40 Reasons Why Kenya is A Great Place To Visit

If you are anything like me, you have daydreamed about visiting another part of the world. If Kenya is one fo those, you may have wondered if it is a good country to visit.

Is Kenya a good place to visit? Kenya is a great country to visit. Whether you want to go on a Safari or visit some beautiful white sandy beaches, Kenya is a great destination to visit. Over 1.5 Million tourists visit Kenya each year and the tourism infrastructure is developed enough to allow you to have a great time on your visit to Kenya. In case you are not convinced, here are 40 Great Reasons why Kenya should be on your travel bucket list.

A few facts about Kenya

Here are a few facts about Kenya

1. Population: 53 Million
2. Location: East Africa near the Equator
3. Kenya is Famous for:
   • Barak Obama’s Dad was from Kenya
   • Eliud Kipchoge(World Record Holding Marathoner)
   • Masai Mara National Park
   • Great Wildebeest Migration
   • Nobel Lauriet Wangari Mathai

40 Reasons Why Kenya is a Great Country to Visit

There are many reasons you would want to visit Kenya. Here are 50 of them. NB, they are in no apparent order.

1. The Great Wildebeest Migration Happens in Kenya

Kenya is famous for the great wildebeest migration. Millions of wildebeest and zebras migrate from the Masai Mara National Reserve to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. 

This is considered one of the great wonders of the world and is an amazing sight to behold. 

I have witnessed the migration and its awe-inspiring.

One of the highlights of the migration is when the wildebeest have to cross the Mara River which is infested with crocodiles. 

If you want to witness the migration, plan to visit Kenya between July and September. You will need to coordinate with your tour operator to time it exactly if viewing the migration is important for you.

2. World Famous Safari Destination

Kenya, in general is one of the first places that come to most people’s mind when they think of  a Safari. With amazing national parks with a large variety of wildlife and beautiful views. 

 The wildlife alone is enough to make Kenya your destination of choice and many tourists just come for the wildlife.

3. Gorgeous White Sandy.Beaches

Since Kenya is located at the equator, it’s coastlines are warm and have beautiful white sandy beaches. Most tourists choose  to spend a few days at the beach once they complete their safari.

Some of the popular beaches in kenya are 

1. Diani Beach: this is the most popular tourist beach destination on the Kenyan coast it has a number of mid range and luxury beach resorts and is my pick for luxury beach vacations (view hotels there)
2. Watamu  Beach: this had a great mix of midrange and budget beach destinations and is perfect for someone on a budget. Its beaches are better than the ones In other areas and it’s my pick for budget beach vacations(view the hotels there)
3. Lamu island: its main attractions include ancient houses with intricately carved doors. The building were constructed by the Arabs traders to East Africa  (view hotels there)

4. Friendly People

Kenya has really friendly people. Our hospitality is seen in the curiosity shown by locals when interacting with foreigners and the generosity we show our guests. 

As an example, Kenyan hospitality prevents us from allowing a guest to leave our houses before they eat or drink something. 

When you come to Kenya, seek to interact with the people and you will see for yourself.

5. Interesting Food

There are over 40 tribes in Kenya and each has its own traditional foods and delicacies. If you visit hotels like the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, you will get to sample the hundreds of African dishes and experience the interesting culture behind each plate.

A few of the dishes include

• Ugali
• Chapati
• Mukimo
• Murenda
• Mahamri

6. Large Population of Rhinos

Kenya has a large population of rhinos and is a perfect place to spot these endangered species in its natural habitat. 

You can spot rhinos in the following parks in Kenya

1. Lake Nakuru National Park. This park has the greatest density of rhinos and gives you a good chance to spot this rare animal.
2. Masai Mara National Reserve: though more difficult to spot, the Mara gives you a good chance to spot rhinos

7. The Big 5 

Several parks in Kenya give you an opportunity to spot the Big 5 animals. There are: 

1. Lion
2. Leopard
3. African buffalo
4. Elephant
5. Rhino

The National parks in Kenya that have the big 5 are:

1. The Masai Mara
2. Amboseli National Park (with the exception of the rhino)

All the other national parks in Kenya have a few of each of the animals but these two offer the most complete list.

8. Simple Visa Processing

Visa processing to enter into Kenya as a tourist is quick and easy.  All you need to do is go to the eCitizen portal and apply online and within two days he will have received an email with the details of your visa. 

 You will need to make a payment of $51 per individual and you can  make the payment online. 

For more information check out the Kenyan eCitizen portal for details on how to apply.

9. Well Developed Tourist Infrastructure

 Kenya has a very well-developed tourism infrastructure.  The roads to most of the popular national parks are paved or well maintained except for oddities like the Maasai Mara Road. 

