Visiting Kenya: The 10 Main Tourist Attractions in Kenya

Famous for its classic savannah safaris, Kenya is a country of extreme contours and classic contrasts. Deserts and alpine snows; forests and open plains; the metropolis of Nairobi and the colourful tribal cultures; freshwater lakes and coral reefs. For many people, Kenya is East Africa in microcosm. Wildlife safaris have been Kenya's main tourist attractions for decades, while other activities include trekking on Mount Kenya, flying over the Masai Mara and snorkelling at Malindi, on the coast of the Indian Ocean.

10Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park Nairobi National Park is just a 10-minute drive from the centre of Nairobi, with only a fence separating the park's wildlife from the metropolis. Nairobi's skyscrapers can be seen from the park. Despite its proximity to the city and the park's relatively small size, Nairobi National Park boasts a large and varied population of wild animals. Migrating wildebeest and zebras gather in the park during the dry season, and it is one of Kenya's most successful rhino sanctuaries.

9Malindi

Malindi Malindi offers a very pleasant introduction to Kenya's coastal tourist attractions with its extensive coral reefs and beautiful beaches. You can have fun surfing, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing and other water sports. The Malindi Marine National Park is protected and has beautiful beaches with clear water and very colourful fish. Malindi is served by a national airport and a highway between Mombasa and Lamu.

8Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The mountain offers a beautiful view. Its series of peaks is crowned with snow and its slopes are covered in forest. The 1,757 m summit is a technical climb suitable for expert trekkers, but there are also easier climbs.

7Samburu National Reserve

The Samburu National Reserve is a very peaceful national park in northern Kenya. It attracts wildlife thanks to the Uaso Nyiro river that runs through it and the mixture of woodland vegetation and grasslands. Here all three of the big cats are found - lions, cheetahs and leopards - as well as elephants, buffaloes and hippos. The Uaso Nyiro river contains a large number of Nile crocodiles.

6Hell's Gate National Park

Hell's Gate National Park is a tiny park named after a narrow break in the cliffs, once a tributary of a prehistoric lake that fed early humans in the Rift Valley. It is unique among Kenya's natural parks, since you can walk or cycle without a guide. There is dramatic scenery, with steep cliffs, gorges and basalt columns. The national park is home to a great variety of wildlife, although many are few in number. Examples of little-seen wild animals include lions, leopards and cheetahs.

5Lamu Island

Lamu Island is part of the Lamu archipelago in Kenya and has managed to remain intact and untouched by the mass tourism that has affected much of Kenya's coast. As the oldest living town in Kenya, Lamu Town has preserved all the charm and character built up over the centuries. On Lamu Island there are no roads, only alleys and paths, and therefore there are few motorised vehicles on the island. Residents get around on foot or by boat, and donkeys are used to transport goods and materials.

4Tsavo National Park

Tsavo is the largest national park in Kenya and one of the largest in the world. Because of its size, the park has been divided into Tsavo West and Tsavo East. Tsavo West has spectacular scenery with a volcanic landscape, while Tsavo East has a more open savannah than its western brother. Tsavo National Park is the ideal destination in Kenya for people seeking solitude and privacy, as well as the chance to explore the wilderness.

3Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru is a very shallow lake in central Kenya. The lake's abundance of algae attracts large quantities of lesser flamingos, sometimes more than a million at the same time. Often called the greatest bird spectacle on earth, the flamingos are one of Kenya's main attractions. Unfortunately, in recent years the number of flamingos on Lake Nakuru has declined due to environmental degradation and pollution.

2Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is a relatively small park located near the border with Tanzania, at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro. The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-roaming elephants. Other attractions of Amboseli National Park include opportunities to meet the Masai people and a spectacular view of Mount Kilimanjaro.

1Masai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the main tourist attractions of Kenya and the country's most famous "playground". Every year the Masai Mara National Reserve is visited by thousands of tourists who come here to witness the extraordinary game population and the annual migration of zebras and wildebeest. The "Great Migration" takes place every year from July to October, when millions of wildebeest and zebras migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania.