Image by oversnap / Getty Images

Kenya

Vast savannas peppered with immense herds of wildlife. Snow-capped equatorial mountains. Traditional peoples who bring soul and color to the earth. Welcome to Kenya.

Stirring Landscapes

When you think of Africa, you’re probably thinking of Kenya. It’s the lone acacia silhouetted on the savanna against a horizon stretching into eternity. It’s the snow-capped mountain almost on the equator and within sight of harsh deserts. It’s the lush, palm-fringed coastline of the Indian Ocean, it’s the Great Rift Valley that once threatened to tear the continent asunder, and it’s the dense forests reminiscent of the continent’s heart. In short, Kenya is a country of epic landforms that stir our deepest longings for this very special continent.

Proud Peoples

Filling the country's landscape, adding depth and resonance to Kenya’s age-old story, are some of Africa’s best-known peoples. The Maasai, the Samburu, the Turkana, the Swahili, the Kikuyu: these are the peoples whose histories and daily struggles tell the story of a country and of a continent – the struggle to maintain traditions as the modern world crowds in, the daily fight for survival in some of the harshest environments on earth, the ancient tension between those who farm and those who roam. Drawing near to these cultures could just be a highlight of your visit.

Abundant Wildlife

Kenya is the land of the Masai Mara, of wildebeest and zebras migrating in their millions with the great predators of Africa following in their wake, of endangered species like black rhinos managing to maintain their precarious foothold. But Kenya is also home to the red elephants of Tsavo, to Amboseli elephant families in the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro and to the massed millions of pink flamingos stepping daintily through lake shallows. Africa is the last great wilderness where these creatures survive. And Kenya is the perfect place to answer Africa’s call of the wild.

Conservation's Home

The abundance of Kenya's wildlife owes everything to one of Africa's most innovative and successful conservation communities. Through some pretty tough love – Kenya pioneered using armed rangers to protect rhinos and elephants – Kenya stopped the emptying of its wilderness and brought its wildlife back from the brink after the poaching holocaust of the 1970s and 1980s. More than that, in places like Laikipia and the Masai Mara, private and community conservancies fuse tourism with community development and wildlife conservation to impressive effect. In other words, if you want your visit to make a difference, you've come to the right place.

Explore Kenya

0

Latest Stories from Kenya

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Kenya.

  • National Park

    Amboseli National Park

    Amboseli belongs in the elite of Kenya’s national parks, and it’s easy to see why. Its signature attraction is the sight of hundreds of big-tusked…

  • Museum

    Fort Jesus

    This 16th-century fort and Unesco World Heritage treasure is Mombasa’s most visited site. The metre-thick walls, frescoed interiors, traces of European…

  • Wildlife Reserve

    David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

    Occupying a plot within Nairobi National Park, this nonprofit trust was established in 1977, shortly after the death of David Sheldrick, who served as the…

  • National Park

    Nairobi National Park

    Welcome to Kenya’s most accessible yet incongruous safari experience. Set on the city’s southern outskirts, Nairobi National Park (at 117 sq km, one of…

  • Museum

    National Museum

    Kenya’s wonderful National Museum, housed in an imposing building amid lush, leafy grounds just outside the centre, has a good range of cultural and…

  • Wildlife Reserve

    Giraffe Centre

    This centre, which protects the highly endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, combines serious conservation with enjoyable activities. You can observe, hand…

  • Museum

    Lamu Museum

    The best museum in town (and the second best in Kenya) is housed in a grand Swahili warehouse on the waterfront. This is as good a gateway as you’ll get…

  • River

    Galana River

    Running through the heart of the park and marking the northernmost point in the park that most visitors are allowed to visit, the Galana River, which…

  • Spring

    Mzima Springs

    Mzima Springs is an oasis of green in the west of the park that produces an incredible 250 million litres of fresh water a day. The springs, whose source…

  • Wildlife Reserve

    Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary

    At the base of Ngulia Hills, this 90-sq-km area is surrounded by a 1m-high electric fence and provides a measure of security for around 80 of the park's…

  • National Park

    Tsavo West National Park

    Welcome to the wilderness. Tsavo West is one of Kenya’s larger national parks (9065 sq km), covering a huge variety of landscapes from swamps, natural…

  • Historic Building

    Karen Blixen's House & Museum

    If you loved Out of Africa, you'll love this museum in the farmhouse where author Karen Blixen lived between 1914 and 1931. She left after a series of…

  • National Park

    Kisite Marine National Park

    Off the south coast of Wasini, this gorgeous marine park, which also incorporates the Mpunguti Marine National Reserve and the two tiny Penguti islands,…

  • River

    Kanderi Swamp

    Around 10km from Voi Gate, the lovely area of green known as Kanderi Swamp is home to a resident pride of lions, and elephants also congregate near here;…

  • National Park

    Tsavo East National Park

    Kenya’s largest national park, Tsavo East has an undeniable wild and primordial charm and is a terrific wildlife-watching destination. Although one of…

  • Serpentarium

    Bio-Ken Snake Farm & Laboratory

    This humble-looking place is one of the world's most renowned snake research centres. Bio-Ken specialises in antivenin research and acts as an emergency…

  • Mountain

    Ngulia Hills

    Rising more than 600m above the valley floor and to a height of over 1800m above sea level, this jagged ridgeline ranks among the prettiest of all Tsavo…

  • Wildlife Reserve

    Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

    This sanctuary is a good example of community-based conservation, with local people acting as stakeholders in the project. It was opened in October 1995…

  • National Park

    Shimba Hills National Reserve

    This park is among the easiest to visit in Kenya, within spitting distance of Diani Beach, with numerous driving routes and a couple of hiking trails. Its…

  • Wildlife Reserve

    Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary

    The innovative community-run Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary covers 657 sq km and was formed from three community-owned ranches in 1996, but only opened…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Kenya.

Featured videos

  • Beaches that will blow your mind

  • The planet's cutest animals (and where to find them)

  • Introducing Kenya