Popular Attractions in Kenya
National Museums of Kenya
The recently renovated Nairobi National Museum is a good place to learn more
about Kenya's history and culture.
It has an excellent display of fossils and a stunning recreation of a prehistoric rock site. There is also an extraordinary
cast on the floor, which clearly records the footprints of Man's direct ancestor (Homo erectus) dating 4 million
years ago. The Casting Department also sells casts of important fossil discoveries to Museums worldwide, both for study and
for exhibition. Other museums are located in Kitale, Meru, Kisumu, Lamu and Fort Jesus in Mombasa.
Nairobi Snake Park was built with the aim to educate the public about snakes and the common reptiles of Kenya.
The Snake Park continues to be a big attraction in the Museum.
Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park is unique by being the only protected area in the world with a variety of animals and birds close
to a capital city. The park which is located about 7 km from the city centre has a rich & diverse birdlife with 400 species recorded including black rhinoceros, large predators – lion, leopard, hyena and cheetah; aggregations of large herbivores – eland,
buffalo, zebra and wildebeest and diverse birdlife. Other available attractions are the Ivory Burning Site Monument; Nairobi Safari Walk, walking trails at hippo pools and spacious picnic sites.
Gedi Ruins - Malindi
Gedi is one of Kenya's great unknown treasures, a wonderful lost city lying in the depths of the great Arabuko Sokoke forest.
It is also a place of great mystery, an archaeological puzzle that continues to engender debate among historians.
This once great civilization was a powerful and complex Swahili settlement with a population of over 2500, built during the
13th century. The ruins of Gedi include many houses, mansions, mosques and elaborate tombs and cemeteries.
Today there is an excellent museum and well trained guides on hand to take visitors through the ruins.
Wandering through Gedi is an ideal way to spend a morning or afternoon, lost among the secrets of the past and attempt to
figure out its mystery.
Karen Blixen Museum
This home is a must see for anyone interested in Karen Blixen's book 'Out of Africa' and
the subsequent film. The author lived on a coffee estate in a house known as Bogani from 1914 until 1931 and the
area has now developed into the modern suburb of Karen on the outskirts of Nairobi. Those who have read the book, or seen the
film (which was filmed on location here) will recognize the house with its sprawling tropical garden and views of the nearby
Ngong Hills. The house is now a National Museum, and is furnished with a mixture of original decor and props from the 1985
film production. The Museum is easily accessible from Nairobi, by taxi or bus.
Haller Wildlife Park - Mombasa
Haller Wildlife Park (Lafarge Ecosystems) is a former disused quarry that has been reborn as a small private game sanctuary.
A major initiative has been made to "green" the quarry, and these efforts have literally blossomed into an area of lush
beauty. The onetime quarry is now a thriving game sanctuary, fully stocked with game including Giraffe, Eland, Hippo, Oryx
and more. Haller Park is also home to Owen (a hippo) and Mzee (a giant 120 year old tortoise) who adopted Owen while he was
still a calf.
Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, which is located near Nairobi National Park, cares for elephant and rhino
calves from all over Kenya. It was founded and is still managed by Daphne Sheldrick, the widow of one of Kenya's best known
Game Wardens David Sheldrick. Elephant calves orphaned by poaching are brought here from all over the country and they
receive extremely specialized treatment and personal care 24 hours a day from highly dedicated staff who become surrogate
mothers to the calves. Eventually the calves are moved to Tsavo National Park, where they are carefully reintroduced into
wild herds. The centre is open to the public each morning (11am-12pm). At this time the calves are being exercised and bathed
and visitors are free to watch.
AFEW Giraffe Centre
The AFEW (African Fund for Endangered Wildlife) Giraffe Centre is located in Langata, just outside Nairobi.
The centre has been ostensibly set up as a breeding centre for the endangered Rothschild giraffe, but now
operates conservation/education programs for Kenyan school children. It offers good information on giraffes available and
an elevated feeding platform where visitors meet the resident giraffes face to face. Hand-feeding giraffes is an education
in itself and one will see, close at hand, how they use their long, prehensile tongues to remove leaves from prickly
acacia branches. Guests can watch the centre's giraffe population as they wander freely through the lush gardens.
The Fort Jesus - Mombasa
The majestic Fort Jesus is a National Monument, standing high over the Mombasa harbour. Visitors can spend
the day exploring the gun turrets, battlements and houses within the walls. There is an excellent Museum and trained
guides available. For those who want to learn more about the struggle for Fort Jesus, the Fort plays host to a spectacular
sound and light show 3 nights each week. Visitors are welcomed into the Fort by guards in flowing robes brandishing
flaming torches. They are led to a specially designed and choreographed show that uses lights, sound effects and costumed
actors to bring to life the long and turbulent history of the Fort. At the end of the show, a candlelit dinner is served in
the open courtyard of the Fort, under the stars.
Maasai Mara - Home of the Great Wildebeest Migration (NEW SEVENTH WONDER OF THE WORLD)
There is no better time to visit the Mara than during the Great Migration. This is one of the
remarkable wildlife attractions that make's Kenya one of the best wildlife destinations in the world. The migration
can be experienced on early morning game drives in customized vehicles, walking safaris with Maasai Warrior guides,
horseback safaris in areas surrounding the Mara, or even from hot air Balloon safaris over the herds.
The annual Wildebeest Migration at the Maasai Mara is a natural cycle that replenishes and renews the grasslands of East Africa. Each June, around 1.3 million Wildebeest gather in the Serengeti to calve and are attracted to the Mara by the scent of rain thus initiating the planet's greatest animal migration. In the Maasai Mara, Africa's largest concentrations of predators like lions and packs of hyenas are drawn to this perfect opportunity for easy hunting. Predators are not the only obstacles that the wildebeest face. Kenya's heavy rainfall in the highland Mau escarpment turns the Mara River into a raging torrent and in the struggle across the Mara River; many are drowned or swept away by strong currents. The crossing attracts massive crocodiles who each year, awaits this season of bounty. By September the herds will begin reaching their goal, and spread out to graze across the expanse of the Mara.
For this beautiful game reserve, it is a time of renewal, as the dung from the visiting herds fertilizes the plains. October will see the herds turn southward and repeat the same journey back to the Serengeti, where the renewed grasslands await.
Safaris outside Nairobi can be arranged. More information on destinations can be found in Magical Kenya.
