Kenya’s geography and climate
Kenya is both ethnically and geographically varied, with a population of about 38 million distributed across different tribes and 600,000 km2 encompassing four climate regions from east to west: the flat, low-lying coastal area towards the Indian Ocean with tropical vegetation, the sparsely populated area towards the north and northeast, the mountainous eastern part of the Great Rift Valley with volcanic soil that is ideal for agriculture and finally the dry steppes farthest to the west.
Safari in Kenya
Kenya’s superb zoological assets make it an obvious destination for safaris. This is in fact where the safari phenomenon originated. Apart from the famous Masai Mara safari area, Kenya has several national parks, which are well worth setting the sights of your binoculars on. By Lake Nakuru and the Great Rift Valley, a few hours’ drive away from Nairobi (which has a population running into the millions) towards Uganda, you can often see thousands of flamingos colouring the shore of the lake pink with their plumage in its full glory. Here, they are joined by small herds of giraffes, and there is also a high concentration of rhinos and leopards. The Aberdare area has dense jungle, and around Mount Kenya – Kenya’s highest peak and the second-highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro – you will find fascinating afro-alpine flora. North of Mount Kenya, in a desert-like area stretching all the way up to Ethiopia, you can become acquainted with the very dry savannah of Samburu and Buffalo Springs, where you will have no difficulty spotting lions, elephants, giraffes and buffalo – but also a number of Kenya’s rarer species such as Waller’s Gazelle, the Net Giraffe, the Oryx Antelope and the Somali Ostrich.
Masai Mara
Hundreds of thousands of hooves echo across the savannah in Kenya’s southwestern corner. More than a million gnus, 200,000 zebras and just under half a million Thomson’s Gazelles have set off on their annual migration in search of fresh grass. The world’s largest animal migration lasts from July till October. Here in Masai Mari, bordering on the Serengeti, on the open grassland you may see them being turned into prey for the many predators of the area, while they graze their way through the billowing blades of grass and cross the Mara river, hoping not to fall prey to the crocodiles. Large prides of lions and cheetahs help to ensure that by no means all the gnus return from their round trip of more than 3,000 km. The many opportunistic hyenas wait for a cheap scrap of food, while the Masais keep an eye on their herds, keeping a respectful distance, dressed in their colourful kangas – a large piece of rectangular fabric that can adroitly be made to serve as a garment if you have the dexterity of the Masai.
Nairobi
A little over a century ago, the centre of Nairobi was an oasis of the Masais. Today, the Masais have their own piece of golden land, and the concrete jungle of the Kenyan capital is now home to just under three million. It has a lively atmosphere. Through the windows of second-hand London taxis, you can hear the strains of Suzzana Owiyo’s sexy Afropop. The driver taps the beat on the steering wheel and smiles, showing a row of big white teeth, while Nairobi’s skyscrapers, second-hand clothing shops, makeshift stall traders and watchmakers pass by.
Other tourist sights in Kenya
After the safari drives and when you have finished following in the footsteps of Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton, you could round off your holiday beneath the coconut palms and mango trees in Mombasa or another coastal town by the Indian Ocean. Or you could visit Danish Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke’s African farm 20 km west of the capital. After the film dramatisation of Blixen’s autobiographical novel “The African Farm”, the farm was made into a museum and today it is one of Nairobi’s top attractions. Kenya is peppered with things to see and do, and if you want to get the most out of your trip, you will need a full tummy. Felled game also equates to gastronomy, and if you are curious enough to go beyond chicken and ugali (porridge made of maize), there is no reason to deny yourself grilled gnu, braised crocodile tail, antelope or a nice juicy giraffe steak. You will not be served endangered species, so you can eat with a clear conscience. Kenya also has lots of coconuts, passion fruit, papayas and mangos as part of nature’s bounty.