Sometime back, Mark Wiens of migrationology.com wrote a very comprehensive post on 101 things to do in Nairobi. It was a great post, and I thought I could write something similar, focusing on the less known yet interesting destinations to visit and things to do in Kenya. I hope you’ll find this post useful and informative.

Here goes…categorized into (with some unavoidable overlaps):

• Historical Sites
• Pre-Historical Sites
• The Bizarre/Mythical/Mystical
• Wildlife and Birding
• Scenic Sites
• Adventure Travel
• Cultural Places/Events Continue reading →

In the previous post on this blog, I mentioned the need for Kenya to move beyond the traditional safaris and diversify its tourism product offering, or risk going stale. This may have created the impression that apart from wildlife safaris, there is nothing else for you to see and to do in Kenya. Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. The country offers you plenty of holiday activities and other great reasons why you may want to travel to Kenya. Today’s post higlights a few of these opportunities.

1. Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE)
Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, is one of Africa’s most important commercial hubs. This also makes it a key destination for business meetings, conferences and other events. Fortunately, the city has plenty of world class hotels and venues to meet this demand. Continue reading →

A few weeks ago, the Daily Nation – a Kenyan daily newspaper – had a thought-provoking article about beach and safari tourism in Kenya. Citing recent events related to the tourism industry, the article warned that all is not well, and if remedial action is not taken quick enough, we might just as well kiss that sub-sector goodbye. Click here to read the full article.

Of course this wasn’t the first time someone was writing or saying something critical of Kenya’s tourism. In May 2010 for example, the World Bank conducted a study whose findings they published in a report titled “Kenya’s Tourism: Polishing the Jewel”.

The World Bank report identified several challenges facing the Kenya tourism industry, among them “a tired product offering in need of upgrade and diversification”. If you wish, you can download the full report (in pdf) here.

If you ask any honest industry insider or Kenya travel expert, they too will readily admit that several things need to be changed for Kenya to retain its position as one of Africa’s top destinations. Just last month for example, the MD for Abercrombie & Kent in Kenya was quoted in the Travel Weekly alluding to the fact that the traditional Kenya safari product is no longer enough to maintain its competitive edge over newer destinations like Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, and Botswana.

So, what is wrong really?
The World Bank report I mentioned above identified the key issues as: Continue reading →

(This is a guest post by Davina Adhiambo, who works at Tropical Valley Safaris – here’s the link to her website. This post is the second of a two-part article. Be sure to check out Part I here)

6. The Northern Kenya Game Reserves
Though I already noted that each of the over 50 parks and reserves have something great to offer, the ones in Northern Kenya take the ultimate prize in offering a unique safari experience. The most accessible of these are Samburu, Shaba, and Buffalo Springs game reserves, all located near Archers Post a few kilometres North of Isiolo.

Some of the animals found in these parks cannot be seen anywhere else in Kenya. These include the gerenuk, reticulated giraffes, Somali ostrich, Grevy’s zebra, and Beisa oryx. It is in Samburu that a most unnatural phenomenon was once recorded, when a lioness started adopting one baby oryx after another (see story here and here).

Further northward from Samburu, lies a harsh wilderness that also makes for great adventure safaris for the bold. Continue reading →

(This is a guest post by Davina Adhiambo, who works at Tropical Valley Safaris – here’s the link to her website. This post is the first of a two-part article, continued in Part II)

Many Africa travel enthusiasts recognize Kenya as one of the top holiday destinations in the continent. After all, it is in Kenya that the concept of an African safari was born. The country is blessed with more than 50 game parks , national reserves, and wildlife conservancies, each of which has its unique selling points.

You can therefore travel to Kenya as many times as you want, and still not be able to cover all the destinations. Which is why, if you are going for your first (or only) Kenya safari, you need to know the most popular of these destinations to make the most of your safari. If you ask any two people which the top destinations are, you are most likely to get two different lists. However, I am pretty sure they’ll feature most of the destinations below, which I consider among the best.

1. Masai Mara National Reserve
I have heard some people say that the Mara is over-hyped, at the expense of other equally deserving destinations. But the fact remains it is the best place for a wildlife safari in Kenya. What with its high concentration of wild animals all year round, coupled with its unending savannah grasslands plains that make game watching an extremely enjoyable experience? Continue reading →