KENYA

Kenya lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. It is a medium-sized country by continental standards, covering an area of about 586,600km sq. Inland water bodies cover some 10,700km sq, the bulk of this in Lakes Victoria and Turkana. Kenya has tremendous topographical diversity, including glaciated mountains with snow-capped peaks, the Rift Valley with its scarps and volcanoes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes and coral reefs and islets.

Generally the climate is warm and humid at the coast, cool and humid in the central highlands, and hot and dry in the north and east. Across most of the country, rainfall is strongly seasonal, although its pattern, timing and extent vary greatly from place to place and from year to year. Rainfall peaks in most areas are in November and April.

There are five major drainage basins: Lake Victoria, the Rift Valley, the Athi-Galana-Sabaki River (and Coastal areas to its south), the Tana River and the northern Ewaso Ng’iro. The rift valley contains several basins of internal drainage, forming a chain of endorheic lakes from Lake Natron on the Tanzanian border, through Lakes Magadi, Naivasha, Turkana, Elementaita, Nakuru, Bogoria and Baringo. These lakes vary in alkalinity; from fresh water Lake Naivasha to the intensely alkaline Lake Magadi.

Nairobi, Kenya’s vibrant Capital

With the majority of our safaris starting or ending in Nairobi, safari pit stops in Nairobi are almost inevitable. Stay in Nairobi and you’ll find a town full of hustle and bustle, which gives you a chance to experience a very real part of Africa – street hawkers, overflowing taxis, and probably some of the most unconventional driving in the world!

Like many other African cities, Nairobi has its share of bustling markets, skyscrapers, dusty shanties and leafy suburbs with sweeping gardens. It’s a great safari pitstop where you can get your films developed, wander through book shops and send off your post cards to envious neighbours.

Nairobi has some great hotels and are plenty of places to eat, but Nairobi’s most famous restaurant is The Carnivore, where you can taste anything from zebra to crocodile. With excellent restaurants and shopping opportunities, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy.