Nairobi
An expanse of manicured green on the fringe of the central city, this attractive park is a popular respite from the downtown noise and bustle. It owes its…
Must-see attractions in Kenya
Kisumu
The town museum is fairly old fashioned, but includes a lot of information. It's best enjoyed with a guide, who can give you more background on the three…
Kenya
This deep, spooky crater lake straddling the border with Tanzania is a worthwhile detour en route south to Moshi. There are grand views across the plains…
Laikipia Plateau
At the very western edge of the Laikipia plateau, the Mugie Conservancy is a 200-sq-km private wildlife reserve. It's crawling with heavyweight animals –…
Nairobi
In the grounds of the National Museum, the Snake Park has some impressive snake species, including the puff adder, black mamba, Egyptian cobra, African…
Kenya
Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout Association, spent his last three years at Paxtu cottage in the Outspan Hotel, where this museum is…
Kenya
Smaller than Chania Falls, Thika Falls are still impressive to watch. Located on the Blue Post Hotel grounds, you can watch the falls while your kids play…
Northern Kenya
There are a number of Samburu villages in the area that welcome paying visitors. Probably the best one is Umoja, which was originally founded as a refuge…
Western Kenya
This place looks as if it was designed by Frankenstein after he converted to Christianity and dropped acid. Though you could come here for the picnic…
Kenya
In contrast to the rich greens that characterise so much of the highlands, this reserve is set in a dry depression that is nonetheless beautiful in a…
Laikipia Plateau
Set back in an evergreen river valley and studded with sharp rocks and screaming baboons, the white cataracts plummet over 74m. The dramatic experience of…
Nairobi
Just inside the main gate to Nairobi National Park, this animal orphanage houses formerly wild animals that have been recovered by park rangers. Although…
Nairobi
If you fancy a look at how democracy works in Kenya, it’s possible to obtain a free permit for the public gallery at Parliament House when parliament is…
Tsavo West National Park
This lake (pronounced ji-pay) lies at the extreme southwestern end of the park and is reached by a desperately dusty track from near Taveta. You can hire…
South Coast
This is the largest reptile farm in Kenya, with guided tours taking you past several pools where you can see the crocs in various stages of development:…
Diani Beach
At the far northern end of the beach road (follow the faded sign behind the Jacaranda Resort) is the 16th-century Kongo Mosque – Diani’s last surviving…
Laikipia Plateau
Part education or interpretation centre, part museum, this three-roomed structure is appealingly interactive and comes with instructions to 'please touch'…
Nairobi
Karura Forest is a firm favourite among locals for walking, cycling, running and horse riding under its shady green canopy. The Sigiria entrance now has a…
South Coast
These caves are where slaves were supposedly kept before being loaded onto boats and shipped to Zanzibar. A custodian takes you around the dank caverns to…
Kisumu
On the road to Dunga, this 1-sq-km sanctuary is home to a small impala herd and provides important grazing grounds for local hippos. In addition to the…
Southern Rift Valley
Kariandusi is signposted off the A104 Hwy near Lake Elmenteita. It was here in the 1920s that the Leakeys (a family of renowned archaeologists) discovered…
Nairobi
Amid the clutter of downtown, Nairobi’s main mosque is a lovely building in typical Arab-Muslim style, with all the domes, marble and Quranic inscriptions…
Nairobi
Right in the bustling heart of Nairobi is the distinctive National Archives, the ‘Memory of the Nation’, a vast collection of documents and reference…
American Embassy Memorial Garden
Nairobi
This well-tended walled garden occupies the former site of the American embassy, which was destroyed by terrorist bombings on 7 August 1998. It’s a lovely…
Western Kenya
Rimoi cradles the southern half of Kerio Valley National Park. It can be accessed from Iten or Eldoret, and fairly easily from Lake Baringo 80km away if…
Malindi
Part of the Malindi Historic Circuit, this moderately interesting museum has some displays on underwater arachaeology along the Kenyan coast. Upstairs,…
Lake Naivasha
Lake Naivasha may be a freshwater lake, but it is the alkaline waters of its near neighbour Lake Oloiden that draw small but impressive flocks of…
Malindi
This thatched-roofed church gets its name because Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama is reputed to have erected it in the 15th century, and two of his crew…
Lamu Island
Atmospheric and somewhat chaotic, this quintessential Lamu market is best visited early in the morning. Bargain for fresh tuna and sailfish, wade through…
Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Northern Kenya
The twin sister of Samburu National Reserve, which sits on the opposite, northern side of the river, Buffalo Springs has a wide variety of animals,…
Kenya
If you are trekking along the Burguret Route, you will likely camp just below the lava cliff of Highland Castle at 3700m. If time allows and you're…
Amboseli National Park
Away to the northwest from the delta, this ‘lake’ occupies a large swathe of the park, but it’s usually bone dry, except after extended rains. At other…
Kenya
The lookout gives a breathtaking view of the 50m waterfall dropping down through the forest. If you are short on time, enter via the Mutubio West Gate,…
Southern Rift Valley
Lining the western side of the road on the approach to Lake Nakuru if you're coming from town, these eye-catching murals depict everyone from George and…
Masai Mara
The town’s only official attraction is the small Narok Museum and its displays on traditional and contemporary Maasai culture, as well as that of other…
Mombasa
Dating from 1902, the old law courts on Nkrumah Rd have been converted into an informal gallery, with regularly changing displays of local art, Kenyan…
Open-Air Fruit & Vegetable Market
Eldoret
The open-air fruit and vegetable market is a fun if rather odoriferous insight into the sort of markets where Kenyans do their weekly shopping, with not a…
Western Kenya
It's worth poking your nose into the town’s municipal market. It operates every day but is at its loudest on Saturday and Wednesday mornings when, as if…
Nairobi
Looking for all the world like a colonial-era post office, this stone mosque for the city's Ismaili community was built in the 1920s and is one of…
Malindi
This long tongue flicks out into the Indian Ocean. It's a low-key highlight of a stroll along Mama Ngina Rd. On weekends, families wander arm-in-arm and…
