The First Timer
Highlights
Nairobi
Masai Mara National Reserve
Lake Nakuru National Park
Amboseli National Park
Mombasa and the Indian Ocean Coast

Day 1: Nairobi
The fastest growing and most modern city in East Africa, Nairobi can prove both exhilarating and intimidating to first-time visitors. Established as a colonial railhead in 1899, Nairobi has a vibrant history which is well portrayed in the Railway Museum, the National Museum and the Karen Blixen Museum. Just ten minutes' drive from the city centre, Nairobi National Park offers traditional game drives as well as the new Safari Walk, a landscaped animal sanctuary where you can stroll amongst its inhabitants. Nairobi has excellent shopping - three Maasai craft markets, a chaotic City Market, numerous art, fashion and jewellery galleries and a plethora of craft outlets. The city also has plenty of places to eat, including the famous Carnivore Restaurant.

Days 2--5: Masai Mara National Reserve
The best known of Kenya's 56 national parks and reserves, the Masai Mara is world-renowned for both its incredible wildlife spectacles (such as the annual wildebeest migration) and its sumptuous lodges and tented camps. As well as game drives, be sure to take a hot air balloon ride in order to fully appreciate the grandeur of the Mara's rolling savannah. Best reached by air on a package ‘fly-in' safari (which will include everything from transport, accommodation and meals to game drives and guides), the Mara can also be reached by a spectacular drive from Nairobi which descends to the floor of the Great Rift Valley.

Day 5: Lake Nakuru National Park
Dubbed ‘the most fabulous bird spectacle in the world' by ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson, Lake Nakuru is famous for its flamingos which, at times, can number up to two million individuals. The lake is also the centrepiece of a 188km2 national park, which includes a world heritage site and rhino sanctuary. The park has two lodges, the Lake Nakuru Lodge and Lion Hill Sarova, both of which can organise game-viewing activities.

Days 6-7: Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park provides the classic Hollywood image of Africa. Set in rolling savannah against the backdrop of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli supports a wealth of wildlife, including vast herds of elephant and some 400 species of birds. Accommodation options include the Amboseli Serena and Tortilis Camp.

Days 8-10: Mombasa and North Coast
Mombasa offers a spicy melange of peoples, religions, architecture and cuisine. The city is dominated by the 17th century Portuguese-built Fort Jesus. There is also a fascinating Old Town and a working dhow port. To the north of the city lies a magnificent beach, backed by numerous beach hotels offering dhow cruises and water sports. Further north lie Watamu and Malindi marine parks, as well as the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, the largest patch of indigenous coastal forest left in East Africa. Be sure to also visit the nearby 13th century Swahili ruins of Gedi.

Days 11-14: Diani Beach
South of Mombasa, the popular Diani Beach is lined with hotels and guest houses. Scuba-diving or snorkelling on the reef (a few hundred metres offshore) is superb. You can also take a dolphin safari or a boat trip to the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park. For a change of scene, visit Shimba Hills National Reserve where you can stay in a ‘treehouse' hotel and see elephants and colobus monkeys in a rainforest setting.


To see the wildebeest migration
Some one and a half million wildebeest, plus a supporting cast of zebra, gazelle and predators move north from Tanzania's Serengeti during July and August and turn south again around October. The best time to see them in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve is around August and September.
To climb Mount Kenya
No trip to Kenya would be complete without seeing or, better still, climbing Africa's second tallest peak. First climbed in 1899, Mount Kenya reaches a height of 5199m. However, Point Lenana, at 4985m, is the target for most trekkers. The best months are January to February (dry season on south side), and August to September (dry season on north side).

Highlights
Olorgasailie and Lake Magadi
Aberdare National Park
Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate National Park
Tsavo West National Park
Malindi Marine National Park
Lamu

Day 1: Nairobi, Olorgasailie and Lake Magadi
Join a day trip out of town to Olorgasailie, a remarkable prehistoric site where, in the 1940s, Louis and Mary Leakey discovered evidence of Homo erectus - a hunter-gatherer dated to around 4-500,000 years ago. A museum contains displays and finds, including stone hand axes. Driving on, you descend to the mirror-like waters of Lake Magadi, one of the hottest places on earth. Remember to take a sunhat and plenty of water.

Days 2-4: Aberdare National Park
Encircled by the wild and beautiful moorlands of Kenya's third highest mountain range, this atmospheric park is the place to see waterfalls, trout-filled streams and elephant patrolling lichen-clad forests. A must for anglers (both brown and rainbow trout abound - obtain fishing licences at the gate), the Aberdares also provide wonderful hiking country. Two of Kenya's most famous lodges, The Ark and Treetops are found here.

Days 5-6: Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate National Park
Shadowed by the towering bulk of the extinct volcano Mount Longonot, Lake Naivasha offers boating, fishing and birdwatching, as well as one of the most spectacular golf courses in the world. Nearby Hell's Gate is the only national park in Kenya where you can walk in the wild without a guide. Keep an eye out for the rare Verreaux's eagle which haunts the park's towering cliffs. Back at the lake, try to schedule a visit to the Elsamere Conservation Centre, erstwhile home of Joy Adamson of Born Free fame.

