was born in 1930.
The Mausoleum is situated in Rusinga Island, Mbita Constituency, Homabay County. Built on the family land in Kasawanga village about 7km from Mbita two years after his untimate death, the historic site is eye catching by any standard. The burial chamber is in a shape of the silver bullet that ended the life of the former powerful cabinet minister that was highly viewed to be the successor of President Kenyatta.
Many of his personal items are on display like his favourite fly whisky, his briefcase, condolence book, and several souvenirs that he was given by different organizations and governments.
Come take a memory lane with us as we take you through the Kenyan politics and political life of one of Kenya’s bright minds.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum
At Kan’go ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County is a mausoleum and a museum built in honour of the Kenyas first vice president the late Jaramogi. The Mausoleum is a cultural and a historical monument built in remembrance of the father and the doyen of Kenyas opposition politics. He was also the father of the current enigma of the Kenyan politics, the Right Honourable Engineer Raila Amollo Odinga.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Adonija Awinja Obadia, devoted his life to the service of this nation and the people of Africa as a teacher, leader, statesman, and Pan Africanist.
Inside the Jaramogi house which stands in front of the mausoleum, everything about his life is on display: from the chairs he sat on, the clothes he wore, his walking sticks, his thick rimmed-lens spectacles, the briefcase he carried to the Lancaster House Conference to the box that kept his clothes! In his bedroom, the wooden bed neatly spread, the sandals and the pajamas he wore, and in the kitchen, there is the ordinary kerosene stove that Raila's mother used to prepare family food.
Lastly, the tomb of his first wife is part of the museum in which various traditional items are displayed, cultural symbols and traditional artifacts and regalias of African people.
Ruma National Park
The park is 120km² in size and lies in Western Kenya close to the shores of Lake Victoria. It sits on the flat floor of the seasonally watered Lambwe River Valley bordering Kanyamwa Escarpment on one side and Ruri Hills on the other, forming a long corridor.
Ruma is the only park that hosts the globally threatened blue swallows. Blue swallows arrive in Kenya from their breeding grounds in southern Tanzania in April and depart in September.
The park is a beautiful place for bird watching and game viewing and some of the animals to be spotted include the Roan & Oribi antelopes, reptiles, rare birds and wildlife.
Visitors can get here by road and the Kamato Main gate is 84km from Homa Bay and accommodation is available at Oribi Guest House and Nyali Campsite.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is the largest tropical lake in the world and the world’s second largest fresh water lake. It was formed approximately 400,000 years ago and it covers an area of about 68,800km² and it is home to archipelago numbering up to 84 islands within it. The lake rests among the three countries, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The lake was named after the then England Queen in 1858 by John Hanning Speke who was an explorer.
Lake Victoria is shallow with an average depth of 50m and the deepest point being 100m. The large, vast, calm waters of the lake are extensively covered by the ever green water hyacinth, depriving the waters below oxygen hence being detrimental to the fish population.
Two rivers flow out of the lake; Katonga River and White Nile. L. Victoria is the source of the longest river in the world- River Nile covering 6,853km. River Nile is a culmination of two rivers, the White Nile which originates from L. Victoria, and the Blue Nile originating from L. Tana in Ethiopia. The Nile flows into Egypt and empties its massive waters in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s the major source of water for Egypt.
Lake Kanyaboli National Reserve
The reserve is 41.42km² located next to Yala Swamp. It’s a home to papyrus, birds, and several other species which depend on the habitat entirely for survival. The reserve has several beaches ideal for picnics and in the vicinity is the Ramogi hill, a Luo cultural & archeological site that visitors can pay homage.
Ramogi is believed to be the father of the present luo tribe that inhabits the Nyanza and Western parts of Kenya.
Visitors can enjoy the birdlife, the oxbow lake, scenic sites, and the beaches, see different fish species, the cultural site, and the spectacular vegetation.
Lake Simbi National Sanctuary
Simbi is a small alkaline crater lake of volcanic origin without an inlet or an outlet, measuring 0.29km² in a sanctuary covering 0.59 sq. km.
The lake has no fish due to alkalinity but locals believe that the lake water is a natural medicine that treats skin diseases and a local church uses its water as a source of blessings for they believe it has some supernatural powers.
The lake is close to Kendu Bay town and it is known to support a large population of birds including pink flamingoes, egrets, and Egyptian geese. It is an ideal place for bird watchers.
Ndere Island National Park
The park which covers 4km² located in L. Victoria, is 45 minutes speed boat drive direct from Kisumu city. The island is a haven for over 100 species of birds and the park supports a wide range of animals such as hippos, Nile crocodiles, baboons, snakes, impalas, the rare sitatunga antelopes, zebras, warthogs, and waterbucks.
The spectacular scenic views of Homa Hills to the south are complimented by Mageta Island to the east and the imposing glimpses of Uganda capital-Kampala to the southwest horizon. Visitors can engage in several activities such as hiking, walking, bird watching, scenic viewing, and photography.
To get here, you can either go by road from Kisumu-Bondo, you branch left at Kombewa shopping center to the Parks headquarters, 12km away from the tarmac road, or by boat, a 45 minutes boat drive.
Accommodation will be at Boa Campsite.
Kakamega Forest National Park
The Forest is considered the remnant of the once great equatorial rain forest that stretched from West Africa through the Congo Basin all the way into East Africa. The only rainforest in Kenya is located 418km from Nairobi covering an area of 44.7km² and is a natural habitat for monkeys, hedgehogs, and bush pigs.
The park has over 380 species of trees, 330 species of birds, 27 species of snakes, 7 species of primates, and over 400 different species of butterflies.
The serene forest is located in Kakamega County in the Western part of Kenya and is an ideal place for visitors who love scenic, nature walks, bird watching, and game viewing.
You can get here by road or air and accommodations facilities available include: Isukuti Guest House, Udo Guest House, Udo Traditional Huts, Udo Campsite, and Biota Campsite.
The Wanga Kingdom
The Wanga Cultural Center was built to immortalize the Wanga Kingdom in Western Kenya which was ruled by Nabongo Mumia, as the Paramount Chief for a record 67 years from 1888 to 1949 when he died. The Centre was officially opened by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga on 13Th December 2008.The only remaining kingdom in Kenya even though it’s largely a ceremonial and cultural institution. It is situated along Mumias-Busia Road in Matungu and has artifacts that take visitors down the memory lane to the once powerful empire for example the first national flag to be flown in Kenya by Joseph Thompson in1883. The Royal garment of Nabongo is encase and next to it is a leopard skin, a royal stool, and a headgear.
The Wanga (AbaWanga) are a sub tribe of the larger Luhya tribe found in Western Kenya. Research shows that Wanga were part of Bantu migration out of western-central Africa around the year 1000, and they are related to the royal clan of Baganda. Of all the Kenyan communities, the Wanga were the most highly organized, economically, militarily and politically before the advent of British colonialism in early 1900. The Kingdom attracted many visitors especially Arabs and Swahili slave traders giving birth to higher Islamic presence in the area. Mumias town came into existence through Nabongo’s influence and is named after him and it’s here that you’ll find the famous Mumias Sugar Factory.
Before Nabongo Mumia, the Kingdom was prone to succession feuds and the most vicious one resulted into the kingdom splitting. The sons of Nabongo Osundwa rivaled each other over the throne and the eldest son Kweyu was outwitted by his younger brother Wamukoya Netia who then succeeded Osundwa