The benefit for you as a tourist is that you will  have a more comfortable time when travelling around Kenya.

The government of Kenya has invested a lot in ensuring that the national parks are accessible, well-maintained and have good facilities that would allow tourists to be comfortable.  

Here is an excerpt from one of the Local Newspaper expounding on the same

“According to Kenya’s development blueprint, Vision 2030, tourism is one of the country’s key economic drivers, along with agriculture and manufacturing. Tourism was allocated Sh4.5 billion in the current budget, while heritage, which falls under the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, was allocated a paltry Sh1.9 billion. The tourism budget is likely to be directed to international marketing while the real measure of worth for the tourism sector as a product would be consumer spending.”

Nation Newspaper Wed. June 2018

The reason why Kenya invest so much in tourism  is due to the fact that tourism plays a major role in Kenya’s economy and the government would want to ensure that tourist have an easy time when visiting the country.

Compared to some of our neighbours, many of the national parks in Kenya are fairly easy to drive in even with non four-wheel drive vehicles and makes Kenya easier to travel to for safari. 

The additional benefit of good tourist infrastructure is that the cost of doing business for tour operators in Kenya is low and this benefit can be passed on to tourists in Lower fees.

10. Mature Tourism Industry

In addition to a good tourist infrastructure,  Kenya has very mature tourism industry with hundreds of tour operators providing services to tourists on all levels of comfort and budgets. 

With the Kenya Association of Tour Operators  helping to regulate the companies that provide safari services in Kenya,  you are not likely to get scammed if you use any of their members for your Safari. You can check out the list of its members on their website 

11. Great Bird Watching Opportunities

There are over 1000 species of birds in Kenya and you can get to see many of these in the national parks and forests around the country.  if you are a bad watching enthusiast Kenya will offer you the opportunity to view species that you may not have seen before. 

Destinations that are popular for bird-watching are

•  Lake Nakuru National Park
•  Lake naivasha
• Arabuko Sokoke National Park

12. Unique Resorts and Lodges

Kenya has some really unique  resorts and lodges that cater to  Tourists with unique tastes. 

A great example of this is the Elewana Collection Star Beds (pictured Below)  that allows you to sleep under the stars in the African bush

Another example is Sanctuary Olonana Located on the banks of the Mara river in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Its a pretty unique lodge and the  fact that it is located in the middle of nowhere is an amazing feat.

Here are a few pictures of the lodge.

13. Mt Kenya is a good Preparation for Kilimanjaro

Mount Kenya is the second tallest mountain in Africa and ahead of it is Mount Kilimanjaro.  if you’re preparing to climb Kilimanjaro you might consider climbing Mount Kenya as preparation. 

14. Kenya is Home to Athletic World Champions

 Kenya is famous for having world-class athletes that have broken multiple World Records.  more recently Eliud Kipchoge  got worldwide recognition by running a 42KM (26 Mi) marathon in under 2 hours.

Visiting Kenya may give you an opportunity to interact with some of these athletes and find out the secret behind their success.

15. Queen Elizabeth Was Coronated in Kenya

 An interesting fact that you may not have known about Kenya is that  Queen Elizabeth became queen of England while on safari in Kenya in 1953. This was after the death of her father King George VI’s. 

She was at the Treetops Hotel in Nyeri and thereafter this hotel has become a popular tourist destination for people who want to see where the Queen became queen. 

16. The Maasai People

Near and around  the Maasai Mara lives a tribal community that has  kept its heritage and rich culture. The tribe is called the Maasai and if you get to go to the morrow he will have an opportunity to encounter their culture and unique way of life. 

A number of tour operators organise a cultural tour of the Maasai villages and you will have an opportunity of encountering this if it’s something you’re interested in doing.

17. Its an Affordable Safari Destination

 Due to well-developed tourist infrastructure, and the competitive tourism industry,  you can find affordable safaris in Kenya more easily than some of the neighboring countries like Tanzania Botswana etc.

 I’ve written about how much a safari in Kenya costs and you can check out the article  to see how much it will cost you to go on an African safari in Kenya 

18. Great Business Opportunities

Kenya is a developing economy and there are lots of business opportunities for anyone who is interested in doing business in the region. If you’re looking for a place to do business in Kenya may be a good option for you.

19. Only Country with a National Park within City Limits

 Nairobi National Park is the only park in the world that is located within the city’s limits.  the park is less than 15 minutes from the Central Business district and has a wide variety of animals. 