Days 7-10: Tsavo West National Park
One half of Kenya's largest national park, Tsavo West covers an area of 8500km2. Its rugged landscape of ancient lava flows, rocky outcrops and waterholes is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the rare maneless lion descended from the legendary man-eaters of Tsavo. At Mzima Springs you can observe the underwater antics of hippos from a special submerged hide. Accommodation in Tsavo West ranges from self-catering bandas to luxury tented camps.

Day 11: Malindi
Dating back to the 12th century, Malindi was visited by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and became a favourite haunt of Ernest Hemingway. This northern coastal town is packed with excellent restaurants and bars, and also excels in watersports, such as scuba diving and deep-sea game fishing.

Days 12-14: Lamu
Accessed by boat from the mainland, the fascinating 14th century Swahili town of Lamu has become an established favourite on the Kenya circuit, and is a great spot to unwind for a few days. Most of the town's streets are only wide enough for a donkey and cart to pass - hence Lamu's distinct lack of vehicles. The waterfront is constantly bustling with dhows. There are ancient mosques, museums and markets to explore, as well as an old fort. If that sounds too much like hard work, Lamu also boasts a 12km beach.

The True Connoisseur

Highlights
Lake Turkana and Sibiloi National Park
Mount Elgon and Western Kenya
Lewa Downs

Days 1-5: Lake Turkana
The long journey through the semi-arid lands of the Samburu to Lake Turkana can be undertaken using anything from a light aircraft or overland truck to a camel or mountain bike. Be sure to book through a reputable operator, since this safari is not for the faint-hearted. Rarely-visited Sibiloi National Park, on the eastern shores of the lake, marks the site where, in 1971, Dr Richard Leakey discovered the skull of Homo habilis. As well as being a crucially important early human fossil site, the Park also promises rare wildlife and staggering scenery.

Days 6-9: Mount Elgon
Etched by glacial tarns and honeycombed by caves, Mount Elgon (4321m) straddles the border between Kenya and Uganda. It contains the extraordinary Kitum Caves, where elephants known as the ‘troglodyte tuskers' gouge out salt to supplement their diet. This seldom-visited park also provides excellent trekking and trout fishing. A few nights stay in nearby Kitale will allow you to visit Saiwa Swamp National Reserve (a refuge for the rare, semi-aquatic Sitatunga antelope) and Kakamega National Forest - a relict jungle that is home to red-tailed and blue monkeys, as well as several species of tree that are more commonly found in the Congo basin.

Days 10-14: Lewa Downs
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a former cattle ranch, lies in the shadow of Mount Kenya and looks out across the former Northern Frontier District. It offers privacy, peace, prehistoric sites, teeming wildlife (including the rare Grevy's zebra), swamps, grasslands, riding, walking and a choice of exquisite accommodation. It also allows access to Il Ngwesi Lodge; a Samburu owned and built ecolodge of stunning design.

Fact File

Checklist
Language: officially English, but the lingua franca is KiSwahili.
Time: GMT+3
Int. Dialling Code:
Money: Kenya shilling (Ksh), currently 130.3Kshs to the UK £. Credit cards widely accepted.
Visas: generally, all visitors need a visa, which are best obtained in advance from the Kenyan High Commission.
Getting thereNairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport is served by a wide range of international airlines and also acts as a regional hub. Visitors can arrive by sea via the port of Mombasa, although there is no regular or scheduled cruise-liner service. Travelling by overland truck is another option.
Getting Around Kenya has an efficient domestic airline network with routes linking all major towns. The overnight sleeper train between Nairobi and Mombasa is an unforgettable experience. It departs Nairobi daily at 7pm, arriving in Mombasa the following morning at 8.30am. At Kshs6000 return, the sleeper train is marginally cheaper than the return air flight, which takes 45 minutes. Both Nairobi and Mombasa have plenty of taxis, but be sure to ask to see the legal tariff sheet before negotiating a price. Kenya's minibuses (matatus) have a poor safety record and are not recommended, although a number of privately-run shuttle-bus services now operate between Nairobi and Mombasa.
Where to stay Kenya offers a bewildering choice of accommodation from 5-star hotels and tented safari camps to budget campsites and simple guest houses. Interesting options include self-catering accommodation offered by the Kenya Wildlife Service and a range of home stays and private houses that are available for hire. As a rough guide, allow around US$100-150/day for a fully inclusive safari camp and US$7/day for a campsite.
Eating out Nairobi and Mombasa offer an international selection of eateries from world-class to roadside-kiosk, while most lodges and camps excel in sumptuous meals. The most popular Kenyan meal however is nyama choma, or roast meat eaten with rice, chapatti, ugali (maize) and sukuma (greens).
Health As well as a course of anti-malarial drugs, the following vaccinations are recommended: diphtheria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, cholera and meningococcal meningitis. A certificate showing proof of yellow fever vaccination is required if arriving from an infected area.

Find out more
Airlines: www.airkenya.com
www.flamingoairlines.com
www.kenya.airways.com
Embassies/High Commissions: London, tel: 020 7636 2371/5
Guidebooks: Kenya (Bradt, due February 2004)
Kenya (Lonely Planet, 2002)
Kenya (Rough Guide, 2002)
Home stays: www.bush-homes.co.ke
National parks: www.kws.org
Safari operators:
Tourist information: www.magicalkenya.com
www.visit-kenya.com