Karibu Kenya.
Kenya is regarded by many as the ‘jewel
of East Africa', and has some of the
continent's finest beaches, most
magnificent wildlife and scenery, and an
incredibly sophisticated tourism
infrastructure. It is a startlingly
beautiful land, from the coral reefs and
white sand beaches of the coast to the
summit of Mount Kenya, crowned with
clouds and bejewelled by strange giant
alpine plants.
Between these two extremes is the
acacia-studded rolling savannah, which
is home to game parks such as Amboseli,
the Masai Mara, Samburu and Tsavo; the
lush, agricultural highlands with their
sleek green coat of coffee and tea
plantations; and the most spectacular
stretch of the Great Rift Valley, the
giant scar across the face of Africa.
Above all, Kenya is a place for safaris,
and one-tenth of all land in Kenya is
designated as national parks and
reserves. Just about every African
plains animal is present. Over 50 parks
and reserves cover all habitats from
desert to mountain forest, and there are
even six marine parks in the Indian
Ocean.
Kenya also has a fascinatingly diverse
population with around 40 different
tribes, all with their own languages and
cultures. Major tribes include the
Kikuyu, the Luyia and the Luo, but the
most famous are the tall, proud,
beautiful red-clad Masai, who still lead
a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of
cattle-herding along the southern
border.
A mixture of African and Asian, the
unique Swahili culture can be found
along the balmy coast, where for
centuries it became prosperous on the
profits of commerce from the tradewinds
that carried ocean-going dhows (sailing
boats) across the Indian Ocean to Arabia
and Persia.
Kenya does have some downsides as a
tourist destination. There is enormous
pressure to buy anything and everything,
often at ridiculously inflated prices,
and even taking a photograph in the
local market is likely to incur a cost.
But despite this, the people are
friendly and the tourist trade is
supremely well organised and
professional. For those in search of a
little adventure, this can be an ideal
holiday destination.
Geography & Climate
The country of Kenya is slightly smaller
than the state of Texas, yet larger than
France. It's 582,646 sq km contain most
of the world's major climatic
conditions. Kenya's topography is a
study of contrasts. Features range from
deserts to snow capped mountains, sandy
coastlines to freshwater lakes, savannah
grasslands to fertile agricultural
plantations, extinct volcanoes to coral
reefs. The eastern half of the country
slopes gently downward towards sea level
while to the west, the land patterns
resemble a flight of stairs as a series
of hills and plateaus alternate upward
to the Rift Valley. On the western side
of the Rift Valley the land again gently
slopes downward towards Lake Victoria.
Moving from east to west, a traveller
experiences the white beaches of the
Indian Ocean to the mile-high plateau of
Nairobi, climbs higher still to the
snow-capped summit of Mount Kenya, then
drops across the Great Rift Valley to
Lake Victoria. The Kenyan countryside
boasts jagged, forested mountains,
fertile red-soil agricultural belts
surrounding Lake Turkana and sandy,
dusty desert savannah regions.
Kenya lies on the equator and is
bordered on the north by Sudan, Somalia
and Ethopia; Uganda and Lake Victoria
lie to the west; Tanzania and Mount
Kilimanjaro are to the south while the
Indian Ocean lies to the east. Kenya has
twenty mountains, six of which rise to
over 3,000 meters (9,900 feet). The Tana
River, largest in the country, supports
river traffic in its lower regions. Most
of Kenya's rivers and small lakes dry up
during the dry season making perennial
water shortages an ongoing problem.
Before the formation of the Rift Valley,
Kenya's climate and vegetation could
best be characterized as tropical. The
great geological changes that created
the Rift triggered extreme climatic
changes as well. After millions of years
of evolution, Kenya's climates now range
from semi-arid to tropical, temperate to
alpine, and also include artic. The
country has three main geographic
regions, each characterized by its own
unique climate and vegetation.