I did a video review of the Nairobi National Park  and here is the Video:

20. Home to World Class Musicians

Kenya is home to some world-class musicians.  Some of these include:

1. Sauti Sol: Who have been nominated  and won multiple awards both in Africa and internationally
2. Fadhili William: Who sang the Song Malaika
3. Susan Owiyo

You may have heard of this song

21. Amazing Night Life

Kenya has a very active nightlife both in Nairobi and Mombasa with a number of international DJ’s coming to play here. With Westlands being pretty active after dark you will have a lot of fun if this is something you’re into.

22. Great Cultural Scene

Kenya also has very vibrant arts and Culture with places like the Alliance Française Nairobi And the Kenya National Theatre having events on an almost daily basis. 

 there are a number of art exhibits that happen throughout the year and you might want to check out this Eventbrite calendar  to see if there are any during the time when you’ll be visiting.

23. Only Place in World where you can have breakfast with Giraffes

Photo courtesy of Hasegawa Takashi

At the Giraffe Manor you can have breakfast next to the giraffes and they might come for some of yours if you’re not very careful. These interactions make for really amazing memories and great pictures too.

24. Great place to buy souvenirs

You’ll find a lot of souvenirs that you can take home with you after your safari from Kenya.  we are prized anywhere from $1 to $100 and most of them costs around $10. 

If you shop for this wisely you will get high-quality gift items to take with you back home after your Safari. 

Your best bet, if you want to find good souvenirs, is the Maasai Market in Nairobi.  this is an open market in Nairobi that deals only with safari souvenirs. 

The market is located in different parts of the city at different times of the week and here is the schedule 

Tuesday: Westgate Shopping Mall in Westlands (the upper car park) relocated to Kijabe Street opposite the Norfolk Hotel

Wednesday: Capital Centre on Mombasa Road near the airport

Thursday: Nakumatt Junction Shopping Mall on Ngong Road

Friday: Village Market in Gigiri (the upper car park)

Saturday: The High Court parking lot in the city center (behind the Hilton)

Sunday: Yaya Centre in Hurlingham

Schedule Courtesy of Extraordinary Journeys

25. Great country to train for a Marathon

With the fact that  Kenya has some amazing athletes,  you should consider Kenya is your destination for training for a marathon.  There are a number of high altitude training centres that would be perfect for anyone preparing for a marathon

A great choice if you are serious about preparing for marathon is the high-altitude training centre in Iten

26. You will get to see the site where the most valuable stash of ivory was burned

In 2016,  Kenya destroyed over 172 million dollars worth of Ivory. The site where is historic destruction was done he’s at the Nairobi National Park pictured above. 

The Ivory was burned to send a message that animal trophies are worth nothing if they’re not on the animals themselves. 

 You should definitely check that side out  when you visit Kenya

27. Kenya is the cradle of Mankind

 Kenya is famous for being the place where the  earliest sign of human life was discovered. 

Discovered by Lois  and Mary Leaky, the fossilized bones are believed to be over 4.2 Million years old. 

You can  come and learn more about the discoveries that were made by visiting the National Museum in Nairobi.

29. Good English Speaking Guides

A good safari guide is critical if you’re going to have a great Safari and communicating effectively with them is a key part of optimising your safari. 

The great thing about doing a safari in Kenya is that all Kenyan safari guides  are fluent in English. This will make it infinitely easier to communicate and connect with your safari guide and your safari will improve dramatically as a result of it.

30. Marine Life is great

If you’re interested in snorkeling or deep sea diving and Kenya is a good destination for you.  Kenya has a number of marine parks on its Coast that are protected areas for marine life.  

The Marine parks in Kenya are: 

1. Mombasa Marine Park
2. Malindi Marine park

31. Kenya has The Word’s Best Coffee

Some of the world’s  most premium coffee comes from Kenya.  by visiting Kenya you will have an opportunity to sample some of this awesome coffee and see how it’s grown. 

Most of Kenyan coffee is grown in central Kenya which is a short distance from Nairobi and you can ask your tour guide to take you  tour coffee Farm as you head towards you Safari

32. Hotel with Two Water Falls in its Premises

Located in thika, The Blue Post  is a unique hotel that sits next to two waterfalls from two different rivers

One waterfall is from the Thika River and the other is from the Chania River and both are located within the hotel premises which makes this an interesting place to visit.. 

Thika is located about an hour from Nairobi and it’s also my hometown 🙂

33. Great Place to View the Rift Valley

 The Rift Valley cut through the whole of Kenya and there are some pretty awesome observation points of the Valley as you head towards your Safari. 

The picture above was taken at one such observation point.  The views form these points are breathtaking and some even have nice hotels where you can stop by and have a meal.

34. Great Weather all year round

Since Kenya is located  at the equator the weather is great all year round and is perfect for anyone trying to run away from the bitter cold.  it does get a bit ring me and sometimes called but nothing like what is experienced in Europe or America.

