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| Kenya |
| Nyeri | Masai | Lamu | Nairobi |
| Tsavo | Mombasa |
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IL PAESE: Kenya in cifre Capitale: Nairobi Superficie: 582.650 kmq Abitanti: 31.639.091 (tasso di crescita demografica 1,27%) Abitanti capitale 2.411.900 (3.064.800 ab. nell'area metropolitana) Religione: protestanti, cattolici, musulmani, animisti, riti e credenze indigene, altre religioni |
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| Kenya Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Masai feet Masai feet Lian Mah There are many different landscape and cultures, all quite different and beautiful. There is the desert of the north, and The Rift Valley where evidence of protohumans was first found. There are many brilliant Lakes , including Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Lake Naivasha and many more. Kenya has the second highest peak in Africa, the great Mt. Kenya . It has twenty National Parks and Reserves packed full of the exlusive “Big Five” (Elephant, Leopard, Lion, Cape Buffalo, and Rhinoceros). Of course, there is also The Coast , very picturesque, with white sands, emerald water, and the Swahili culture, a unique mix of Arabic and Bantu influences. Compound the incredible scenery and limitless travel options with friendly and welcoming people, and visiting Kenya becomes a great vacation. while in coast visit the garden of eden :maweni beach cottages in tiwi. Lovely naturalland scapes with self catering cottages. Fresh sea food to your doorstep every morning by the local fishermen. Cottages with a lovely seaview. No tv, radios are allowed just the noise of the waves breaking and early morning birds. Real paradise. No wonder advance bookings required. maweni beach cottages. The northwestern region of this country, the Turkana District, is a vast, desolate, hot, arid landscape where goatherders and bandits coexist. Lodwar, comparable to the "Dodge City" of the early American West, has the basic necessities of life, including Internet kiosks and semi-reliable electricity. Lokichoggio, the outpost in the northeasternmost sector of this county, is home to UN refugee camps with 30,000+ people. Roads are extremely rough, the terrain unforgiving, and people always inquisitive about what brings you to their country. The best places to start your travels in Kenya are probably Nairobi N.P. the capital and South of Mombasa the second largest city, located on the coast. Both are served by international flights and have a very good tourist infrastructure. Maasai Mara National Game Reserve is connected with Serengeti N.P. in Tanzania. The park is very accomodating to tourists, and offers many opportunities to see true African wildlife. The Maasai Mara Sopa Lodge is a true romantic complex overlooking the savannah and offering world class accomodations for the weary traveler. __________History Edit This i Trevor Mikelas Although Kenya may have provided the setting for the earliest development of the human species, the ancestors of the modern nation's African population began making their appearance in the region less than 1,000 years ago, and the in-migration of some ethnic aggregations continued into the twentieth century. Culturally and linguistically heterogeneous groups of agriculturists and nomadic pastoralists settled in the physically varied environment of the country's interior, where as many as 40 distinct ethnic categories have been recognized. Among these the Bantu-speaking Kikuyu emerged as the dominant group in Kenya's fertile heartland. The coastal region experienced a different history, coming under Islamic influence as early as the tenth century. Arab and Persian merchants founded towns there whose ports became part of a commercial network linked to the Middle East. Intimate contacts between the Arab and indigenous Bantu cultures on the coast produced over a long period of time the Swahili culture, in which the characteristics of both were assimilated. The history of Kenya as a political entity began with the region's inclusion in the British sphere of influence in the late nineteenth century and the subsequent establishment of a British protectorate and colony there. The British brought together the country's diverse elements under a unified administration and bestowed on it the name Kenya after the 5,200-meter peak in the central highlands that the Kikuyu called kere nyaga, the "mountain of whiteness." The aim of British colonialism in Kenya was to integrate the country into an imperial system and to develop its economic potential, while providing for the security of the indigenous population and improving their general well-being, as defined according to the prevailing mentality of colonial authorities. The political, economic, and social changes brought about by the British were not effected smoothly, however, nor from an African perspective were they uniformly advantageous. An early realization that the climate and fertility of the Kenya Highlands made the region ideal for European settlement encouraged the reservation there of large tracts of the country's best land for the white minority and corresponding restrictions on African and Asian land use. Social pressures engendered by these restrictions and the inability of limited African reserves to meet the land needs of an expanding population-together with growing African resentment of the inferior status accorded them-provoked unrest that contributed to the formation of political action groups, organized on the basis of ethnic affiliation, in the 1920s. Improvement in the lot of the average African was limited until after World War II when political movements, like that among the Kikuyu led by Jomo Kenyatta, demanded a role for the black majority in Kenya's government. The determination of the European community to retain exclusive control in a "White Man's Country" and the continued denial of African rights set off a violent reaction during the Mau Mau emergency in the 1950s. The Kikuyu-led insurrection was suppressed, and the lengthy imprisonment of Kenyatta and other African leaders suspected of complicity in it caused a hiatus in organized African political activity until 1960, when the campaign for majority rule within the framework of the colonial regime succeeded in submerging ethnic differences among Africans and in winning the recognition of British authorities. In 1961 the British government set Kenya on a course that led to majority rule and, at the end of 1963, to full independence within the Commonwealth of Nations. The next year Kenya became a republic under a unitary form of government headed by Kenyatta as its first president, and the principal political parties voluntarily merged under his leadership in the Kenya African National Union (KANU). Radical dissidents and ethnic interest groups fearful of Kikuyu domination followed Oginga Odinga out of KANU during an interlude in the late 1960s, but the rival political movement that they formed was banned in 1969, and Kenya reverted in practice to being a one-party state. Ethnic antagonisms remained the principal stumbling block to national unity, but Kenyatta's firm, paternalistic rule nonetheless provided the country with a substantial degree of stability during the first decade and a half of Kenya's independent existence. Although the Mzee-the "Old Man," as Kenyatta was familiarly known-held tightly to the reins of power, Kenya maintained basically democratic institutions. Parliamentary debate was sharp and frequently questioned government policies, elections were vigorously contested by rival candidates, and the press was relatively free in its reporting and commentary. A program of "Kenyanization" of government and the economy was instituted, however, gradually forcing the departure of most of the country's European and Asian populations. Operated by an African entrepreneurial elite with close ties to the political elite, the Kenyan economy developed along capitalist lines, emphasizing rapid growth and modern production methods. The favorable orientation of the economy and stable political conditions inspired a confidence in the country's future that encouraged investment. Political opposition, however, focused on substantial inequities in distribution, particularly of farmland, as well as on official corruption. As an aging Kenyatta became more withdrawn from the everyday conduct of government, decisionmaking was deferred more and more to members of the inner circle of advisers and officials who surrounded him. Rival personalities and factions within KANU maneuvered for position in anticipation of the end of the Kenyatta era. When the Mzee died in office in August 1978, he was succeeded by his vice president and heir apparent, Daniel arap Moi, in an orderly transition of power. . . . . The Peopling of the Interior People of three distinct language groups-Bantu, Cushitic, and Nilotic-are found in present-day Kenya. The interior of the country, extending from the nyika (Swahili for wilderness-applied to the climatically hostile area forming a barrier behind the coast) to Lake Victoria, is populated by intermingled groups of Bantu-speaking and Nilotic peoples, whose ancestors migrated to Kenya after the beginning of the second millennium A.D. The early Cushitic people who inhabited western Kenya and parts of the highlands area were absorbed or driven out during these movements. Elements of the present Cushitic-speaking population, which occupies the northern and northeastern parts of the country, began arriving sometime before the sixteenth century. Somali clans eventually ranged over most of northeastern Kenya. A particularly large influx of Oromo (Galla) people, moving out of Ethiopia, started toward the end of the nineteenth century and continued through the early decades of the twentieth (see fig. 2). In their oral histories, the Kikuyu, the nation's largest ethnic group, claim that their ancestors came originally from northeast of Mount Kenya in a migration that was probably under way in the fifteenth century. Archaeological discoveries in central Kenya, related to the presumed Bantu-speaking people who entered southern Kenya during the first millennium, indicate that these people preceded the Kikuyu in the region. Linguistic studies further suggest that they may have been the ancestors of several later Bantu groups in the area, including the Kikuyu. During the three to four centuries after their migration began, the proto-Kikuyu moved slowly southwestward, splitting into new groups that by the late nineteenth century occupied a broad area in the central part of the highlands. In the course of their movement they absorbed other groups already in place. Such ethnic elements included the short-statured Gumba and the Athi (also Okiek or Nderobo), both hunting and gathering peoples. The Gumba, believed to have been Cushitic speakers, were primarily hunters in the open grasslands. Oral traditions state that they were skilled at iron working and pottery making, a knowledge of which they imparted to the Kikuyu. The two ethnic groups seem to have lived in a symbiotic relationship, exchanging meat and skins for agricultural products, and considerable assimilation of the Gumba by Kikuyu groups occurred. The expansion of the Kikuyu, however, resulted in friction and eventually war, as land used for hunting was cleared for cultivation. Little is known about the fate of the Gumba after hostilities with the Kikuyu in the mid-nineteenth century. The Athi were forest dwellers who seem to have had a relationship with the Kikuyu similar to that of the Gumba. They were only partly assimilated by the Kikuyu, however, and groups of them still survive, mainly in Rift Valley Province. The Athi are important in Kikuyu history; it was they who, according to tradition, sold the heartland region of Kabete to the Kikuyu in exchange for cattle. The Bantu communities that eventually merged to form the Kamba appear to have been in the area of Mount Kilimanjaro about the fifteenth century, and they probably reached the Mbooni Hills, their ethnic heartland in present-day Machakos District, in the latter half of the seventeenth century. Initially hunters and gatherers, they turned to agriculture because of the fertility of the new territory. Population growth led to their expansion to areas less suitable for cultivation, including Kitui to the east, where they returned to hunting and readopted their earlier pastoralism. Kamba hunting groups discovered the value of ivory as a trade item, beginning the systematic exploitation of elephants and eventually forming two-way trade caravans to the coast. From the late eighteenth century their trade increased greatly, and activities were eventually extended over a wide area stretching north to the Tana River, south into present-day Tanzania, and west to the forests of Mount Kenya and Kikuyu country. At its peak in the mid-nineteenth century, Kamba trade was the mainstay of the prosperity of the coastal port of Mombasa, but other groups were by then beginning to contest their monopoly. Feuds among the Kamba clans also began to affect trading operations, as did efforts by peoples in the Kenya Highlands to exclude the Kamba from their territory-in part because the Kamba had turned to raiding for slaves. Depletion of elephants by the late nineteenth century had created a new problem, forcing Kamba hunters to go hundreds of miles for ivory. Moreover, a general state of unrest, which endangered caravan traffic, existed in the nyika, and caravans traveling safer routes farther south secured much of the interior trade. Kamba trade continued at a much reduced rate until competition from the Uganda railroad, which ran through their territory carrying goods between Mombasa and Kisumu, finally brought an end to well over a century of aggressive Kamba commercial activities. Bantu-speaking peoples had begun arriving in the Lake Victoria region of western Kenya by about the eleventh century. Sometime during the next few centuries, separate agricultural groups that later came to constitute the Luhya occupied the lakeshore. During the sixteenth century the pastoral Nilotic Luo pushed into the area north of Winam Bay from present-day Uganda, displacing the Luhya eastward. Settled agricultural practices appear to have been adopted by at least some Luo, but by the middle of the next century others were on the move southward along the shore of the lake, conquering new territory as they went. There they came against the Bantu Kisii (Gusii), who were also expanding into this part of Kenya. Territorial adjustments between these three peoples, as well as with Nilotic groups on their eastern fringes, often involved warfare and continued until the imposition of British control early in the twentieth century effectively brought an end to the forcible occupation of land by rival ethnic groups. The time of entry and dispersion of the ancestors of various other Nilotic peoples in modern Kenya is uncertain. The first groups must have begun their in-migration-from the general area of southwestern Ethiopia-in the early centuries of the second millennium, for the ancestors of the Kalenjin peoples, among them the Nandi, appear to have reached the Mount Elgon region before 1500. By the early seventeenth century Maasai pastoralists were pushing southward through the Rift Valley and are known from oral records to have been at the southern end of the Kenya section of the rift in the eighteenth century, becoming the dominant force in southwestern Kenya. Although weakened by internal warfare, the Maasai were so feared by neighboring groups that few dared challenge their control of the southern valley, plains areas, and surrounding plateaus. Among the latest major Nilotic arrivals were the Turkana pastoralists, who entered northwestern Kenya in the eighteenth century. The Kenya Coast The coast of East Africa was mentioned in Greek accounts written in the first and second centuries A.D., listing items of trade from the region that included ivory, tortoiseshell, and spices. Although archaeological evidence of sites dating from before the thirteenth century is lacking, references in medieval Arab documents indicate that Muslim traders had set up an outpost on Pate Island in the Lamu Archipelago some 500 years earlier and that other settlements founded along the coast by Arab and Persian (Shirazi) merchants probably date from the tenth and eleventh centuries. These towns, stretching from the Benadir Coast in Somalia to Sofala in Mozambique, became links in an extensive commercial network connecting East Africa with Southwest Asia and the Indies. Gold brought to the coast from the fields around Great Zimbabwe was shipped from Kilwa in present-day Tanzania, the most important of the Arab colonies. Those farther up the coast at Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu, and Pate in present-day Kenya exported slaves and ivory that had been exchanged by Africans from the interior for salt, cloth, beads, and metal goods. A trading expedition from China is recorded as having reached Malindi about 1417. Although the sultan of Kilwa exercised a loose hegemony over them, the larger Arab towns gradually developed as autonomous sultanates, competing fiercely for a larger share of the region's commerce. The fortunes of the sultanates rose and fell but, by the end of the fifteenth century, Malindi had established itself as the most prosperous trading center on the Kenyan coast, surpassing its rival, Mombasa. Migration of Arab families to East Africa continued, particularly from the Hadramaut in southern Arabia. Over time a distinctive Islamic culture resulted in the coastal region from intermarriage between indigenous Bantu-speaking Africans and Arab settlers. Physical and cultural integration were accompanied by the development of the Swahili (from the Arabic for "coastal") language, which came to serve as the lingua franca of the East African littoral as well as the mother tongue of the mixed population. The Portuguese Presence The navigator Vasco da Gama called at Mombasa and Malindi on his voyage to India in 1498, initiating 200 years of Portuguese influence along the East African coast. The sultanate of Malindi quickly established friendly relations with the newcomers and opened its port to their trade. Its rival, Mombasa, reacted with hostility to the Portuguese intrusion, however, and in 1505 the town was sacked by Francisco de Almeida, who commanded an expeditionary force that had occupied Kilwa and Sofala earlier that same year. When Mombasa became the center of Arab resistance in East Africa, the Portuguese carried out a second destructive attack on the town in 1529 with the assistance of Malindi, compelling its sultan to recognize the overlordship of the Portuguese crown and pay an annual tribute. Portuguese control in the region, exercised at a distance by the governor of Goa through allies such as the sultan of Malindi, remained tenuous during most of the sixteenth century. Resentment against foreign influence continued to fester, until in 1589 Mombasa renounced Portuguese suzerainty and accepted the protection of the Turkish corsair Mirale Bey and his fleet. A strong Portuguese flotilla, dispatched from Goa, captured the Turkish vessels and left Mombasa to be looted by the Zimba, a marauding band of African warriors who two years before had destroyed Kilwa. When the Zimba next turned against Malindi, however, they were defeated by the intervention of warriors from the neighboring Segeju tribe. The sultan of Malindi then employed the Segeju in taking Mombasa, moving his court there in 1592 and inviting his Portuguese friends to install a garrison. In order to strengthen their hold on that stretch of the East African coast, the Portuguese began construction of a massive defense works, Fort Jesus, at the entrance to Mombasa harbor in 1593. For close to four decades thereafter Portuguese dominance was unchallenged until, in 1631, they temporarily lost both the town and the fort to a disaffected Arab sultan. Although these were recaptured eight years later, the Portuguese were soon challenged by the growing power of the imam of Oman (southeastern Arabia) for control of the northern coast. (The imam derived his political authority from his office as religious leader.) In 1660 Mombasa was seized by Omani forces, although the Portuguese held Fort Jesus until 1699 when it fell after an epic three-year siege. An attempt by the Portuguese to regain the fort in 1728 failed. Not until the start of British antislaving activities in East Africa early in the next century was European influence reasserted in the region. Throughout their 200 years on the Kenyan coast, the Portuguese showed no interest in colonization. The chief concern of the handful of Portuguese in the coastal towns was trade, and the two centuries of their presence left no permanent marks other than a few words bequeathed to the Swahili language and such monuments as Fort Jesus. Indirectly, however, as elsewhere in East Africa, Portuguese influence had a far-reaching impact through the introduction of major food crops from the New World, in particular, maize, cassava, and potatoes. These became staples in much of the region and contributed to the growth of its population. The Omani Hegemony After the capture of Fort Jesus and the subsequent expulsion of the Portuguese from Zanzibar, the imam of Oman was able to claim suzerainty over the entire coast of East Africa. His authority there was largely nominal, however, and actual control lay in the hands of the Arab families who ruled the coastal towns. The strongest of these families was the Mazrui, who in 1727 had come to power in Mombasa. In 1741 the incumbent imam was overthrown in Oman and replaced by Said al Busaidi, who also took the secular title of sayyid (lord) and established a dynasty. The Mazrui took advantage of the change of rulers in Oman and renounced their allegiance to the imam, establishing at Mombasa an independent shaykhdom that eventually dominated much of the coast from Pate in the north to Pemba Island. In 1806 a strong figure of the Busaidi line, Said bin Sultan, became sayyid in Oman and set about to reassert Omani authority in East Africa. His rise to power coincided, however, with British efforts to curb the slave trade and combat piracy in the Persian Gulf, which caused Britain to exercise a dominating influence over the actions of Said and his successors throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. In 1823, for example, British representatives persuaded Said to consent to an agreement restricting his involvement in the slave trade to his own possessions. The treaty had little impact on the existing slave trade inasmuch as the main movement of slaves in the region ran through territory claimed by Oman or in its coastal waters, but it was intended rather to prevent the expansion of the trade to new markets. Of larger significance at the time was the treaty's recognition of Omani sovereignty from the Benadir Coast southward to Portuguese Mozambique. By 1824 Said's forces had ousted the Mazrui from the Lamu Archipelago and were poised to attack their stronghold at Mombasa. When the townspeople petitioned the captain of a British naval vessel to guarantee their security, the officer proclaimed a protectorate over Mombasa, considering it an opportunity to stop slaving through the port, although he lacked authorization for such an action. The British government repudiated the arrangement made in its name, as did the Mazrui, who claimed the town. Mombasa fell to the Omani in 1828, although Mazrui held out against them in Fort Jesus for another nine years. In 1840 Said moved his court from Oman to Zanzibar, where he assumed the title of sultan, but British influence followed him there. Zanzibar was the main entrepot for the slave trade along the East African coast, prompting the British to impose another treaty on Said in 1845 that limited the trading to the coastal area from Kilwa to Lamu. The trade in the unrestricted area continued to flourish, however. Reports of the horrors of the slave trade made by British naval officers and by European travelers shocked the British public and brought support for the permanent stationing of an antislaving patrol in the western Indian Ocean. British pressure was also increased on the sultan to agree to a further restriction of the trade. Gradually, concessions were made, and in 1873 the reigning sultan, Barghash, agreed to stop the sale of slaves and all slave shipments between ports in his domain. Movement of slaves continued overland behind the coast, but in 1877 the sultan ordered this halted as well. The entry of slave caravans from the interior to the coastal area was also prohibited. To enforce these decrees an armed force led by a British officer was recruited. The measures were far from popular, and in Kenya in 1880 Swahili slave traders at Mombasa attacked a British missionary-operated center for freed slaves, which the traders associated with the sultan's ban on slaving. Discontent over slaving restrictions continued on the Kenyan coast until the end of the century. Zanzibar became a center of legitimate trade as Said developed the clove industry on the island and actively encouraged trade from the interior. Kenya was largely bypassed-the main interior trade routes ran south of it-but Mombasa was reported to have been prosperous at mid-century, largely because of the ivory and other items collected in quantity by Kamba traders in the interior and directed to the port town. In the following decades elephants in the Kamba and other areas were hunted out, and caravan operations were also disrupted by tribal warfare. The decline in trade that resulted (and the rise of Zanzibar as a commercial center) brought an exodus of merchants and artisans from Mombasa that, together with British antislaving operations, reduced the town to comparatively minor importance. Mombasa did not recover from the decline until the early 1900s, after it had become the starting point for the construction of the