VACATION DETAILS

For many centuries, traders from Europe, India, the Orient and Arabia were lured to these shores. It was from here explorer David Livingstone set off on his last expedition into the heart of the continent. Today, as you walk along the winding streets of the old Stone Town, lined with whitewashed coral rag houses, you can see reminders of this rich history all around you. Visit the Palace museum, former residence of the Omani Sultans, and the cathedral that now stands on the site of the notorious slave market.

Excursions

The Maasai Mara National Reserve (Masai Mara) is Kenya's finest and most outstanding wildlife sanctuary where gentle rolling grassland ensures animals are never out of sight. The climate is gentle, rarely too hot and well spread rainfall year round. The sensation of the great wildebeest migration between July and October is unparalleled. The wildlife is far from being confined within the Reserve boundaries and an even larger area extends beyond the game Reserve. Centuries of close association with the wildllife has resulted in an almost symbiotic relationship where wildlife and Masai people live in peace with one another. The first sight of this park is breathtaking. There is nowhere else on earth to compare with this wildlife marvel. The combination of a gentle climate, scenic splendour and untold numbers of wildlife makes the Maasai Mara National Reserve Kenya's most popular inland destination.

Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya's Rift Valley, located 100 mi/160 km northwest of Nairobi, is known for its flamingos, as well as its other birds (some 400 species have been documented). Hundreds of thousands of flamingos migrate among a handful of soda lakes in the area, including Lake Nakuru, so the actual number of birds varies at different times of year. But the sight of the massed flamingos is spectacular—when you gaze down on the lake from an overlook, it appears to be ringed in pink.

Other animals also inhabit the park. It's a rhino sanctuary, with both white and black rhinos—probably one of your best chances to see these endangered animals. It's also home to rare Rothschild giraffes. Keep an eye out for lions, too, or even leopards up in the arms of the tall yellow acacia trees.

Easy access from Nairobi makes this an excellent park for those on a quick trip to Kenya.

This 24-000 acre reserve enjoys magnificent views across plains to snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya, and has abundant wildlife and tropical vegetation. Sweetwaters Game Reserve and Chimpanzee Sanctuary is the closest reserve to Kenya's Capital Nairobi to boast all "Big 5" game - Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. The reserve is easily accessible and has the highest ratio of game-to-geographical-area of all parks and reserves in Kenya. Guests can enjoy special activities not permitted in most Kenyan National Parks such as game walks, night game drives, horseback game rides through the African bush and meals in the bush. A new addition is the multi-cultural Manyatta situated just outside the Serat Gate of the Sweetwaters Game Reserve, where clients can visit some of Kenya's tribes in their own environment.

Samburu National Reserve is not very well-known, but definitely worth a visit. It is situated on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river in Kenya. This means plenty of water, trees and shade to attract wildlife like elephant, lion, giraffe and zebra from the surrounding savannah plains. Leopards are also regularly spotted.

The Aberdares is the established name of a mountain range which thrusts directly north from Nairobi for more than 100 miles. Part of the range is protected as the Aberdare National Park, awesome in its majesty and beauty with an unimaginable abundance of wildlife worth visiting. The highest point of the range is Ol Doinyo Satima at over 13,000 feet. At its maximum elevation, about 11,000 feet, strange 20-feet tall mutants of alpine plants grow in profusion. Icy rivers plunge in glorious cascades and spectacular waterfalls. The Salient thrusts a dense forest through rich farmland and is where both Treetops and the Ark are situated. The salient's origin used to lie in an elephant migration route between the two mountains. The number of visitors to the Aberdares is high in the park rankings because of the Ark and Treetops.

Nairobi is Kenya's capital and one of Africa's most modern and fastest growing major cities. The original center retains Asian influence in its older buildings with glassy modern buildings. Visit City Market with local produce and handicrafts. Other attractions are: National Museum, displaying ethnographic, paleontological and ornithological exhibits; the Arboretum, with an excellent collection of East African flora; the University, known for its unique architecture; the excellent Kenya Railway Museum; and Nairobi's landmark, the extraordinary Kenyatta Conference Center, the country's most monumental building, visible from miles outside the city. There are casinos at Safari Park Hotel and Inter-Continental, and there's Sunday-afternoon horse-racing. Visit Karen Blixen Museum, where some action of the book and film Out of Africa took place. The beautiful forested Ngong Hills is a spiritual place for the Maasai and an excellent area for hiking and enjoying views of Nairobi and the Rift Valley. Nairobi National Park is a wildlife game reserve.