 Here is a table showing how much it rains and the average temperatures in Nairobi around the year

	Temperature	Precipitation
Months	Normal	Warmest	Coldest	Normal
January	18.0°C	25.5°C	10.5°C	4
February	18.8°C	26.7°C	10.9°C	4
March	19.4°C	26.8°C	12.1°C	8
April	19.2°C	25.0°C	13.4°C	15
May	17.8°C	23.5°C	12.1°C	13
June	16.3°C	22.5°C	10.0°C	5
July	15.6°C	22.0°C	9.2°C	3
August	15.9°C	22.7°C	9.1°C	4
September	17.3°C	25.0°C	9.7°C	4
October	18.5°C	25.7°C	11.3°C	7
November	18.4°C	24.0°C	12.7°C	14
December	18.1°C	24.4°C	11.7°C	9

Courtesy of yr.no

You would expect similar weather conditions for other parts of Kenya with slight variations depending on the altitude. 

 this means that the lowest it would ever get is 9°C (48°F) and this would be the coldest night of the coldest month of the year.

35. You can visit both Kenya and Tanzania Easily

Kenya and Tanzania are fairly close to each other and travelers frequently visit both countries during their safaris. 

There is a number of tourists that visit both the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti national parks and since there is not a lot of red tape associated with crossing the border apart from the fact that you need a yellow fever card,  this makes both destinations pretty attractive.

36. Cross the Equator

During your trip for your safaris, it is very likely that you will cross the Equator multiple times and you will find signs like this indicating that “you are now crossing the equator”

The crossings are usually very uneventful since you’ll just be passing a signpost on the road but would make a good photo opportunity and a story to tell.

37. International Carmel Derby

One of the interesting things that you might want to try out in Kenya is the international Carmel derby held in Maralal.

It is an international events and somewhat an obscure one but it attracts a number of international tourists who wants to spectate or participate in the race. 

The race seems like fun and I think I’ll try it out too someday.

38. Works for All Budgets

The diversity of Kenya’s tourism offering makes it perfect for tourists on the whole spectrum of budgets possible.  Whether you are a budget traveler seeking to backpack around the country or a luxury traveler looking for the most prestigious lodges,  you’ll find what you’re looking for in Kenya. 

 There are a large number of companies catering to the budget traveler with many  tourist cities having hostels that cater to international guests.

On the other end of the spectrum are companies like Abercrombie and Kent that cater to tourists seeking high-end luxury safaris and vacations. 

Whether you have just a little to spend or a boatload of cash you will find a good safari that fits your needs in Kenya. 

 I have written an article on how much money you need for you to be able to travel to Kenya.  Check it out to see  a more detailed explanation on the same. 

39. Skydiving on the beach 

Another unique thing about Kenya is that you can skydive off the coast of Diani  at the Kenyan coast.

Skydivediani Gives you the opportunity to skydive from the coast of Malindi with an amazing view of the Indian Ocean and the Reef near the beach. Here is a quote from their founder

“The Kenyan coastline is amongst the finest scenery in the world; the beaches are breathtaking and the calm sea waters protected by the reef have an indescribable color when you look at them from above. I jumped onto the beach with some friends for a week or so in 2013, but knew that we had to create a permanent place to skydive.”

I have no affiliation with Skydivediani.com,  I just thought they were an interesting activity to recommend

40. Fancy Matatu Art (Public Transport Vehicles)

Public transport vehicles in Kenya,  popularly known as matatus, are moving pieces of art. Painted with  dazzling graffiti artwork, they represent our rich culture and our affinity for the West. 

When you come to Nairobi keep a lookout for minibusses that looks like the picture above and admire the beautiful work done on them.

A Final Word

As you prepare for your trip to Africa, I would like to recommend a few products that would help make your life easier. 

1. Information About Africa: I have created a YouTube channel that focuses on things about traveling to Africa that only Africans can tell you about. Check out the channel for insights about African culture and things you can do as a traveler to optimize your trip. You should also visit TripAdvisor forum posts (Here is the Kenya Forum) and ask questions about your particular situation. There are a lot of people who are happy to help you out. 
2. Choosing a Safari Company: I have written an extensive article on how to choose a safari Company. You can. Check it out before starting the process of searching for a safari company.
3. Safari Planning Services: If you’d rather leave the planning to an expert, I offer personalized safari planning services. I handle everything from helping you choose the right safari company, creating your custom itinerary, managing bookings, and even providing a packing list and reminders for important trip details. It’s like having a personal assistant dedicated to your trip, ensuring that everything runs smoothly, so you can focus on enjoying the adventure. Learn More in this article