The Coast
Kenya's coastal region extends for 480
km (298 miles) along the Indian Ocean
from the Somalian border in the north to
the wilds of Tanzania in the south. This
region is world famous for its mangrove
swamps, rocky inlets, and palm trees.
The beaches are protected from
destructive ocean waves by extensive
coral fringe and barrier reefs.
Throughout the centuries these reefs
supplied building material for coastal
cities. The reefs also shelter hundreds
of aquatic species and are home to three
marine national parks, Kisite, Watumu,
and Malindi.
Rainfall along the coast is abundant,
but often occurs in short bursts except
during the April to June monsoon season.
This region averages 40 -50 inches of
rain per year. The coastal climate is
hot and humid with little variation in
annual temperature (87 F during the day,
rarely below 68 F in the evening). This
narrow coastal region is low-lying and
fertile making it ideal for sugar cane
and sisal plantations.
The Interior
The plateau beyond the coastal plain
rises gradually to the central Highlands
in the south and extends through
Ethiopia in the north. The northeastern
region of the plateau has only a few low
valleys and monotonous vegetation marked
by sparse savannah, thorn trees, huge
boabab trees and scrub. The climate of
these northern plains is the most
extreme in Kenya with temperatures
ranging from 40 C during the day to 20 C
at night. This vast arid and semi-arid
zone is agriculturally unproductive and
therefore sparsely populated. This area
is Kenya at its most remote with few
roads, only a smattering of villages,
and huge tracts of land that remain
unmarked. Because ground water and
rainfall are sparse in this region, only
pastoral nomads inhabit the area. The
nomads are always on the move, eternally
searching for water for themselves and
their subsistence cattle.
The landscape changes in the northwest
where the Rift Valley and Lake Turkana
cross the plateau. Vegetation is much
the same but sparser, indicative of
Kenya's growing desert region. This area
is home to Lake Turkana, the largest of
the lakes in the Rift Valley.
Unfortunately, it is little use to man
because of its alkaline water. The Great
Rift Valley runs north-south almost the
entire length of Kenya. The valley
varies in width from 48 to 128 km (30 -
80 miles) and is over 2,000 m (6,560
feet) deep near Lake Naivasha.
Throughout the Rift Valley there are
numerous freshwater and alkaline lakes
as well as remnants of long extinct
volcanoes.
The Aberdare Mountains and Mount Kenya
border the Rift Valley to the east while
to the west is the Mau Escarpment. Rich
volcanic soil coupled with frequent rain
(courtesy of easterly air masses meeting
the Aberdares) makes this region of
Kenya very fertile. As a result, these
eastern Highlands have long been
intensively cultivated by Europeans and
Kenyans alike. This region of
south-central Kenya was popularized
during the colonial days by Europeans
who settled there and dubbed it the
Highlands. The region is characterized
by savannah grassland, deep green
valleys, narrow canyons, and steep
rugged mountains. Nairobi, the capital
of Kenya, is located on the southern end
of the Highlands. This region is the
most fertile and, as a result, it
remains the most densely populated. The
Highlands are known for their temperate
climate although there is major contrast
between the floor of the valley and the
summit of Mount Kenya. When travelling
to higher altitudes, temperatures will
drop, on average, 1 F per 328 ft.,
descending to below freezing on Mount
Kenya and the Arberdare Mountains.
Temperatures in the rest of the region
are generally lower than in other parts
of the county, ranging from between 50 -
58 F at night to 72 - 79 F during the
day. There are two rainy seasons: the
"long rains" between March and May, and
the "short rains" which fall between
October and December.
Tourism
The tourist industry is by far the
largest single export earner in Kenya.
Tourism forms a vital foundation for the
country's economy and is highlights two
of Kenya's most unique features:
wildlife and beaches. Careful planning
and proactive leadership have maximized
the tourism potential as Kenya
continually outpaces it's East African
neighbors. A solid infrastructure
coupled with a devotion to wildlife
conservation has propelled Kenya to the
forefront of the regional tourism
industry.