Nairobi, 11 January 2022 (TDI): Kenya is a country in East Africa with a coastline on the Indian ocean. It encompasses Savannah, Lakeland, the dramatic Great Rift valley, and mountain highlands.
It’s also home to wildlife like lions, elephants, and rhinos. From Nairobi the capital, safaris visit the Maasai Mara Reserve, known for its annual wildebeest migrations, and Amboseli National park, offering views of Tanzania’s 5895m Mount Kilimanjaro.
Today, Kenya is known as a home of animals, conveys a wild beauty with many national parks and reserves. Besides that, it would be a mistake not to mention Kenya’s rich culture. Kenya is known for being friendly and generous and for the diversity of food, art, music, dress, etc.
Visa Process
Visa of Kenya takes 8 days on average. On average four workdays with an urgent application. As soon as the visa has been approved the journey can begin. It is important to arrive in Kenya within the validity term of 3 months after the visa has been approved.
No more visas are issued on arrival in Kenya, nor in Kenyan representations. The e-visa allows entry into the country once for a tourist or business stay or up to 90 days or transit for up to 72 hours.
Entry Requirements in light of Covid-19 Pandemic
All passengers, irrespective of nationality and residency status, must be in possession of a valid COVID-19 negative PCR test certificate conducted within 72 hours before their travel to Kenya. Children under the age of five are exempt from this requirement, as are crew on a layover.
Passengers entering Kenya must have a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 unless they have a certificate of exemption from a medical practitioner. Some airlines may also request that travelers show proof of vaccination at check-in.
Major Attractions in Kenya
Kenya is a country of great diversity, both culturally and physically. It is one of the most popular destinations in Africa. The natural landscape of the country offers craggy mountains, Indian Ocean beaches, lush forests, and wildlife-rich savannahs.
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is the largest mountain in the country at an elevation of 5,199m/17,057ft high. It is the second-highest in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro. The lower slopes of the mountain are covered with forests of African rosewood trees and bamboo. It is one of the beautiful places in the country with its rugged snowy peaks and glaciers.
Travelers with an interest in climbing or adventure sports can summit the mountain by hiking to Point Lenana, one of the three peaks, through the world’s highest Ferrata route. Ferrata is an Italian term meaning iron path.
It is a protected climbing route, that is built with a steel cable rail fixed to the rock, metal steps, ladders, suspension bridges as well as zip wires. Another option is climbing Batian Peak which is the highest point. However, climbing Batian Peak requires technical climbing experience.
Kenya Safari
Kenya’s wildlife has much to offer. Thrilling Safari experience must be a part of the to-do list in Kenya as it is a heaven for those who love adventure and wildlife. The country offers different types of Safari experiences.
One option is walking safaris and bush walks. This is probably the best way to explore the wildlife of Kenya. With walking safaris, one can see wild animals in a wildlife conservation area. Nevertheless, almost all national parks in Kenya restrict such activity, except the Hells Gate National Park.
However, some private conservancies may allow it. Walking safaris are generally guided tours where a local Maasai enriches the experience. The best time for walking safaris is early morning or late afternoons. The weather is temperate at this time and one can also encounter elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, and cheetahs during the walk.
Another explorable option in terms of Safari is the hot air balloon safari in Masai Mara or Amboseli National Park. The hot air balloons fly over the savannah grasslands and a variety of Kenya’s wildlife can be spotted during the ride. The time for this adventure is the break of the dawn as the balloons take off at that time.
The flight is an hour long. The basket sizes vary, and a maximum of 16 passengers are allowed per balloon. The cost for this ride ranges from 415-495 USD for Masai Mara and 415-450 USD for the Amboseli National Park.
Another exhilarating experience is the boat safari in Lake Naivasha. The lake has much to offer like Eburru volcanic mountain range and yellow-barked Acacia Xanthophlea trees. The lake is home to wildlife like hippos in the lake, and giraffes, zebra, waterbuck, eland, and wildebeest on the shore. Birds like pelicans, giant kingfishers, pied avocet, and flamingoes can also be seen.
The rate for an hour-long boat safari ride varies from 25-30 USD per individual. The capacity of the boat is six to 20 persons usually. Life vests and an experienced local guide are available, however, Lake Naivasha can get rough in the late afternoon to evening, so the best time is 7-11 am or 2-4 pm.
For a nocturnal adventure, Kenya also offers a night drive safari that allows observing some nocturnal animals in Kenya like the silver-backed jackal, hyena, caracal, porcupines, aardwolf, aardvark, leopards, hippos, bat-eared fox, banded mongoose, bush baby, bush pig, genet cat, cape hares, civet cats, and owls.
Night drive safari is not allowed inside National Parks and Wildlife Reserves in Kenya. This type of safari can be undertaken in selected private conservancies like Mara North Conservancy, Mara Naboisho, Siana, Trans Mara, Olare Motorogi Conservancy (outside Masai Mara National Reserve), and Ol Pejeta Conservancy (in Nanyuki).
Night safari is two hours long and the cost varies from 60-120 USD per adult, per night drive. The usual schedule for night safari drives is from 7 PM to 9 PM. The best safari tours to book are the 3 Day Masai Mara Safari (budget 400-585 USD), 5 Days Twiga Safari (budget 840-1390 USD), 4 Days Fly-in Masai Mara Safari (budget 2,365-3,460 USD).
Best Time for Kenya Safari
The best time for the safari is from January to March and July to October when the season is dry. This is also the time to witness the wildebeest migration. This migration happens from July to October.
During this time the tourists can observe zebras, elands, and gazelles crossing on the Mara River. Au contraire the wet seasons from November to December and April to June experience bird migration. Communication is not a problem as one of the two official languages of the country is English.
Lake Nakuru National Park
Another major attraction for tourists is Lake Nakuru National Park which is home to a number of bird species like flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, the African fish eagle, Verreaux’s eagle, the Goliath Heron, and hammerkops are also seen around the lake.
In addition, black and white rhinos, Rothschild’s giraffes, lions, and cheetahs can also be spotted throughout the national park.
Lamu Archipelago
Besides the Safaris, Kenya is also famous for its Indian Ocean coastline which harbors the Lamu archipelago. Lamu is rich in history as the town was founded in 1370 as a Swahili port. Ever since it has been inhabited by Indians, Europeans, and Persians.
There are 23 mosques, a 19th-century fort, and traditional dhow boats zigzagging offshore as well as the surrounding peaceful and unspoiled beaches.
Chyulu Hills
Aside from the Safari and beaches, there are Chyulu Hills in southeastern Kenya. It is a mountain range that extends for 1,000km/620mi and has an elevation of 2,188m/7,178ft above sea level. The range has some of the world’s youngest volcanic mountains.
It also has the Leviathan Cave which is one of the world’s longest lava tubes. The activities in the range include wildlife-viewing safari drives, hiking, rock climbing, and horse riding.
Accommodation and Travel Agencies
Accommodation options in Kenya vary from five-star safari lodges to beach resorts. International hotel chains like Marriot and Sheraton also operate in the country. Boutique hotels are becoming increasingly popular with the tourists, however.
Accommodation in the country is divided into town hotels, lodges, vacation hotels, and country hotels. Each one offers different amenities and facilities. For further information regarding accommodation and booking visit the website of Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers.
Some of the best Travel Agencies for a wholesome experience in Kenya are Arch Treks and Safaris, SafariBook Evolution, Transtrek Safaris, Exodus Travels, Kikwetu Cultural Adventures, Bigmac Africa Safaris, and First Choice Tours and Travel.
So what are you waiting for? To discover the exciting world of Kenya book a vacation today!
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