railroad to Uganda. European activities on the mainland were confined largely to missionary work and exploration from the 1840s to near the end of the century, although a few trading concessions conducted limited operations at a number of coastal points. In Kenya the first Christian mission was established in 1846 near Mombasa by Johann Krapf and Johann Rebmann, Swiss serving with the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS). In 1862 Krapf, then associated with the Methodist Missionary Society, founded another mission also in the vicinity of Mombasa. Both missions conducted schools that were the first such Western institutions in Kenya. Efforts to extend mission activities to the interior were frustrated by the local hostilities that kept large areas unsettled. On the coast, after the banning of the slave trade in 1873, the CMS established a settlement for freed slaves at Frere Town outside Mombasa. But little else could be done because the indigenous Muslim population was strongly opposed to the teaching of Christianity and otherwise resentful of the missionaries, whom they considered leaders of the antislavery movement. In the years that followed, however, mission stations for freed slaves were also established by Roman Catholic and Scottish Presbyterian missionaries. Most of the Europeans-estimated to number 300 in the region by 1885-were involved in missionary work. [Add New] History of Kenya Edit This in 1963 kenya became independent. Imperial War Museum sound archive #30268. Key words: Kenya/Mau Mau/terrorism/freedom fighters/colonial rule/Mt Kenya White Highlands/Mt Kenya Crown Forest . The Imperial War Museum recently recorded my recollections of 18 months in the Mt Kenya forest back in 1955/56 as a 17-year-old fighting the Mau Mau gangs above Nanyuki, Meru and Embu. I had been farming at around 8,900 feet on the edge of that forest when the request came from the Kenya authorities to report more.. World66 rating: [rate it] email: tim.symonds@shevolution.com ___________Practical Information Edit This Trekkers Restaurant , is the best family entertainment concept in Mombasa consisting of an la carte menu restaurant specializing in sea foods and African dishes ; the best and only open air disco complete with a stunning showbiz performers stage and dance floor ; a Sports Bar complete with a 20x30 ft DSTV screen .( www.trekkersmsa.com) The setting is a surrounding natural jungle deco of a rehabilitated municipal dumpsite quarry with its natural relaxing ambiance, attractive cool lighting and the best music in Mombasa , resulting in a very romantic hideout for people looking for a get away. C atering standards are good. Tasty food too. Children enjoy the many outdoor game fixtures, an ice-cream/pop corn parlor and a large open air play area. Angela’s Salon offers international Cuisine in a cool quiet setting interrupted only by the clutter of cutlery and quiet music. For the young at heart there is Trekkers grill offering tasty Kenyan Dishes (Nyama choma!). Trekkers grill fronts the stunning show biz performers stage and dance floor; a Sports Bar complete with a 20 x 30 ft DSTV screen, attractive cool lighting and probably the best music in Mombasa. The theme not surprisingly is ,Good Food. Good Music. Great Place. Day or night a good place to eat and enjoy. tel no?. 020 2068504 0725 830171 ________Getting Around Edit This photo Richard Bascom By Air: Kenya has about 4 airports (of vastly varying quality) and plenty of airlines connecting Nairobi with Mombasa, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Malindi, Lamu, and the national parks/reserves of Amboseli Masai Mara and Samburu. While many flights are heavily booked flying around Kenya during the high season, it is a relatively safe and relatively cheap way to cover a lot of ground. Always buy your tickets in advance. If you are going on a “safari” with an organized tour, the company will usually book your tickets to the national parks for you, and the price will be included in the total amount. By Rail: Kenyan Railways is a parastatal corporation, presently being privatized, which runs the trains, ferries and railway restaurants in Kenya. The train is a convienient, sometimes luxurious way to move, with comfortable beds and good meals, and is by far the safest - though slowest - way to travel on the ground. A passenger line runs inland from Mombasa to Nairobi and on to Kisumu. The Uganda passenger connection has been discontinued years ago. There are further passenger branch lines to Taveta, Nanyuki and Butere (Nyahururu was to be re-opened in 2005, but has been postponed). All trains are diesel powered, but special tourist steam excursions (Nairobi-Naivasha, and occasional other directions) take place every second Saturday of the month. Prior reservation is necessary, since the steam train will only be fired if there are enough bookings. There are three classes: First Class, which is the most expensive. You get your own bed and get good service, with free drinking water. Second Class is mostly the same, without all the pampering and free water, but still with a bed and meals. Third Class is very cheap, but passengers have only seats, if they are lucky enough to get one. The train is a good way to get to and from Mombasa from Nairobi, although it is slow and long waits and delays are expected. By Road (Public Transportation): Public Transportation is very extensive in Kenya, perhaps more so than many other African Countries. Some form or public transportation leaves every hour to major cities, and even several times daily to rural areas. There are several types of public transportation. These include buses, the train, and matatus. Matatu is the general name for smaller forms of public transportation, i.e., mini-buses, vans (called "Nissans"), or box matatus, which are simply a 2-wheel drive pick-up with a shell on the back. People are then crammed inside and you're off to your destination. Buses: Buses are comfortable, some what reliable, and fairly cheap. They are quite slow, however. Buses usually leave every morning from major cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret. Night buses are also available to some cities. Good bus companies will not overload their buses will not allow passengers to stand. The best, safest and most reliable bus companies are EasyBus (only Kakamega or Kisumu to Nairobi), Eldoret Express (the most, newest and quickest buses to western Kenya), Coast Bus (Mombasa to and from Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu and Kakamega, only nicght buses), Stallion Bus (Nairobi-Mombasa), Akamba (almost anywhere in east Africa, but it got so old and slow now), Kenya Bus Service (the public bus servis is very o.k., but oftly late) and Stagecoach (not everywhere). Buy your tickets in advance at the ticket office near the bus stage. Matatus: Matatus are by far the most common means of transportation in Kenya. Matatus leave from designated spots called stages. Passengers get seated, then the matatu leaves when it is full. Matatus can also be caught from the road. If one is passing, stick out your arm with your palm down. This is the sign you want to be picked up. If the vehicle is not full, the driver will pull over to let you in. There are at least two people that run every matatu: a driver and a tout, who is usually a young man dressed in the current fad. A driver's job is self explanatory, but the work of a tout needs a bit of explanation. First, his job is to get customers to enter his particular matatu. Some times there are several matatus to the same destination, so touts will "fight" over you. Some may even grab you luggage and force you to follow him to his matatu. Touts can be very aggressive and rude. Don't let a tout take your bag, and make your own decision about what vehicle to take. Touts are actually good guys if you get to know them. Try joking around and speaking a bit of Kiswahili with them. Once you befriend a tout, they are a valuable ally. In major stages, you pay for a ticket before you get on a matatu. It is common, however, to be asked for your money after the matatu is on its way. It's a good idea to ask the fair before entering the matatu. Ask other customers what they're paying. Some touts may try to cheat you! Of all the types of matatus, "Nissans", or mini-vans are the most comfortable and the fastest. Of course they are a bit more expensive than mini-buses or box-matatus, but worth the price for comfort. Since February 2004 there are strict rules forpublic traffic: seat belts for every seat, not more that 14 seats in a minibus and not more than 80 km/h. And police check! Goats and chickens are crammed into a matatu, the driver will always stop for more people and the tout will shove them in. This makes for unsafe conditions and slow progress, so check out for one with long distance travellers! Some other tips for traveling by public transportation: 1. Always try to have your luggage in view. 2. Keep your wallet in your front pocket, and remove all valuables. Pick pockets love to work in matatus, especially mini-buses. 3. Although it is tempting to sit it the front seat next to the driver because it is comfortable, try to resist. This is called the "death seat," since if there is an accident, it is the passengers in front that are usually killed. If you really want the flavor of Kenya, to experience it as only locals do, take at least one trip on a matatu. It can be very stressful, uncomfortable, and a security risk if you don’t be careful, therefore I do not suggest it for the mild-at-heart. For the adventurous tourist, however, it can be quite an experience and a lot of fun. By Car: If you're bringing your own vehicle to Kenya you should get a free three-month permit at the border on entry as long as you have a valid carnet de passage for it. Keep in mind there are certain routes in north-east Kenya where you must obtain police permission before setting out. Hiring a vehicle in Kenya (or at least the national parks) is a relatively expensive way to see the country but it does give you freedom of movement and is sometimes the only way of getting to the more remote reaches. Generally Kenyan roads are in good condition. Renting a vehicle is quite easy, but fairly expensive. Estimate just USD 80 a day for a corolla, 50 for an starlet, and up to $150 per day for a 4-wheel drive vehicle. There are many agencies in the major cities where you can rent vehicles. Best deal is to rent from internet. Only Budget has an permanent office at Nairobi Airport, so maybe you check out their rates. Hitch Hiking: Hitching, or “getting a lift” as it Kenyans call it, is relatively easy in Kenya, depending on your company and your location. Hitching has many advantages: It is safer to travel in a private vehicle, it is fast once you get a lift, and it can be fun to talk to locals that pick you up. If you are willing to try, here’s some pointers. Hitch hiking is safe, but always try to hitch in pairs! I have heard of many women hitching alone and together for over two years, and have not heard anything bad happen even once. I do, however, caution against a woman hitching alone. A pair of one man and one woman is your best bet to get picked up quickly. A pair of two women is just as good, if you’re comfortable. Two or more men together will have a difficult time getting a lift, due to Kenyans worried about security. To hitch hike, find a nice place on a major highway. Start as early as possible, say around 7:00 or 8:00 am, depending on how far you are from a major city where vehicles are leaving, heading your direction. Stand a few yards before a turn-out, so the vehicle has room to pull over after seeing you. Make sure you are clear of any matatu stopping point, or every one will stop for you. When a private vehicle approaches, stick out your arm, just like getting a matatu, but face your palm up instead of down. This means that you want a free lift. Most lifts are free, although sometimes a driver will ask for money. It’s up to you to decide how much you are willing to pay. More times than not, however, your driver will take you for free and buy you lunch. Good luck! By Sea: For the more maritimely minded sailing on a dhow along the East African coast is one of Kenya's most worthwhile and memorable travel experiences. Some of the most popular and most expensive dhow cruises leave from Nyali on the mainland opposite Mombasa Island. ________Getting There Edit This mombasa airport mombasa airport a. habeck International flights to Kenya from within Africa: Kenya Airways have flights within Africa from Nairobi to Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Bamako, Blantyre, Bujumbura, Cairo, Contonou, Comoros Island, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Douala, Entebbe, Freetown, Harare, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lilongwe, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Maputo, Mombasa, Lamu, Seychelles, Yaounde and Zanzibar. Europe: London, Amsterdam, Istanbul & Paris. Middles East & Asia: Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong & Guangzhou Kenya Airways co-operates with KLM & Air France and in Sep 2007 was made a Sky Team Associate whose members include Alitalia, Air france, KLM, Delta, NWA among others. Other flights to Nairobi: LAM Mozambique Airline from Maputo, Nampula & Pemba (-Mozambique). Air Kenya Aviation from Kilimanjaro Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa and Entebbe Precisionair from Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza and Zanzibar. (Co-operation with Kenya Airways) Uganda airways from Entebbe Daallo Airlines from Hargeisa and Mogadishu South African Airways/Delta Airlines from Johannesburg Air Madagascar from Antananarivo Air Mauritius from Mauritius Egyptair from Cairo Air Malawi from Blantyre and Lilongwe (co-operation with Kenya Airways) Air Zimbabwe from Harare Rwandair Express from Kigali (co-operation with Kenya Airways) Bristish Airways from Asmara, Djibouti, Harare, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Lilongwe and Lusaka To Mombasa: Precisionair from Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar (co-operation with Kenya Airways) Flights from outside Africa to Nairobi: Kenya Airways from Amsterdam, Bangkok, Dubai, Hongkong, London Mumbai and Paris. Emirates from Dubai Air India from Bombay British Airways from London Brussels Airlines from Brussels Corsair from Paris KLM from Amsterdam Swiss from Zürich To Mombasa: Corsair from Paris L.T.U. International from München Condor Flugdienst from Frankfurt Overland travel: Tanzania: There are buses to Nairobi from Dar es Salaam and Arusha, to Mombasa from Dar es Salaam and to Voi from Moshi. Uganda: Buses from Kampala. Ethiopia: Connection is possible at Moyale but security is poor on the Kenyan side. Overland travel from Sudan or Somalia should not be attempted. ___________Economy Edit This Economy—overview: Since 1993 the government of Kenya has implemented a program of economic liberalization and reform. Steps have included the removal of import licensing and price controls removal of foreign exchange controls fiscal and monetary restraint and reduction of the public sector through privatizing publicly owned companies and downsizing the civil service. With the support of the World Bank IMF and other donors these reforms have led to a turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's real GDP grew at 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996 and inflation remained under control. Growth slowed in 1997. Political violence damaged the tourist industry and the IMF allowed Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program to lapse due to the government's failure to enact reform conditions and to adequately address public sector corruption. Moreover El Nino rains destroyed crops and damaged an already crumbling infrastructure in 1997 and on into 1998. Long-term barriers to development include electricity shortages the government's continued and inefficient dominance of key sectors endemic corruption and the country's high population growth rate. GDP: purchasing power parity—$150,590(2004 est.) GDP—real growth rate: 34.2% (2004 est.) GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$5400 (2004 est.) GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 34% industry: 20% services: 46% (2004) Inflation rate—consumer price index: 8.8% (2004) Labor force: total: 8.78 million (2004 est.) by occupation: agriculture 75%-80% non-agriculture 20%-25% Unemployment rate: 54% urban (2004 est.) Budget: revenues: $1billion expenditures: $3 billion including capital expenditures of $638 million (FY96/97 est.) Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic furniture batteries textiles soap cigarettes flour) processing agricultural products; oil refining cement; tourism Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2004) Electricity—capacity: 808 000 kW (2004) Electricity—production: 2.47 billion kWh (2004) Electricity—consumption per capita: 134 kWh (2004) Agriculture—products: coffee tea corn wheat sugarcane fruit vegetables; dairy products beef pork poultry eggs rice beans cocoa Exports: total value: $2.1 billion (f.o.b. 2004) commodities: tea 18% coffee 15% petroleum products (2004) partners: Uganda 22.8% UK 20.1% Tanzania 19.1% Germany 14.0% Netherlands 7.6% US 6.1% Imports: total value: $2.9 billion (f.o.b. 1996) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 31% consumer goods 13% petroleum products 12% (1995) partners: UK 21.3% UAE 18% Japan 14% Germany US Debt—external: $7 billion (1994 est.) Economic aid: South Africa Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 1 dollar Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1—61.164 (January 1998) 58.732 (1997) 57.115 (1996) 51.430 (1995) 56.051 (1994) 58.001 (1993) Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June __________Language Edit This The base of the mountain lies at some 5,250 feet (1,600 metres). At the 8,000-foot (2,440-metre) contour, the circumference is approximately 95 miles (153 km). Sheng is another language you may hear in Kenya. Sheng (the word coming from a combination of the words SwaHili and ENGlish) is a language that has grown out of Nairobi that is used almost exclusively by the younger crowd. It is a mix of Kiswahili, English, and the Bantu tribal tongues. Sheng is regarded almost as a secret language of the youth, and when spoken by a tourist, it is sure to impress any young adult in any big city. It is hard to differentiate from Kiswahili without knowing the language, but it can still be fun to substitute a Sheng greeting for a Kiswahili greeting if you run into a young adult. Common Sheng greetings are: “Sasa?” which is answered by “fit” or “fiti,” and “Mambo?” (or “Mambo vipi?” or just “Vipi?”), which is answered by “poa.” What follows is a list of Kiswahili vocabulary that will allow you to have a working knowledge of the language. This could be useful to get you out of a fix, order food, or just impress a local. Pronunciation: One of the reasons Kiswahili is not a difficult language is that it is very grammatical and pronunciation never changes from word to word. A as the ‘a’ in ‘father’ E as the ‘e’ in ‘best’ or the ‘a’ in ‘hay’ I as the ‘ee’ in ‘bee’ O as the ‘o’ in ‘cold’ U as the ‘ou” in “you” Dh as the ‘th’ in ‘this’ Ng’ as the ‘ng’ in ‘sing’ All other consonants require no explanation. Greetings and Civilties: Greeting is extremely important in Kenyan culture. Before talking to anyone, it is polite to greet them first. After a greeting, some Kenyans may even carry on with small talk for ten good minutes before getting to the topic at hand. Welcome Karibu How are you (greeting a singular person)? Habari yako? or Habari gani? How are you (greeting many people)? Habari zenu? or Habari gani? I’m fine Nzuri, Salama, or Njema What is your name? Unaitwa nani? My name is ____ Ninaitwa ______ Where are you from? Unatoka wapi? I’m from _____ Ninatoka shiut______ Where do you live? Unakaa wapi? I live in _____ Ninakaa ______ Thank you very much Asante sana Yes Jukso No nanana Goodbye fucareally hello jambo No problem Hakuno Matato White person (foreigner) Mzungu White people (foreigners) Wazungu Finding your way around: I want to go to _____ Nataka kwenda mpaka ______ Is this the way to ______? Hii ni njia mpaka _____? Is this the car to _____? Hii ni gari ya kwenda _____? How much is it to go to _____? Ni pesa ngapi kwenda _____? bus basi train gari la moshi vehicle gari boat meli taxi teksi ticket tikiti Wait a little! Ngoja kidogo! Stop here! Simama hapa! Where is _____? Wapi _____? hotel hoteli ya kulala bank benki restaurant hoteli ya chakula post office posta toilet choo hospital hospitali police station stesheni ya polisi Accommodation: Where is a hotel? Wapi hoteli ya kulala? Do you have a room for one person? Kuna chumba kwa mtu moja? Do you have a room for two people? Kuna chumba kwa watu wawili? Is there hot water? Kuna maji ya moto? How much is the room? Chumba ni pesa ngapi? I want to see the room please. Nataka kuona chumba tafadhali. For one day siku moja For one week wiki mzima /moja key ufunguo Animals: bird - ndege crocodile - mamba elephant - ndovu/tembo giraffe - twiga hippopotamus - kiboko hyena - fisi insects/bugs - wadudu lion - simba monkey - tumbili mosquito - mbu rhinoceros - kifaru snake - nyoka water buffalo - nyati numbers: 1 moja 2 mbili 3 tatu 4 nne 5 tano 6 sita 7 saba 8 nane 9 tisa 10 kumi 11 kumi na moja 12 kumi na mbili 20 ishirini 30 thelathini 40 arobaini 50 hamsini 60 sitini 70 sabini 80 themanini 90 tisini 100 mia moja 200 mia mbili 1000 elfu moja 4567 elfu nne mia tano sitini na saba Emergencies: I’m sick mimi mgonjwa I need a doctor ninahitaji daktari I’m pregnant nina mimba hospital hospitali pharmacy duka la dawa medicine dawa Security: Help! Saidia! I’m lost nimepotea I’ve been robbed nimeibwa Don’t bother me. usinisumbue Go away kwenda kabisa I have no money sina pesa At the restaurant: Vegetables and Grains: beans (pinto, kidney) maharagwe cabbage kabichi carrots karoti cassava muhogo kale sukuma wiki lettuce salad onions vitunguu potatoes viazi rice wali tomatoes nyanya vegetables (greens) mboga Meat: beef - nyama ya ng’ombe goat - nyama ya mbuzi kebabs - mushkaki meat - nyama mutton - nyama ya kondoo pork - nyama ya ng’uruwe crab - kaa fish - samaki lobster - kamba chicken - kuku Fruit: bananas - ndizi coconut - nazi dates - tende fruit - matunda guava - pera limes - ndimu mangoes - maembe oranges - machungwa papayas - paipai passion fruit - pashoni pineapples - mananasi sugar cane - miwa Other useful words and phrases: boiled - chemsha bread - mkate butter - siagi cold - baridi cup - kikombe Do you have____? - Kuna _____? eggs - mayai food - chakula fork - uma fried - kaanga glass - glasi hot - moto hot(spicy) - kali knife - kisu napkin - kitambaa pepper - pilipili plate - sahani raw - mbichi ripe - mbivu roast - choma table - meza salt - chumvi spoon - kijiko soup - supu sweet - tamu without meat - bila nyama ____________Safety and Security Edit This Safety and Security: As in any country, there are a few safety and security issues in Kenya. Kenya is a poor country, and there are many people who are forced to make a living by illegal means. Normal Kenyan citizens are definitely targets, but rich, naive tourists are an even bigger temptation for thieves, pick pockets, and con artists. Crime is not so common in rural areas, but in big cities, especially Nairobi. By taking necessary precautions, however, the risks of a security incident can be reduced drastically. By decreasing the temptation for thieves, staying away from bad areas, and being aware and using common sense, you can have a safe trip. Luckily, violent crime is rare in Kenya, even in Nairobi. Violence exists, but thieves care only of a victim’s goods, and will not inflict harm unless necessary. An important part in eliminating the risk of being hurt is remembering this: Always try to never fight with a thief, or chase a mugger, although it may go against your instincts. There are many forms of prevention that can A prospective threat can sometimes be noticed before the incident. If you think you’re been followed or eyed by a suspicious person or people, duck into a shop and wait it out. If you make them aware that you are on to them, they will usually give up. Incidents can also be prevented by the way you act. Always act confident and look like you know where you’re going, even if you don’t. Stop in a shop to look at a map or ask directions. Another obvious form of prevention is never to show large amounts of money. Someone who pulls out a stack of 1000 shilling notes to pay for one item is asking to loose it all. Here are some other tips for having a safe trip. Theft: Your bags and valuables are at the most risk when you are on the move. Hotel rooms are usually safe, except for the cheaper brothels. If the hotel has a safe deposit box, use it for your most valuable possessions. When moving in between places, such as from the airport to the hotel, or from the hotel to the bus stage, using a taxi is your best bet. When in rough areas of Nairobi, remember to keep the doors locked and don’t open the windows. If you’re taking public transportation, try to keep your bags in view. Your bags are usually always safe in the boot of a bus, but I’ve heard of touts taking items from a bag on top of a bus. There are several measures you can take to eliminate the risk of loosing items while traveling. First, put small locks on your baggage. If you have a backpack, lock the main compartments. Losing the entire piece of luggage is very rare, so this deters thieves from rooting through your luggage. Also, never keep you valuables in your bags, but on your person, preferably next to your skin. Money belts or pouches around your neck or waist is your best bet, although not fool-proof by any means. As a general rule, never walk anywhere at night. Taxis are sometimes expensive, but the price is worth it. If you are forced to walk, stay in groups and pay a night guard on the street to escort you. Mugging: Of all of the security