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 is
bordered by Somalia and the Indian Ocean
to the East, Ethiopia to the North, Sudan
to the North West, Uganda to the West and
Tanzania to the South. The coastline, about
550km long, faces the Indian Ocean.
Kenya is a magnificent
country, full of adventure. From snow-capped
mountains, to sandy beaches, everywhere
you will see nature in its splendour.
With various national parks ranging from
the Maasai Mara, Amboseli to Tsavo National
Park, you will find heavy presence of
hundreds of different wildlife.
The country consists
of grassy savannahs in the South, and
desert in the North, with more arable
land stretching along the coastline, and
in the West, near Lake Victoria, the second
largest lake in the world. The spectacular
Rift Valley highlands dominate the South
Western quarter of the country. Climate
in the Coastal regions is virtually tropical,
monsoon winds in June and July result
in cold breezes and very pleasant temperatures.
The highlands are mild
but have four distinct seasons, with the
highest peaks on Mount Kenya remaining
snow capped year round. There are two
distinct rainy seasons in Kenya, which
last roughly from March to June, and October
to December.
The Rift-Valley lakes
of Baringo, Bogoria, Naivasha and Nakuru
are excellent for bird watching and, mountain
trekking is common at the Africa’s
second largest mountain, Mount Kenya,
a snow-capped mountain. Towards the Coast,
is Lamu, an old town, which boasts of
more dhows than anywhere else off the
East African coast.
The white sandy
coastal beaches are surrounded by five
star hotels, which offer luxury accommodation.
The marine national parks located in Malindi
offer glass-bottom boats, where one sees
a variety of corals and fish. Activities
such as deep sea fishing, snorkelling
and diving are also popular.
