Top Reasons to Visit Kenya

Why More Than Two Million Tourists Come to Kenya Every Year

Fun and Adventure

If you love fun and adventure, you will not be bored in Kenya. It is the world center for animal safaris and active adventure holidays. Enjoy wildlife safaris, bird watching, windsurfing, horseback riding, golfing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, mountain biking, snorkeling, scuba diving, hot air ballooning, mountain climbing, hiking, water skiing, fishing, and many more wonderful activities. Visitors can even practice marathon running with the world's greatest athletes on the hills of the Great Rift Valley. Try eating nyama choma with the locals, or sip wine aboard a sailing dhow on the calm waters of the Indian Ocean. Whatever your interests, you will be spoiled with choices in Kenya.

Affordability

With a favorable exchange rate against many international currencies, Kenya is a fairly inexpensive tourist destination. Although the Kenya shilling fluctuates, it always gives a much better value compared to other major currencies, such as the United States dollar, sterling pound or the Euro. Exchange rates are currently around Kshs.75 to a US Dollar and Kshs. 110 to a Euro. The cost of living is much lower in Kenya compared to Europe or the United States. Credit cards, including Visa, Master Card and American Express, are widely accepted in all major hotels and establishments, or you can use your ATM card to withdraw cash from Kenyan bank machines. Although the banking system and financial sector in Kenya is not very sophisticated due to high technology costs, things are rapidly improving as Kenya ushers in the new era of high speed internet cable telecommunication in late 2009.

Natural Beauty

From snow-capped mountains to the deep Rift Valley with its extinct volcanoes and hot springs, Kenya offers a breathtaking natural beauty that is distinctly spectacular. Inland, there are wide-open plains and savannahs, arid deserts and undisturbed forests. Along the coast there are magnificent sandy beaches and access to amazing coral reefs. Whether you choose to laze in the tropical sun, swim in the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean or climb Mount Kenya, you will experience an unparalleled variety of beauty everywhere you travel. Go on safari to spot the "Big Five" animals in the wild, or simply enjoy our history, culture and lifestyle. Kenya has something for everyone.

Climate

Kenya enjoys a wonderful tropical climate. It is generally warm all year round, with plenty of sunshine and cooler nights and mornings. Visitors are able to enjoy most activities on the beaches and in the national parks all year round. Since Kenya lies on the equator, the seasonal temperature changes are not extreme. However, due to the differing topography, you will experience different weather patterns when traveling across Kenya. The hottest months of the year are February and March with temperatures as high as 93°F (34°C) while the coolest season falls between July and August with temperatures dropping to around 60°F (16°C). Kenya provides very perfect weather for those who live in colder countries to escape to.

Food and Drink

Kenya coffee, tea and beer have received accolades as some of the best products in the world. In fact, Kenya beer is so popular, both locally and abroad, that the Kenyan breweries are looking to expand their beer export to more countries, including the United States. Kenya also has a rich variety of cuisine. The ethnic cuisine of Kenya's various tribes includes the famous nyama choma and ugali. Safe wildlife game meat, such as crocodile and ostrich, is served in up-market restaurants, including the highly recommended Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi. In the hotels and restaurants, you will find a sophisticated blend of European standards with ethnic Kenyan food. There is also a host of international cuisine available in restaurants and hotels including Italian, American, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, French, Mexican, Korean and Lebanese dishes.

People and Culture

Kenyan people are warm, friendly and hospitable. You will not feel like a stranger when you walk down the streets - you will arrive as a visitor and leave as a friend. Despite numerous ethnic tribal divisions and humble lifestyles, Kenyans embrace a great sense of unity and closeness as one people and one country. Also, the unique culture of some ethnic groups, especially the Maasai, is a great experience to be enjoyed.

Wildlife

Kenya is the home of the wildlife safari, and offers some of the best and most accessible game viewing in the world, including the hard-to-resist attraction of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino). These, together with many other animals that are unique to Africa, can be seen at the national parks and game reserves throughout Kenya.

A Natural Wonder of the World

The wildebeest migration in Maasai Mara is one of the natural wonders of the world. Kenya also has many other places of world interest that are worth visiting, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lamu, Kenya's oldest living city. Lamu is known for being the best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. There is also the Mount Kenya Forest Reserve in Mount Kenya. Other World Heritage Sites include Fort Jesus in Mombasa, a historical monument built by the Portuguese in 1593, and the Ruins of Gedi, built in the 14th century to encourage the Arab-African trade.

Investment Opportunities

As a multi-party, democratic and developing country, Kenya has enormous potential as an investment destination. It offers an attractive combination of growing economic infrastructure and a vibrant market economy. Kenya produces and exports some of the world's best tea and coffee among other agricultural products. It is the communications hub for East Africa, and the main transport hub to most of the African countries in the region. A wide range of international and foreign firms, including the United Nations, maintain regional headquarters in Kenya, and the country has a wealthy supply of natural resources and educated manpower.

It is estimated that Kenya's GDP was $29.3 billion in 2007 with an annual growth rate of 6.1 percent (2006). In order to achieve the country's growth goals to become a middle-income and industrialized nation offering a high quality of life to all its citizens in a clean and safe environment, investment opportunities abound in areas such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture, tourism, energy, infrastructure, building and construction, finance, environment and manufacturing. It is a time of growth for our country, and a great opportunity to invest in our growing economy. Kenya is open for business and for investment.

Related Kenya Tourist Information

Need to know facts for the traveler - visa information, dress code, money matters and more.

Different choices and possibilities for Kenyan safaris.

Find the easiest, quickest and most economical way to book your flight to Kenya.

Where to Stay: Hotels/Accommodations in Kenya

Things to do in Kenya: take a Kenya-Africa safari, go mountain climbing or vacation in Mombasa.

Kenya's Weather - What to expect of the climate in Kenya.

Kenya's national and public holidays.

Find books about Kenya, including books by Kenyan authors and book about culture, religion and more.