Tour Kenya
Kenya
Kenya is a country of breath-taking beauty and amazing contrasts between glacial ice to arid desert, mountains to rich savannahs and large lake to dense forests. Kenya has four distinct physical features namely; the Great Rift Valley, Central Highlands, Arid and Semi-Arid areas in the north and east, and the Coast.
The lure of Kenya has long caught the attention of Hollywood stars as their escape or ‘go-to’ place from their demanding lives. It has thankfully remained unspoilt with its sheer variety of landscape, wildlife, human cultures and experience. No other African country can boast such diversity within its borders. Here you will find snow-capped peaks and rolling savannah, pristine beaches and tropical rainforests, giant herds of elephants and flocks of flamingo, nomadic tribesmen and dhow sailors, and much, much more.
Kenya’s geographical diversity is born out of the Great Rift Valley, an awesome natural divide that bisects the country, extending about 3,500 miles from Jordan in the north to Mozambique in the south. An age old route for both human and animal migration, the floor of the rift is home to a series of freshwater and soda lakes, each one supporting its own unique ecosystem. At several of the soda lakes you’ll witness the astonishing spectacle of thousands of flamingo (both lesser and greater) gathering together to feed and breed.
The Rift is surrounded by dormant volcanoes, calderas and mountain ranges. Mount Kenya, whose striking peak is 17,057 feet above sea level, is held sacred by the local Kikuyu tribe and provides one of the world’s rarest sights – equatorial snow. The surrounding highland forests and hundred mile long Aberdare Range are alive with elephant, buffalo, and the rare giant forest hog and elusive Bongo antelope.
The Northern plains are home to nomadic tribes including the Samburu and the Rendille, who move with their camel trains following dry riverbeds across a great semi-arid wilderness. Here, rare species such as the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and gerenuk are found.
Southern Kenya
Southern Kenya is Maasai land, and here Maasai communities maintain a traditional way of life. This is the home of the Masai Mara National Reserve, 583 mi² of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest. This world famous reserve supports an array of animal species with large grazing herds of zebra, giraffe, gazelle, buffalo and topi. The acacia woodlands are alive with birdlife. The Mara and Talek Rivers are home to hippos and crocodiles. Everywhere there is a profusion of life.
Each year the Mara is the staging ground of one of nature’s greatest spectacles – the migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest from the Serengeti. A surging column of life, these massive herds pour across the plains, bringing the Mara to life. The profusion of grazing animals makes the Mara a perfect hunting ground for predators. Although globally famous for exceptional populations of lion, leopard and cheetah, the Mara is truly the kingdom of the lion, and these majestic predators dominate the landscape.
Further east is Amboseli, where large herds of elephants move across broad dusty plains to a series of wetland swamps. The massive reserves of Tsavo East and West comprise ten million acres of pure wilderness, a birding mecca with an endless array of species of weavers, hornbills, sunbirds, rollers, and raptors.
In western Kenya, there is rainforest and the wide blue waters of Lake Victoria. This lake is the home of the massive Nile perch, a challenging freshwater trophy for any game fishing devotee.
The Kenyan Coastline is a paradise of palm fringed beaches and the warm inviting waters of the Indian Ocean. Extensive coral reef systems with spectacular sea life make for world class diving and snorkelling.
It’s this myriad of diversity within a single country that has established Kenya’s name as THE home of the safari. With so much freedom of choice, Kenya is the perfect destination for the free spirited traveller.