Why go/visit Kenya

Reasons as to Why go/visit Kenya

When you talk about the most iconic safaris destinations on the continent of Africa and the whole world at large, Kenya makes it on the top list.

Kenya is a dream destinations one is ought to visit in a lifetime and for some travelers who have not visited Kenya, here are the reasons why you should go/visit Kenya for a safari.

1. Witness the greatest wildebeest migration

The greatest wildebeest migration is the most incredibly thrilling migration of animals to be sighted on earth, the greatest wildebeest migration involves the migration of millions of wildebeests accompanied by Thomson’s gazelles, zebras, and elands migrating from the Serengeti national park in Tanzania to Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya.

Wildebeest migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara national reserve in the period of August to October, the most magnificent sight of the wildebeest migration is the river crossing at Mara River.

2. Spot the big five

Kenya has been recognized to be one of African destination where the big five is easily spotted, Kenya is home to all the big five that is lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinos.

The big five were named so because they were at the top of hunter’s list and they were considered to be the most difficult game animals to shoot while on foot.

The big five in Kenya is found are notably found in Masai Mara the most popular reserve in Kenya, Masai Mara is dominated by endless plains consisting of short savannah grasslands giving you easy spotting of the animals.

3. Entering Kenya for a safari is very simple

As a tourist entering Kenya is very simple and easy, many procedures were introduced and put in place to facilitate easy entering of travelers into Kenya.

One of the recently introduced procedures are the e-visa system introduced in 2015, this visa is applied online meaning travelers no longer need to stay in long queues waiting for their passports.

4. Ideal for safari first-timers

A safari for first-timers is a very tricky experience but it is a very different story when it comes to Kenya, there are many tourism infrastructures in Kenya to assist first-timers such as tour operators who assist tourists to book safaris, comfortable accommodations, and many more.

5. Spot the big cats

Kenya is one of the best places on the African continent to encounter the big cats that are cheetahs, lions, and leopards, these big cats in Kenya are found in numerous protected areas/ Kenya national parks such as Masai Mara where all three of them can be sighted.

These cats are mostly sighted during wildebeest migration as they pose on riverside fig trees waiting for their prey to hunt.

6. Beach vacations

Kenya is a perfect safari destination offering an opportunity to rest on a beach vacation after a hectic memorable game viewing experience, Kenya stretches along the coast of the Indian Ocean which is filled with white sand beaches perfect for beach safaris.

Kenya’s best beaches to go for a beach vacation include Diani beach, Nyali beach, Lamu beaches, Vipingo beach, Tiwi, Watamu beach, Gazi beach, Bamburi beach, Kikambala beach, Shanzu beach, and many more. These beaches offer a number of amazing activities to keep your beach while on your beach vacation, these include diving, snorkeling, skydiving, swimming, beach football, and many more.

7. Spot millions of birds

Kenya is a bird paradise offering exceptional birding experiences, Kenya habits over 1,000 recorded bird species scattered in various birding sites.

Among the birds in Kenya, the most notable bird species are pink flamingoes which are recorded to be over thousands, these birds are found on the shores of Lake Nakuru a rift valley soda lake found the south of Nakuru in Kenya rift valley.

These flamingoes are attracted to the lake because of the algae found on the shores of Lake Nakuru, these birds are also fond of migrating to Lake Bogoria.

Other bird species found in Kenya include Abbott’s starling, Aberdare cisticola, Amani sunbird, Clarke’s weaver, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Hinde’s pied babbler, Jackson’s hornbill, Jackson’s francolin, Montane white-eye, Sharpe’s longclaw, Sokoke pipit, Sokoke scops owl, Taita thrush, Tana River cisticola, Taveta golden weaver, Williams’s lark, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Bar-tailed trogon, Blue-headed bee-eater, Friedmann’s Lark, Golden-breasted starling, Golden-winged Sunbird, Great blue turaco, Kori bustard, Red-naped Bush-shrike, Secretary bird, Somali courser, Somali sparrow, Taita Apalis, Turner’s eremomela, Vulturine Guineafowl, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye and many more

8. Sleep under the stars

Sleeping under the stars is a magical experience and one of the most adventurous activities in Kenya where travelers get a chance to enjoy Kenya’s wilderness, sleeping under the stars Kenya is offered in Loisaba Lodge sitting on a reserve of 61000 acres in Laikipia the most heavenly corner of Kenya.

Sleep under the star is experienced at night in private huts open to the skies, these huts are situated in a drive of 20 minutes’ drive from the main building of the lodge. Beds facilitating this experience are wheeled out into the open and taken inside if the weather changed, these beds are positioned looking either the watering hole or the river for easy sighting of animals passing by and converging at the river to drink water.

Sleeping under the star is a dreamy experience offering site of the sky lit by trillions of stars.

9. Mount Kenya

Kenya is one of the magnificent mountains in Kenya and one of the main attractions in Kenya which a reason why you should visit Kenya, Mount Kenya is a great site for mountaineers offering amazing mountain climbing safaris.

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa standing at an elevation of 5,199 meters with a prominence of 3,825 meters, this mountain is of stratovolcano type said to have been formed 3 million years ago during the opening of the East African Rift.

Mount Kenya comprises many peaks with Batian peak as the highest peak, these peaks include

• Batian standing at 5,199 meters (17,057 feet)
• Nelion standing at 5,188 meters (17,021 feet)
• Point Lenana standing at 4,985 meters (16,355 feet)
• Other peaks on Mount Kenya include Coryndon Peak at 4,960 meters, Pt Piggot at 4,957 m, Pt Dutton at 4,885 m, Pt John at 4,883 m, Pt John Minor at 4,875 m, Krapf Rognon at 4,800 m, Pt Peter at 4,757 m, Pt Slade at 4,750 m and Midget Peak at 4,700 m.

Mount Kenya is climbed using various routes including the Chogoria route, Kamweti route, Naro Moru route, Burguret route, Sirimon route, Timau Route, and peak circuit path.

10. The magnificent ancient site

Kenya offers a great opportunity to travel back into time through its numerous captive historical sites and old ruins dotted around the country, these ancient sites showcase the way of life of people who lived in Kenya most especially on the Kenya coast.

The Kenya coast played a key role in the civilization and commercialization of Kenya as it was a trading point, the coast was visited by many traders and colonial masters such as the Portuguese, Europeans, Arabs, Persian, and many more.

The presence of these people on the coast of Kenya is still showcased through historical sites and cities of Kenya such as the Swahili town, Gendi Ruins, Lamu Old Town, Koobi Fora, Fort Jesus, Shimoni slave caves, Mombasa Old Town, Paradise Lost, Limuru and many more. Visiting these cities and sites will give you an insight into what life was like on the coast of Kenya and Kenya at large during the 12 – 15^th century.