incidents I heard of in two and a half years in Kenya, most cases were mugging. In the vast majority of cases, the person lost only a small amount of money. Anyone can get mugged, but if you carry only essential items, and hide those items well, you won’t have much to fear from muggers. Preventing getting mugged or pick pocketed is simple: don’t carry anything you can’t bear to lose. Of course, it’s necessary to carry some items, such as money and a passport, but if those are well placed on your body, you should have no fear of loosing anything to muggers. Don’t go out with more money that you need, and keep the money you that do need split up in many places on your body. For example, keep a little money in your pocket for spending, some between your foot and sock, and the rest in your money belt. Never wear items of value, such as watches or other jewelry. Desperate thieves have been known to rip off earrings, so they definitely won’t hesitate to snatch a bracelet or necklace. Nice sports caps are hot items, and it is common for thieves to snatch a cap and run. It bad areas, sunglasses can even be grabbed. If you must carry a camera out when walking around a big city, put it in your small bag or purse, and only take it out when you take a picture. Being mugged or having items stolen is still possible after taking all these preventions. If are a victim of crime, I again encourage you to cut your losses and let the thief go. Some gangs will send one member to take an item, them after being chased by the victim, lead him or her into an alley where the rest of his friends await to take everything. Being chased also gives them reason to use violence. Be careful about yelling “thief” after being mugged. Mob justice is common in Kenya, and one assumed thief is killed by citizens in Nairobi every day. If thieves are caught, you’ll end up seeing him beaten, perhaps even killed. Think about if your $9.99 watch is worth it. Unfortunately, thieves are hardly ever caught by police, and it usually isn’t worth you time to report the incident unless it is required for theft insurance. Harassment: Harassment is the most common form of security risk. I include harassment because it can make travelers feel very uncomfortable and unsafe. Harassment ranges from being taunted to being touched inappropriately. When you’re laughed at, taunted or called names, the easiest thing to do is ignore it. Taking action is necessary, however, when being sexually harassed. Is is quite common for Kenyan men to make rude comments to women tourists. Even men are subjected to sexual harassment by prostitutes. There is no excuse for someone, either woman or man, making a sexual comment or touching someone inappropriately. All Kenyans know better, so let the harasser know his or her actions are not wanted, and don’t be polite. Others around you may come to your aid if you tell them. If the harasser is not embarrassed enough to stop at this point, leave the scene. If the person follows, ask the help of a guard or store owner. Con Artists: It’s quite common to run into someone in Nairobi who has a plan to separate some gullible tourist from his or her money. They take on the role of a political refugee and request money for their family. They’ll pretend like students collecting contribution for their schools. Men dress up as beggars, then, after you give them a coin or two, “plain clothed police” will tell you it’s illegal and ask for a “fine.” They come up with stories that they know you from somewhere are just need a little something for some petrol, then they’ll pay you back. They may even drop money, then after you return it, claim that you have taken some and threaten to tell the police. Con artists think of new stories every day, and it can be quite entertaining to listen to them. Use of common sense is your main weapon against confidence tricks. If you’re not sure whether to believe it, your surely right. Never give money to any stranger. Street Kids: Homeless are very common in Kenyan cities, especially young boys, some that can be very big boys. These boys band together in large groups and can make one feel unsafe even if they’re only begging for change. The best way to get rid of a single street kid, or a small group, is to ignore them and walk on. If they follow, it may help to tell them you have no money, or that you’ll give them something later. Giving money is hardly ever dangerous, but remember that giving money encourages more kids to work the streets and the money may be used to buy glue, which is sniffed by the boys to escape their harsh reality. If you must give something, buying homeless a meal is always a good way to lend a hand. Violent crime: Violent crime can be prevented by not resisting, chasing, or fighting thieves. Walking around at night, especially alone, increases your chances or violent crime. Fortunately, if you take these precautions and use common sense, you can almost completely eliminate all chance of being a victim of violent crime. ____________Day Trips Edit This they are really really fun!!! you get to see lions and tigers and bears oh my. love me [Add Day Trip] Nairobi's Milimani Backpackers Edit This Qwerty World66 rating: [rate it] ___________People Edit This Population: 33.6 million (2004 estimate of Central Bureau of Statistics) Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (male 6 248 260; female 6 109 443) 15-64 years: 54% (male 7 609 631; female 7 607 810) 65 years and over: 2% (male 333 881; female 428 046) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 1.71% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 31.68 births/1 000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 14.19 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 77 deaths/1 000 live births (2004 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.57 years male: 47.02 years female: 48.13 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.07 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Kenyan(s) adjective: Kenyan Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22% Luhya 14% Luo 13% Kalenjin 12% Kamba 11% Kisii 6% Meru 6% other African 15% non-African (Asian European and Arab) 1% Religions: Protestant (including Anglican) 38% Roman Catholic 28% indigenous beliefs 26% Muslim 6% other 2% Languages: English (official) Swahili (official) numerous indigenous languages Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.1% male: 86.3% female: 70% (1995 est.) __________Things to do Edit This Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa Rolf [Add Activity] Bike The Coast Edit This Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa photo by: Rolf Discover Africa off the beaten track with Bike the Coast: local people in their settlements and traditional African villages, palm- and mango-tree forests, different climate zones, fantastic views on Creeks and the Mombasa North Coast Area, bush along the Indian Ocean... Bike the Coast, Mombasa offers guided half day Bush-Tours on safe unpaved roads with no traffic. With the mountain-bike you come closer to the local life than with any other more.. type: Cycling World66 rating: [rate it] accessibility: by taxi or public transport tel: +254 722 87 37 38 url: BikeTheCoast.com address: near Mombasa Go-Kart email: info ät BikeTheCoast.com Wanjiru Edit This The Maralal Camel Derby held every August in Kenya. It is a race on the desert ship, the camel held in Maralal. type: Other World66 rating: [rate it] email: quandycane@yahoo.co.uk :::::::::Central Highlands Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see photo_1 Kenya’s Central Provence is home to the country’s largest tribe, the Kikuyu. The highlands, composed of Mt Kenya and the Aberdare Range, are among the most fertile lands in the country. The first white settlers saw the agricultural potential of the area and grabbed much of the land, dubbing it “the White Hightlands.” This, of course, was once of the reasons the Mau Mau Rebelion broke out, and most of the fighting took place in the Central Highlands. __________ Embu Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see photo_1 Embu is located on the southeastern slopes of Mt Kenya. It is a commercial hub and serves as the provincial headquarters of Eastern Province. It’s home to the Embu people, related very closely to the Mbeere and Chuka, and a bit less closely to the Kikuyu and Meru. The language (Kiembu) has similar grammar to Kikuyu. Tourists can either travel to Mt Kenya forest through Irangi route or visit the Seven Folks Hydro-Power project about 50 Kms away in neighbouring Mbeere district. There are good local sceneries as well. If you’re looking for a good meal while you’re in town, the Arkland Cafe near the roundabout exists no longer, alas. The Rehana café has good and fresh Indian food, excellent samosas. The refurbished and enlarged Tavern restaurant (club & disco) immediately adjacent to the Izaak Walton is considered the best eatery in Embu (250/300 for a good lunch). There are also some good supermarkets in the town such as Magunando, which sell a wide range of food stuff. There are also bicycle shops, such as B.L. Gami, which sell a wide range of bicycles ranging from racing to mountain bikes if you want to nick out to have a ride into the town. ::::::::::::Isiolo Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Isiolo is a small, cosmopolitan town north of Meru. You may stay in Isiolo on you way up to Samburu/Buffalo Springs National Reserves or the desert east of Lake Turkana. You can reach Isiolo most easily from Meru and Nanyuki. Transportation going north from Isiolo will depend on demand, which is usually low. its a town of scenic beauty and cant fail to notice the mixture of race and culture that amplifies the beauty of the town. the town is the central livestock transit point thus a haven for meaty delicacies. The town has a range of hotels, restaurants and clubs and a reliable 24hour cab(taxi) service network. while in Isiolo visit: 1. The Rangeland Hotel & Camp Site its located in a serene environment in the outskirts of Isiolo. its 8kms(5miles) from Isiolo town and offers an exclusive touch in service.the food, rooms and camp site are wonderful. the services are fairly priced and will leave you with lasting memories of the hotel. 2. Transit Hotel its located in the heart of the town. it has fairly clean and quiet rooms. 3. Bomen Hotel its in down town isiolo and have a fairly modern pool bar. the hotel has clean and quiet rooms. 4. The Roots Restaurant its also called the 'steak place'. its a must stop for everyone on transit to northern Kenya. get a taste of Nyama Choma (roasted meat) done by real proffesionals. the restaurant has has a fully stocked sports bar and wonderful service. 5. Frontier Club this is the hottest night spot in town. they play latest music and have a full bar. only 18yrs and above are allowed in the club. 6. Gaddisa Hotel and Safaris :::::::::Meru Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Meru is a fairly big town northeast of Mt Kenya. It’s home to the Meru people, close relatives of the Kikuyu and Embu. There’s little reason travelers would stay in Meru, but if you do, it can be a fun place. Meru’s famous for its miraa, twigs of a plant that has stimulant properties. It is grown legally in large amounts here, so you won’t get fresher miraa anywhere. After chewing the bark of the twigs for an hour or so, you’ll feel like you’ve drank two or three strong cups of coffee. Stay at the Milimani Hotel on the junction north of town. It has nice singles/doubles for KSh 600/800 including breakfast and the bar turns into a disco on the weekends. There’s a museum in town if you have any free time. ::::::::::Nanyuki Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Cottages at theLions' court lodge Cottages at theLions' court lodge Ian Waweru Nanyuki is a medium sized town northwest of Mt Kenya. The town has one of the most beautiful views of the mountain, and is a hub for trekkers climbing the Sirimon and Burguret routes. There are many hotels in and around Nanyuki. For a bottom-end hotel, try the Joskaki Hotel (# (0176) 2181) which has singles/doubles with attached bathrooms and hot water for KSh 400/600 including breakfast. Cheaper but not as nice is the Jambo House Hotel (# (0176) 22751) which offers singles/doubles for KSh 140/250 and KSh 380 for a triple. If you have a bit more to spend, try the Nanyuki River Lodge (# (0176) 32523) in the middle of town. Singles/Doubles including breakfast cost KSh 550/850. One step up is the Sportsman’s Arms Hotel (# (0176) 22598) across the river in the eastern end of town. It has several kinds of cottages costing between KSh 1100/1500 to KSh 2500/4500 for a single/twin. There is also a swimming pool, three bars, a fitness club and a nightly disco. There are also several nice lodges outside of Nanyuki town. Mt Kenya Safari Club, the Ol Pejeta Ranch and the Sweetwaters Tented Camp. They all have nice facilities and offer different kinds of safaris. Singles/Doubles cost fro US$ 64/120 in the low season up to US$ 239/310 in the