The Big Five
Kenya is home to the Big Five (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and white/black rhinos), making it one of Africa’s best wildlife viewing destinations. Rhinos can be seen in the north of Kenya, especially in Lake Nakuru, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and the Lewa Wilderness Conservancy, giving travellers the opportunity to see all five of the Big Five. The Masai Mara, Kenya’s most popular reserve, is also home to the Big Five, but due to its vast scale, the animals are more dispersed and the chances of seeing them all are slim.
The Greatest Migration
More than a million wildebeest migrate from Tanzania’s Serengeti to Kenya’s Maasai Mara from mid-August to October, followed by hundreds of thousands of Thomson’s gazelle, eland, and zebra. The wildebeest migration in Kenya is one of the most spectacular natural events on the planet.
Beaches
The coastline of Kenya is lined with beautiful tropical beaches, each with its own sensational facets. Lamu is more cultural, while Diani, about 30 miles south of Mombasa, is more of a tropical island getaway than a slice of African territory. Kenya’s coastline offers a number of sensational locations, from powdery beaches to sacred woods and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Birdlife
More than 1,000 bird species have been identified in Kenya, including flamboyant flocks of pink flamingos that make for surreal images. Because of industrialization and increased water levels, the flamingos have been forced from Lake Nakuru in the last half-decade, and many have relocated to Lake Bogoria, which covers 32 square kilometers. In the geysers that arise from the lake’s geothermal activity, the matchstick-legged birds can be seen feeding on the algae that gives them their candyfloss hue. Golden-winged Sunbirds, Superb Starlings, and African Fish Eagles can also be seen at Lake Naivasha.
