All About Kenya, Information for African Holidays
Let’s talk about Kenya and discover why to book holidays either on a African beach or in national parks.There is no other country which can offer as much as Kenya! With beautiful beaches in Kenya like Diani, Tiwi, Mombasa, Watamu or Malindi and outstanding national parks and game reserves includeing Maasai Mara, Amboseli or Tsavo, this is an excellent foundation for safari holiday or beach holidays.
Did you know that Kenya has some of the best national parks, reserves and marine parks in the world? You can choose one of the lodges in our portfolio offering private safari accommodation and perhaps add few days of relax on a African beach.
Let’s talk about Kenya and why this location is one the best for African holidays
There are 17 National parks, 12 National Reserves and 6 Marine parks and more then hundred exotic beaches and romantic deserted bays! The Mangrove forests, Mt Kenya and the legendary Tanzanian Kilimanjaro, lakes, hot springs or special national flavor of ancient villages, coastal towns and tribes – all can be found here and are only some of the highlights in Kenya.
The nature is rich and diverse. There are waterless deserts, savannahs rich with big five, glaciers, mountains with snow, amazing lakes, tropical forests, authentic cultures unchanged by the modern world, unspoiled white beaches with coral reefs and much more. Kenya owns a part of Lake Victoria, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, which originates from the Nile River.
Kenya History
History of Kenya counts millions of years. Some of the most ancient fossils of human beings have been originated in the East African rift. Since time immemorial there have settled Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Portuguese. In 1740-ies the beautiful coast was captured by the Kingdom of the island of Zanzibar. In 1895, the Sultan of Zanzibar gave the land for use to Britain and Kenya was called British East Africa.
The Flag was adopted in 1963. Black stands for the color of the population, red – blood, green – the natural resources. The White lines on Kenyan flag indicate the desire for peace, and the Maasai shield (one of the largest Kenyan tribe) with crossed spears – stands for the willingness to defend the Country.
General Informations
Geography & fast facts: Kenya is located in East Africa, slightly north of the equator. It borders Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan to the North, Uganda to the West, Tanzania to the South and the Indian Ocean to the East. Great reef valley, from Jordan in the north to Mozambique in the south, divides the country into two parts. Kenya covers an area of 225,000 sq miles (582,646 sq km) which is approx the size of Texas State, USA. The population was estimated at 33,829,590 million (July 2005). Have look also on some the fun and interesting facts, you most likely did not know. Capital: Nairobi with population approx. 2mil. 
Major Towns: Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret. National Language: Kiswahili. Other 42 ethnic languages are also spoken. Official Language: English Independence Day: December 12, 1963 (Jamhuri Day) – Independence from British colonial rule. Religion: Christianity, Islam, Traditional local beliefs. Currency: Kenyan shilling. The exchange is possible in any branch of the bank (USD older then 2003 will not be accepted). Time difference: On the last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October behind Moscow for 1 hour. Public Holidays: New Year’s Day – 01 January Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day – 01 May, Madaraka Day* – 01 June Moi Day* – 10 October, Kenyatta Day* – 20 October, Christmas – 25 December, Boxing Day – 26 December Climate: The climate in Kenya is subequatorial. In the central part of the country rather cold nights and the days are hot and dry. In Kenya coast by the ocean, the daytime temperatures rarely drop below 24 degrees and the climate is humid and hot.
And when is it the best time visit? You should know that this is a year round destination and has always something different to offer visitors throughout the entire year.
In January and February it is very dry and hot, and the animals group around the natural lakes making for easy big game viewing. Variety of beautiful bird life is concentrating on some of the Rift Valley lakes about this time.
March to May is known as the green season and for many, this is the best time to travel – the rain usually falls in short showers with lovely sunshine in between, making everything fresh, beautifully green and full of stunning tropical, rare flowers.
Jun is known as rainy season. July, August and September are the country’s coolest months and the legendary wildebeest migration is present. The unforgettable migration only happens in East Africa and around this time the grasslands of the Masai Mara are covered by vast mass of moving wildebeest.
October, November and December to January is very enjoyable time which is quiet similar to springtime with warm, beautiful days and cold evenings. This time of year in Kenia is very alive and pleasant. Only in November fall some showers to freshen up the country and clear the dust away. This is an excellent time for many watersports – such as windsurfing, kite surfing or snorkeling and diving in the coast.
Most popular time to go on holidays: June to October, December to March. Best value time to go on holidays: April, May and November. What to pack ? This is beautiful country but there are some rough savannas and wildlife out there, it is batter to be prepared! Read our complete packing list to Kenya for the full information, tips and travel advise.