high season. The only more affordable place is the El Karama Ranch (# (02) 340331). It’s a campsite with bandas with all necessary supplies either provided or available to rent. Beds cost KSh 500 per night. Bring your own food, as meals are not available. Plenty of bird watching trips and excursions can be arranged. Call +(254) 722 640 379. Some of the African species that can be seen include Hadada Ibis, Red-eyed Dove, African Green-pigeon, Speckled Mousebird, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, White-headed and Spot-flanked Barbets, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Mountain Wagtail, Grey-olive Greenbul, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Grey-capped Warbler, Variable, Collared and Scarlet-chested Sunbirds, Holub's Golden-weaver, Baglafecht Weaver and African Citril ________ ___________Sights Edit This Location : The Lions' court lodge is located on the outskirts of Nanyuki town, on the equator. Description : An home away from home getaway that serves both local and foreign visitors. The lodge, a mixture of traditional and modern architecture, offers packages that fit individuals,families and groups. Accommodation/Facilities : Accommodation consists of 12 modern, well furnished – self contained deluxe rooms with satellite TV, and a choice of cottages that are very appropriate for families . The lodge also has several single and self contained rooms. There is a restaurant that plays both live music and a discotheque that plays the latest music.Pool tables come in for those who love the game There is a non-smoking Lounge that is very conducive for families. The Hotel has a pool and an upcoming health club, gym and sauna . ____________Practical Information Edit This Transport: You can get the most reliable and safe transport in and around Nanyuki with a person who have the best knowledge of the area. Contact Mr Daniel on +254 722 464 464 of Godfrey on +254 720 315 136 for more information. Car Hire is also available at the very best rates. Enjoy a better drive around mount Kenya ::::::::Naro Moru Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Mt Kenya Youth Hostel Mt Kenya Youth Hostel Sammy Naro Moru is a small town west of Mt. Kenya and is the most common starting point for trekers attempting to climb the mountain. Otherwise, Naro Moru is but a village and there’s no reason to stop here. There are a few cheap places in Naro Moru town to camp or get a bed. The four hotels charge KSh 150-300 for a bed. The Mt. Kenya Hostel & Campsite is in a good location if your attempting the climb without a safari company. It’s a 12 km walk up the Naro Moru trail, giving you a good head start on the climb, and a day to adjust to the elevation. Camping here is KSh 150 and dorm beds are KSh 200. They have all kinds of facilities, and you can hire guides, porters, and cooks here. If you want a little luxury before or after the climb, most travelers opt for the Naro Moru River Lodge (# (0176) 62622). The lodge owns all the mountain huts along the rout up the peak, so you need to book ahead here if you’re planning on staying in the huts (which is a very good idea—the ground gets VERY cold towards the top). A night at the Met Station will cost you US$ 8 and a roof over your head at Makinder’s Camp is US$ 11. Accommodations at the River Lodge include campsites, dorm beds, standard rooms and superior rooms. A camp spot with access to bathrooms and showers run US$ 4 and dorm beds are US$ 6. In the low season (11 April to 30 June and 16 September to 15 December) standard rooms are US$ 30/55 for a single/double, and superior rooms are US$ 40/65. In the high season, a standard single/double room costs US$ 72/94 and a superior is US$ 82/114. All rooms come with half board. :::::::::Nyahururu (Thomson's Falls) Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Thomson's Falls Thomson's Falls M Webster Nyahururu is one of Kenya’s highest cities, at 2360 m above sea level. Just outside of town lies Thomson’s Falls on the Ewaso Narok River. It falls 72 m, the mist feeding the dense forest below. You can check out the falls from above, or there’s a trail down to the bottom of the ravine. The most common way to reach Nyahururu is from Nakuru, but you can also get here from Nyeri, Nanyuki, or Naivasha. Likewise, all these places can be reached from Nyahururu, including Maralal. If you’re camping, Thomson’s Falls Lodge charges KSh 300 per person with access to their facitiltes, hot showers, and firewood. If you need a cheap bed, try the Stadium Lodging (# (0365) 22002), which offers singles/doubles with bathrooms for KSh 200/300. There’s also the Nyaki Hotel (# (0365) 2213) which has singles/doubles costing KSh 400/750. The nicest place in town is the Thomson’s Falls Lodge (# (0365) 22006) over looking the falls. For KSh 1600/2000 you can get a single/double with breakfast, or a triple for KSh 2800. ::::::::::Nyeri Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Gakere Road Gakere Road Sammy Nyeri is the Provincial Headquarters and biggest city of Central Province. It is nessled in between Mt Kenya and the Aberdares, lying just east of the Aberdare Mountains. The Nyeri area is very fertile and is the center of Kenya’s coffee industry. Tourists are most likely to see Nyeri on their way to Aberdare National Park. The city has many accommodations and places to eat. You can get public transportation directly to Nyeri from Nyahururu, Nakuru, Thika and Nairobi. In Nairobi, the stage to Nyeri and most towns in Central Province (Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Meru, Embu) is called the “Tea Room.” It’s located on Accra Road just off of Tom Mboya. :::::::::::Runyanjes Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Runyenjes is the second largest town in Embu District (Eastern province, Kenya) and serves as the divisional headquarters of Runyenjes division. The significance of this town is more in its history. It derived its name from an awesomely popular Chief Runyenje of the colonial era who ruled fron Thuci River to Sagana (in Central Province). It's a small town but which is rapidly growing. hotels include the Cock Robin Inn, Commando, Runyenjes Club and the Thuchi River Lodge. Those who may require more comfort should stay in Embu Town where there are a variety of tourist class restaurants and lodges. Runyenjes is surrounded by small but rapidly growing towns that include: Kianjokoma, Karurumo, Kigumo, Kathageri, Kanja, Mukuuri, Ena and Gichiche among others. Visitors to Runyenjes should not miss to visit the popular Mwene Ndega grove, the ancestral home of the Embu people. It is about three kilometres from the town. ::::::::::Lakes Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Sunrise over Lake Baringo Sunrise over Lake Baringo N/A There are numerous lakes throughout Kenya, mostly lying in the great Rift Valley. Most of these are shallow soda lakes, but there are also a few freshwater lakes, including Lake Victoria, Africa's largest. Several lakes have been designated National Parks or Reserves, which hold a great variety of birds and other wildlife. For more specific information on Kenya's beautiful lakes, click on one of the links below. :::::::::::Nairobi Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see nairobi city in the sun nairobi city in the sun ahmed Nairobi, Kenya ’s mile-high capital is only 90 mi/138 km south of the equator. Founded by the British little more than a 100 years ago, the city now has a population of more than 2 000 000. It’s a modern commercial center with some interesting high-rises and lots of bustle. Visitors can find things not so common in other parts of Africa, such as nice theatres showing the latest films, expensive restaurants serving every type of food, as well as E-mail facilities, faxes and any other sort of modern technology you may want to use. The city is constantly alive, especially at night. Unfortunately, Nairobi has acquired a reputation of being a dangerous city and petty crime is rampant. Besides being a convenient place to take care of administrative matters and contact people back home, Nairobi has much to offer to travellers. If you want to hang out, there is a wide array of restaurants, clubs, pubs and discos to choose from. While in Nairobi, be sure to visit the City Market, the National Museum, the Arboretum (excellent collection of East African flora) and the superb Kenya Railway Museum. Exhibits about the period leading to independence can be seen at the Kenya National Archives. There are casinos at the Safari Park Hotel and the Inter-Continental Hotel and there’s also Sunday-afternoon horse racing. For those who can’t wait to see animals (or who are only visiting Nairobi), the nearby Nairobi National Park has lions, giraffes, impalas and more wild animals in addition to an animal orphanage. Or you can take a rather pricey taxi ride to the Giraffe Center in the suburb of Langatta where the Rothschild giraffe was saved from extinction. At the facility, you can feed the giraffes and the gift shop has some of the best prices we found in Nairobi. However, the Giraffe Manor (the manor house turned into a hotel) elsewhere on the grounds has some of the steepest daily rates in the city—but then it’s the only place where giraffes may join you for meals. This excursion to Langata is often combined with a visit to the former home of Karen Blixen (who wrote under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen), author of Out of Africa. Blixen’s farmhouse, which was presented to the Kenyan government by Denmark, is now a museum —it’s located nextdoor to the Karen College. Langatta also has The Bomas of Kenya which is a terrific cultural center that regularly hosts traditional song and dance performances. A day trip (a two-hour drive each way) can be made to Lake Magadi to visit Olorgesailie in The Rift Valley for its prehistoric campsite. The scenic region inhabited by Masai farmers has a wide variety of birds. http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-51356.0.html :::::::National Parks and Reserves Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Elephant in Amboseli against Kilimanjaro backdrop Elephant in Amboseli against Kilimanjaro backdrop Daniel If Kenya is famous for anything, it’s surely its many national parks and reserves. These beautiful spots offer a wide array of landscapes, plants, and animals. You can trek the slopes of the Aberdares, Mt. Kenya, or Mt. Longonot, or go on a game drive on the plains of the Masai Mara or below Mt. Kilimanjaro at Amboseli National Park. You need to be in a vehicle to enter most national parks and all national reserves, except Saiwa Swamp and South Turkana, so you either need your own car, or you need to book your safari through one of the many companies in Kenya. The good news is that there are so many of these safari companies that competition drives the prices down. Most any tourist that can afford an airline ticket to Kenya can afford to see at least one or two parks. Two affordable companies in Nairobi that offer quality safaris are Gametrackers (# 338927) on the first floor of the Kenya Cinema Plaza, and Let’s Go Travel (# 340331) on Standard Street near Koinange St. Entrance fees may or may not be included in your company’s total price. The major parks, such as Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, and the Aberdares will cost nonresident adults US$ 27 per day. The other parks ask between US$ 23 and $15 per day. One day is considered to be a 24-hour period, so if you enter the park at 5 pm, you are expected to leave by 5 pm the next day. There also may be a camping fee if you are not spending the night in a lodge. ::::::::::Masai Mara N.R. Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Cheetah, Masai Mara NR Cheetah, Masai Mara NR Andrew Lamb The Masai Mara is definitely Kenya’s most popular tourist attraction. The Mara had become the country’s most visited park or reserve because of the amount of game within a fairly small area. Here you have the best chance of seeing a leopard or cheetah, and you’re sure to see lions, elephants, buffalo, giraffe, hyena, and many types of ungulates, such as impala, Thomson’s gazelle, topi, and hartebeest. The annual migration of wildebeest is an extraordinary sight, where millions of the animals move in from the Serengeti in July and August. The only draw-back of the Masai Mara is that it is too crowded with tourists. You literally cannot look anywhere without seeing a white Nissan filled with other travelers. Game is located by finding the groups of tourist vehicles, some times up to 20 or more surrounding one cheetah or lion. It detracts from the experience making you feel like you’re in a zoo without cages. Still, there’s nowhere in Kenya where you can see this many animals with so little effort. Most visitors that visit the Mara have booked trips with a travel company. There are many companies that offer different deals. Most are 2 or 3 nights, with two or more game drives in the park a day. Prices for a tented camp safari average about US$ 200 per person for the trip, including meals and lodging in tents. Gametrackers and Let’s Go Travel are two companies which can give you a good safari for a decent price. Their contacts are at the beginning of the National Parks section. There are many upper-end deals as well, where you’ll stay at very expensive resort hotels or tented camps. There are more than a dozen such resorts, some inside the park boundaries. If you’ve booked your safari with a tourist company, you’ll have no choice where you stay. If you have your own vehicle and a lot of money, you have several options. Mara Intrepids Club (# (02) 338084) offers tents for US$ 223/304 for singles/doubles with full board and game drives. Low season rates are an excellent value at US$ 100/160. Nearby also on the Talek River is the Fig Tree Camp (# (02) 221439), which is also a tented camp. For US$ 125/170 you can get a single/double with full board, or US$ 50/100 in the low season. The Mara Serena Lodge (# (02) 711077) lies on the Mara river in the center of the park. They have singles/doubles with full board for US$ 120/160, or US$ 50/100 in the low season. If you want to stay outside of the park and save money on expensive park fees, try the Mara Safari Club (# (02) 216940), or the more affordable Mara River Camp (# (02) 331191). The high season is usually considered to be from December through January, then June until mid August. ::::::: Northern Kenya Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see The northern half of Kenya is a vast, sparsely populated desert. The dry shrub lands and rocky wasteland is home to some of Kenya’s most interesting people, such as the Turkana, Samburu, Marakwet, Pokot, and El Molo tribes. These tribes have been influenced very little by the west, and unlike the Maasai, have had very little contact with tourists as well. They live as they did years ago by herding livestock and fishing. The people as well as the awesome scenery make Northern Kenya a nice place to visit. The current atmosphere between the tribes of Northern Kenya is very touchy, and tribal violence has become quite common. Livestock raids between Marakwet, Pokot, and Turkana have turned violent due to use of automatic weapons, and a vicious cycle of revenge killings has emerged. This is mainly a problem with tribes west of Lake Turkana, but violence is also common east of lake, where bandits roam. The danger of bandits is so real that no one goes north of Samburu National Reserve without an armed escort. Don’t let this prevent you from seeing some of the most spectacular parts of Kenya, however. Dispite the isolated tribal violence, the area west of the lake is still quite safe for tourists, although you may pass a few goat herders with AK-47s. From this side you can visit the town of Lodwar and camp on the shores of Lake Turkana. The road north from Marich Pass (which continues into Sudan) is in deplorable state. Once it was tarred but now it is pitted and potholed so the experience is slow and bumpy but the scenery is wild and rugged and devoid of buildings. You will see a few Turkana herders with their flocks of goats and camels but not much else. There are buses from Kitale which go to Lodwar, several times a day, journey time about 6-8 hours due to the present state of the road. From Lodwar, it is about an hour's drive to the shores of the Lake at Kalakol where the Kenya Wildlife Service is based (here you pay your fee/arrange your boat trip to Central Island). There are no facilities here but KWS will usually let people camp in their compound - you need to be totally self-sufficient in terms of food and water. Also from Lodwar, on a different road, it is about an hour's drive to Eliye Springs. This is a far more attractive part of the lake and much nicer for camping. Again you will need to be self-sufficient but it is possible to use water from the spring or to order things such as chapatis from the locals if you are prepared to take the risk! Here there are lovely shady doum palm groves, sandy beach, safe bathing in the lake, security guards (it used to be a luxury lodge), toilets and a shower. Trips to local villages can be arranged and there is a small curio market. Central Island is HOT! There is absolutely no shade on the island and, as you will also be out on the lake for several hours getting there and back, make sure you are well protected - take an umbrella or good sunhat and cover up! Take plenty of water - it is not unknown for boats to break down or for the sailing conditions on the lake to suddenly change and delay your return journey. However, the island is beautiful with crater lakes full of crocodiles and, at certain times of the year, hundreds of waterfowl including flamingoes. It is possible to camp on the island - you need to bring everything with you as there are no facilities (except one pit latrine). The only way to get east of the lake used to be with a tourist company, which travelled with an armed escort. The companies offer safe 8-day trips, which include visits to several national parks and some of the most extraordinary desert scenery in the country. It is also possible to do this trip in your own vehicle or by getting transport to Loyangelani. :::::::::Runyenjes Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Runyenjes is the second largest town in Embu District (Eastern province, Kenya) and serves as the divisional headquarters of Runyenjes division. The significance of this town is more in its history. It derived its name from an awesomely popular Chief Runyenje of the colonial era who ruled from Thuci River to Sagana (in Central Province). It's a small town but which is rapidly growing. hotels include the Cock Robin Inn, Commando, Runyenjes Club and the Thuchi River Lodge. Those who may require more comfort should stay in Embu Town where there are a variety of tourist class restaurants and lodges. Runyenjes is surrounded by small but rapidly growing towns that include: Kianjokoma, Manyatta, Karurumo, Kigumo, Kathageri, Kanja, Mukuuri, Ena and Gichiche among others. Visitors to Runyenjes should not miss to visit the popular Mwene Ndega grove (the ancestral home of the Embu people) and the two water falls. All about three kilometres from the Runyenjes town. :::::::::::The Aberdares Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Section of Karuru Fall in Abedare National Park Section of Karuru Fall in Abedare National Park Sammy Tea Farming Region, bordering the Central Province and the Rift Valley. Highland climate with lots of rain. Most of the people living in this region have a moderate income :::::::The Coast Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see malindi malindi mopimp It sometimes seams as if the Swahili Coast is not part of Kenya at all. The culture of the Coast is a unique mix of African Bantu and Arab Muslim influences, a combination created by Arab traders who arrived on the Kenyan Coast before the 7th Century. By the 12th Century, permanent settlements were formed, and the Arabs took root. Arab men took African women as wives, and the Swahili people were born. Of course communication was necessary, so Kiswahili arose from the mixing of Africans’ tribal tongues and the traders’ Arabic. The Coast is a main attraction for travelers. The white sand beaches are a beautiful place to dive, snorkel, or just relax. There are beaches just north and south of Mombasa, the “capital” of the Kenyan Coast. The best beaches, however, are farther north, near Malindi and Watamu National Marine Parks, and farther north still to the island of Lamu. The cities and towns themselves are attractions, ancient towns that emanate history and culture. ::::::::::The Rift Valley Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Bomet (Chebunyo) Bomet (Chebunyo) Ngetundo The Rift Valley is the dominant geological feature of Kenya. The Valley is huge, running from Ethiopia, through Lake Turkana, the Cherangani Hills, and down past the plains of the Masai Mara, into Tanzania. The Rift Valley is famous for its soda lakes, such as Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria. The first encounter with the Rift Valley experienced by most travelers is the incredible view from the highway running from Nairobi to Nakuru. Nakuru and Eldoret are the biggest towns in the valley and they are the best bases from which to explore it. ::::::::::Western Kenya Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Busy "Boda Boda" Cyclists in Bungoma Busy "Boda Boda" Cyclists in Bungoma Eddie Kegode The area of western Kenya is composed of Nyanza Province surrounding Lake Victoria, and Western Province, along the Ugandan border. Nyanza is the home to the Luo tribe, along the lake, and the Kisii people, who live in the highlands. The Luhya tribe and their relatives dominate Western Province. Kisumu is the hub of western Kenya. It is Kenya’s third largest city, but like Mombasa across the country, it has a mellow feel to it, as opposed to the chaotic Nairobi. Besides going to western Kenya to experience its different culture, there is enough to keep travelers busy for a while. You can check out the largest lake in Africa, visit Kakamega Forest Reserve, or hike around on the slopes of Mt Elgon. __________ Bungoma Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Modern accommodation in Bungoma is now available. Details at www.canacourt.net Part or or all of this text stems from the original article at: www.canacourt.net ____________ Cherangani Hills Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i Trevor Mikelas North of Kitale, the Cherangani Hills rise up to a height of 3,581m and form a barrier between the fertile highlands surrounding the town, and a barren stretch of desert to the north. The hills are home to the Pokot people in the south and, predominately, the Marakwet people, who migrated here from the north, and are dotted with small towns, although none of them offer accommodation with the exception of Kapsowar which has very basic guesthouses. Kapsowar has a post office with internet connection. It is always possible to negotiate a bed in a private home or to camp in someone's garden! Offering geographic diversity, a myriad of dirt roads and some dramatic peaks, the highest and most remote to the north, the Cheranganis are great for hikers who are happy to rough it. To the north west of the Cheranganis is the Marich Pass where accommodation is available at the Field Studies Centre. Guides and hikes can be arranged here. Also guides and treks in the Cheranganis can be arranged through Sirikwa Safaris or Karibuni Lodge in Kitale (see Kitale section). At the foot of the Cheranganis, accommodation and camping is available at Lomut which has a great colourful Pokot market on Saturdays. Accessible by road is the Wei Wei Valley, with beautiful scenery and basic restaurants/accommodation is available in Tamkal. _________Kakamega Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Huge Rock Boulders in Bunyore That are Characteristic of Vihiga District Huge Rock Boulders in Bunyore That are Characteristic of Vihiga District Eddie Kegode Kakamega is a small town in Western Province, about 65 km north of Kisumu. This is the base for trips into the Kakamega Forest Reserve. There are vehicles running south to Kisumu and north to Kitale every few minutes, but be wary of the touts, they could be the rudest in Kenya. If you stay in Kakamega, try the affordable Franca Hotel or the upper-end Golf Hotel (# (0331) 20125).or Vikes Hotel. The Golf Hotel has beautiful grounds, a bar and restaurant, and singles/doubles for 1750/2250. For more information on the Kakamega Forest Reserve, check the National Parks and Reserves section. However, it is infinitely preferable to stay in the Forest Reserve rather than town. Good camping and bandas are available in the Forest Reserve (see that section) or at Rondo Retreat, a private guesthouse in a lovely setting. _________Kisii Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Kisii town, located in south-western Kenya, is the main urban and commercial centre in Gusii Highlands. The Kisii municipality has a population of nearly 70,000, according to 2002 estimates. Kisii town is the capital of the Kisii District. The town was formerly the headquarters of the larger Kisii district before it was split to create Nyamira and Gucha districts. However, the town continues to serve these districts and the larger South Nyanza and Transmara region in terms of commerce. __________Kisumu Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see PABARI APARTMENTS PABARI APARTMENTS Kisumu is Kenya's third largest city and is the center of western Kenya. It feels more like Mombasa than Nairobi, being hot and humid, where locals move about their business at a leisurely pace. Like any big city, there’s a wide range of accommodations suitable for any budget. There are several attractions in town, such as the huge market near the bus stage were you can get cheap soapstone carvings, and Hippo Point where you can watch the sun set on Lake Victoria. For more information on the lake and its