Travel Notes: Africa: Kenya Travel Notes

Short URL: http://tnot.es/KE - National Anthem of Kenya.

From the beaches on the Indian Ocean to nature reserves on the plains, Kenya has always been attractive to tourists.

Quick Links

African Safaris, Bamburi, Kenya Tourism, Malindi, Map of Kenya, Mombasa, Mountains & Lakes, Nairobi, National Parks, Tours, Travel Tips, Visiting Kenya.

Kenya Tourism

Countries neighbouring Kenya (which has the Equator running through it) are: Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Map of Kenya

The Massai came to Kenya with their cattle herds, from the region north of Lake Turkana, in the 17th century.

The official language of Kenya is Swahili, although English is widely spoken.

Weather in Kenya

View a graphical weather forecast for the week ahead in places around Kenya.

Kisumu Weather, Mombasa Weather, Nairobi Weather.

Visiting Kenya - Submitted by GeoSafaris

There's something for everyone visiting Kenya.

Amboseli, Tsavo, and the Masai Mara are excellent for game viewing with dense populations.

The North, around Samburu and Turkana are off the beaten track and an anthropologist's dream.

The coast offers glimpses into an ancient Islamic trading culture at Lamu and Malindi, and fabulous beaches for skin diving.

The climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro takes several days, but is worth reaching Africa's highest.

Choosing a Safari in Kenya:
The popular image of safari, especially in the west, is inseparable from Kenya. Kenya has over 50 national parks and game reserves where wildlife is protected. To help you make decide which Kenyan Safari is right for you, Andrew Muigai writes about some of the choices for Travel Notes.

Kenya Car Hire:
Discount online Kenya rental car reservation and country information. Find the best value offers on a wide range of vehicles for hire. Car pick-up locations at Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

Kenya Domestic Flights:
Cheap Kenya flight information and online reservation service. Scheduled and air charters can fly you all around Kenya. There's also discounts on regional flights to other African cities, departing from Nairobi and Mombasa, in Kenya.

Kenya Hotel Discounts:
Online discount Kenya hotel information and reservation service for Nairobi Hotels, Mombasa Hotels, Masai Mara and Tsavo. Enjoy your stay in Kenya at one or more of its finest hotels. Select from a wide range of Kenya hotels for leisure and business travellers in Kenya.

Kenya Web:
Take time out for this one - an extensive resource of information about Kenya.

Compare Kenyan Hotel Prices

Aberdare National Park, Amboseli National Park, Malindi, Masai Mara, Mombasa, Nairobi, Naivasha, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Taveta, Ukunda, Watamu.

Kenya National Parks

Tsavo National Park and Marsabit National Reserve are the country's two largest national parks, although the Masai Mara park, in south-west Kenya, is probably the best-known and most visited.

Kenya Game Parks:
Colourful image map showing locations of Kenya's game parks, with links to related articles.

Mountains and Lakes in Kenya

There are mountains and lakes in Kenya too.

Mount Kenya is over 5,000 metres high, and although Kenya only shores a small portion of Lake Victoria, it does contain most of Lake Turkana (Lake Rudolf) in the north east.

Nairobi

Nairobi was founded in the late 1890s, by the British, as a railhead camp on the Mombasa-Uganda railway; and became the capital of independent Kenya, in 1963.

The Nairobi National Park, on the south-eastern outskirts of the city, is a major tourist attraction.

The National Museum of Kenya has an interesting display of early humans in Africa, while the McMillan Memorial Library, also in Nairobi, has a special collection of Africana.

Other points of interest include the law courts, the City Hall, and the absorbing Municipal Market.

Nairobi is also home to the Kenya National Theatre and Sorsbie Art Gallery.

Hotels in Nairobi

Hilton Nairobi: Mama Ngina Street, Nairobi.
The 287-room Hilton Nairobi enjoys a perfect location in the heart of Kenya's capital and provides the business and leisure traveller with a superb selection of facilities. All 287 rooms are air-conditioned and have satellite TV and electronic safe deposit boxes and locks. Each offers breathtaking views over the city. The hotel boasts a choice of four restaurants and two bars, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, a fully equipped business centre and a modern health club.

InterContinental Nairobi: City Hall Way, Nairobi.
Set in park surroundings, the Inter-Continental Nairobi is within minutes of the Kenyatta Conference Centre and other major city centre offices. This superbly equipped hotel has all the usual leisure facilities including gymnasium, sauna, Jacuzzi, Turkish Bath and massage service. It also offers the outdoor pursuits of tennis, cycling and golf. Adventurous guests may prefer to embark on a safari.

Norfolk Hotel: Harry Thuku Road, Nairobi.
The Norfolk is part of Kenya's history. Built in the early 1900s, it has kept pace with the times and offers quiet, elegant, comfort and cuisine of the highest standards. The hotel is set in its own tranquil gardens, only a short distance from the city centre.

Mombasa

Mombasa, just south of the Equator, is Kenya's major seaport and serves Ethiopia and north-east Tanzania as well. It is also an important cultural centre.

The Fort Jesus Museum, in Old Mombasa, aptly houses its history collection in a 16th-century Portuguese fort.

Fisherman's Leisure Inn:
The Fisherman's Leisure Inn is a 3 star hotel divided in two parts. One block has two bedroom apartments and the second block has hotel rooms. The hotel, with its own pool and Jacuzzi, is separated from the beach by a small road and is only a ten minute drive from Mombasa town centre.

Orchid Bay Hotel:
Situated on the scenic Kisauni Creek, near the Nyali Bridge, just minutes away from the town centre. Situated on the water's edge, all bedrooms and facilities overlook the sea. Architecture is classical Arabian Moorish.

Bamburi

Nyali, Bamburi and Shanzu form a chain of beaches as you head north, out of Mombasa.

Bamburi Beach Hotel:
Bamburi Beach Hotel, Mombasa, has its own private ocean front, recently enhanced with a wooden boardwalk area which has typically Kenyan picturesque views of the ocean and beach..

Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort: Malini Highway, Bamburi.
Whitesands boasts a position as one of the favourite deluxe resorts on the East African Coast. It has the longest beach front and 340 rooms of various categories. The reception has a distinct coastal feel with carved archways and murals depicting scenes from Kenya's coast. Voted best resort in 2004.

Malindi

Malindi is the second largest coastal town in Kenya, around 2hrs (120km) north of Mombasa, just past the Watamu Marine National Park.

Magical Malindi:
Land of history, land of beauty, land of glorious beaches and sunshine, land of love - Malindi the Land of Magic.

Places of Interest in Malindi:
Although Malindi boasts 155km of coastline, there are other attractions in the area apart from the beach.

Kenya Travel Tips

Do be careful when walking around in Mombasa and don't go out at night, as it can be dangerous. As in Nairobi, although there was a very visible police presence in the city.

On Safari in Kenya don't accept the house special drink on arrival. Its NOT free and very overpriced.

The souvenirs are cheaper at the beach resorts than on the safari, be prepared to barter and trade - socks, tee-shirts and pens are all in demand.

Don't expect to walk down the excellent beaches, you won't get far without a lot of patience.

Be careful of your baggage weight on internal flights and the return trip. They charge excess baggage so try and carry souvenirs in your hand luggage.
Sent in by: Elaine Scott.