sights, see the Lakes section. There are so many internet cafes in Kisumu, Kisumu is popular for Fish (Tilpia) eating along the lake. The people are friendly, the impala park also offers a good attraction site. Kisumu is famouse for its benga music. _________Kitale Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i Kitale is a good-sized town north of Kakamega in the western highlands, and is a very productive agricultural area. It’s important to tourists because it serves as a base for traveling to Mt Elgon to the west and Lodwar to the north. There are two museums in town, the National Museum which has a nice nature trail out back, and an agroforestry project next door and a private museum, Treasures of Africa, which has a fantastic collection of Ugandan and Turkana artifacts set in a beautiful desert garden. The curator is a botanist with a keen interest in anthropology and linguistics and knows a lot about the area. There is also an interesting museum in Kapenguria to the north, with a lot of exhibits relating to the Mau Mau (Jomo Kenyatta was imprisoned here). Matatus run to and from Kitale from Eldoret, Kisumu, Lodwar, the Ugandan border, Kakamega Forest and many other spots. If you’re coming from a town further east than Eldoret, take a vehicle to Eldoret first, as all matatus will stop here for a while anyway. You might as well be free to choose a nissan that is almost full and ready to go instead of waiting for your nissan to fill up. As to the railway station: Passenger rail traffic has stopped for many years, though freight trains run again. However, an easy way to get from Nairobi to Western Kenya is to take a passenger train to Kisumu (on Lake Victoria). From there, visit the Lake and surrounds and then take a matatu to Kakamega and enjoy the forest. From Kakamega, take a matatu to Kitale. Bottom end places to stay include the New Kitale House and the Executive Lodge which is a bit more expensive but has private bathrooms although not always hot water - ask for a room far away from the bar/tv. For a nicer place, try the Bongo Hotel (# (0325) 20593) on Moi Ave. It has singles/doubles with shared bathrooms for KSh 600/700 or with attached bathrooms for KSh 700/800, including breakfast but if you have a room at the front you will be disturbed by the all night bar adjacent and some of the rooms are very shabby - ask to see several. The Alakara Hotel (# (0325) 20395) on Kenyatta St have rooms at about Kshs1500. The Vision Gate on Kenyatta St has rooms at about Kshs1200 but they rent the downstairs floor to a very noisy charismatic church who get going with their speaker system at 6am! The nicest place in the town for budget travellers is the new Karibuni Lodge (#0735 573798 email: theresainafrica@yahoo.co.uk website: www.karibunikitale.com ), 2km from the town centre - they will pick you up from the bus stand. Probably the only place in town you can get a peaceful night's sleep unless you can sleep through bar noise, tv, disco and preachers. Walk-in garden tents, dorms or rooms with private bathroom from Kshs300-1500. Camping available or self-catering. Log fire, garden, great food, real Kenyan coffee, good excursions. Book exchange, lounge, hammocks. Also a great place to stay but much more pricey, is Sirikwa Safaris 23 km north of Kitale. You can camp here with access to all the facilities (Kshs375), sleep in a furnished tent for KShs2000+, or stay in a room for KShs3000+. The grounds are beautiful, and the owners are very welcoming and helpful. There are self-catering facilities or you can order meals (about Kshs1000 for dinner). There are not many decent restaurants in town, the best being Karibuni Lodge for good European style food, coffeee and cakes (dinner booking required for non-residents), Pinewood near the Agro-Forestry centre (for Indian food) and Iroko Twigs on Kenyatta Street for traditional style food. Good internet cafe, Kitale Communications Centre, in the Lantern Restaurant building opposite Standard Chartered Bank. Visa/ATM at Standard Chartered and Barclays. Surprisingly, one of the best and largest Shoping Malls in Kenya is in Kitale, known as Khetia's Gigamart. This is a WallMart Style Hypermart with everything you need from fresh groceries to latest in electronics. It even has a bookshop, DIY Centre, Mobile Electronics, ATM, Ice Cream Shop - you name it. It is one place worth visiting in Kitale. Excursions from Kitale include Saiwa Swamp National Park, Kakamega Forest, Mt Elgon National Park, trekking in the Cheranganis, homestays with Pokot families, good birdwatching, trekking Kongolai Escarpment, horseriding at Delta Crescent Game Sanctuary. Good guides are available from Karibuni Lodge or Sirikwa Safaris. _________Mang'ana Village Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see A beatiful visual econologic penorama captures your site upon entry to Mang'ana village a village of its own. Its where the famous Wandabwa family resides in the first place. Secondly, its full of intellectuals. Youths and even old people in the village believe in reigning supreme always. Likes of people who are working it out are the Kiiya's family. members include Dan Kiiya at Maseno University and jairus Kiiya at JKUAT. many more not mentioned. When it comes to cocurriculor activities its the spirit of brotherhood. Khuyetana namwe. I cannot forget the prominent SDA choir and church that have done the village proud. Thanks _____________Maseno Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i_1 This location is a major educational center in kenya, two of the best educational institutions are located here; Maseno University Founded in 1991 as part of Moi University. separate in 200 http://www.maseno.ac.ke/ and Maseno School Founded in 1906, the second oldest "African" school in Kenya http://masenoschool.ac.ke . The place is also few minutes drive from kisumu, the shores of lake victoria. Major agricultural research institute, and the Vetinery is based here. Maseno lies on the foot hills of Kavirondo hills, the rocky hills offer a beautiful scenic view of the sunrise and sunset. The tropical weather weather brings in the afternoon rains almost everyday, weather focus is only done once a year in this part of the country. Part or or all of this text stems from the original article at: abcarlisle22@hotmail.com |
| Grazie a www.imondonauti.it |
| Kenya Itinerario 1 Volevo solo vedere i leoni Testo di Francesca Lana Punto di partenza e arrivo: Nairobi Durata: 16 gg. Mezzo di trasporto: truck Difficoltà: nessuna Primo giorno: Italia - Nairobi (aereo) Si parte per 2 settimana in Kenya. Un sogno che si realizza: viaggiare, osservare, fotografare, capire se il tour ti dà veramente tanto o se si potrebbe fare ancora di più… Atterriamo a Nairobi che è già buio. Anche perché qui, alle 17,30 il sole comincia a tramontare, con una rapidità inaspettata, e dopo poco tempo è già notte fonda. Da subito familiarizzo con quella che diventerà praticamente la mia casa…il truck! Vogliamo chiamarlo autocarro? Di fatto è un mezzo che ti permette di viaggiare a 2 metri da terra, con i lati chiusi da tendoni di plastica che generalmente vengono arrotolati lasciando tutto aperto. Il modo migliore per viaggiare non perdendosi nemmeno un istante del paesaggio circostante, e che allo stesso tempo ti fa cogliere colori, odori, sapori e suoni come se stessi passeggiando in mezzo alla gente! e poi arriva dappertutto, grazie anche all’abilità del nostro autista keniota che certo non si fa mai spaventare da un ostacolo o da una strada dissestata e, bumping bumping, ci porta ovunque! Arriviamo al campeggio Indaba, base dell’omonima agenzia locale. Siamo nel quartiere di Karen, periferia verdissima di Nairobi, manifesto della colonizzazione inglese: i centri commerciali, le ville gigantesche e i giardini curati in maniera maniacale creano un contrasto fortissimo con l’essenzialità di tutto il resto.Ma, torniamo all’arrivo in campeggio, con servizi e cucina sorprendentemente accoglienti e tanto di connessione a internet! Ceniamo con un’ottima zuppa e poi la guida del nostro tour, nel suo inglese così musicale, inizia a darci le prime dritte. Giusto qualche chiacchiera per cominciare a fare gruppo e poi tutti a dormire. Secondo giorno: Nairobi La prima giornata passa molto tranquilla, in questo quartiere cosi ricco di Nairobi dove andiamo dapprima a cambiare del denaro (anche se euro e dollari sono accettati, sempre meglio avere degli scellini kenioti, soprattutto nelle lunghe quanto affascinanti contrattazioni con i venditori), poi a visitare una fabbrica di perle e ceramiche dove restiamo affascinate dai colori e dall’abilità delle donne che ci lavorano. Poi é il turno della casa di Karen Blixen, autrice de “La mia Africa” da cui prende nome il quartiere, fino ad arrivare al momento clou della giornata dopo pranzo: al centro Manor è possibile salire su una balconata in legno e dare cibo alle giraffe guardandole negli occhi. Ma attenzione, perché se si avvicinano e non trovano niente nella tua mano si rischia di ricevere una testata, come mi fa subito notare la guida. Ruvidine queste creature cosi alte ma che sembrano di una fragilità impressionante. Non manca qualche pumba che si affretta, coda all’aria, a recuperare il cibo caduto. Ovviamente, dopo la visita, nei negozietti intorno al centro inizia la prima tappa dello shopping selvaggio: tra animali in legno o pietra, braccialetti e sculture, è meglio iniziare a pensare a come organizzare lo zaino per il ritorno. Dopo un’apprezzatissima cena al campeggio, più sostanziosa di quella della sera precedente, accompagnata come sempre da quello che diventa ufficialmente il malarone time, ci si scalda un po’ intorno al fuoco e poi si va a dormire, pronta alla levataccia del giorno dopo. Terzo giorno: Nairobi - Nakuru Si parte per un lungo viaggio verso Nakuru dopo avere caricato sul truck tende, materassini e i nostri bagagli. Nel gruppo, a turno, si aiuta il cuoco a sistemare tutte le stoviglie e poi tutti a bordo. E’ solo un giorno che viaggiamo insieme, ma viene già spontaneo aiutarsi ad avvolgere le tende delle nostre…finestre sul mondo! E così attraversiamo la periferia di Nairobi che, ad un certo punto, assume i tratti di una baraccopoli dove però spiccano comunque i colori che i kenioti sprecano veramente in ogni situazione. E la fantasia proprio non manca: ci sono locali di mattoni e lamiera di qualche metro quadrato con insegne sgargianti, rigorosamente dipinte a mano, che pubblicizzano di tutto, compagnie di telefoni, macellerie, bazar, fruttivendoli e addirittura hotel...con un concetto un po’ diverso da quello a cui noi europei siamo abituati. Musica e sorrisi dappertutto nonché i gruppi di bambini che ci salutano con esplosioni di gioia indescrivibili rendono in ogni caso l’atmosfera sempre serena. Una delle cose che più mi stupisce, abituata come sono alle nostre città, è vedere tanta gente che cammina a piedi, a volte in posti che sembrano abbandonati da Dio, e mi chiedo come facciano sempre a sapere la direzione e a ritrovare la strada; soprattutto quando vedo i bambini che fanno chilometri per andare a scuola, e veramente sembrano sempre sbucare dal nulla. La strada è in costruzione, quindi nessuno si stupisce dei movimenti ballerini del truck. Il clima è più freddo di quello che mi sarei aspettata ad ottobre: felpa pesante, sciarpa e a volte cappuccio sono indispensabili, soprattutto quando si viaggia un po’ più veloci. A tratti incontriamo la pioggia e allora le finestre si chiudono. Si sale di quota finché arriviamo a un punto panoramico sulla Rift Valley che lascia veramente senza fiato! Ci si ferma per una sosta ai servizi, che in verità pochi hanno il coraggio di affrontare, e per i soliti acquisti di souvenir. La contrattazione inizia a diventare un’arte veramente affascinante! A metà pomeriggio arriviamo a Nakuru e non facciamo in tempo a fermarci che veniamo assaliti da non so quanti venditori. Posso dire che questo è uno dei posti migliori dove si può effettuare shopping, sia per i prezzi che per la varietà di prodotti che si possono acquistare. Dopo un giro veloce a piedi della cittadina che, fondamentalmente, si riduce a una camminata nella strada principale senza nulla degno di nota, decidiamo di buttarci nella mischia e inizia la contrattazione. Mi scopro più portata di quanto pensassi nell’arte del mercanteggiare e, alla fine, scambio il mio cappello per tre braccialetti di un ragazzo che mi dice che saremo per sempre amici, e scambio delle penne con un altro venditore che, pur di vendermi un bracciale, fa i salti mortali per farmelo su misura. In Kenya si accontentano anche i turisti più esigenti! Meravigliosi davvero!!! Riusciamo finalmente a ripartire e arriviamo al Kembu camping dove montiamo la tenda, visitiamo nei dintorni una fattoria popolata da mucche, vitellini e cavalli purosangue con i loro puledrini e, dopocena, nonostante il buio, percorriamo il sentiero dei camaleonti. Ancora non mi spiego la guida del luogo riesca a vedere questi piccoli esserini nel buio della notte africana. Ritorniamo al campeggio per sorseggiare una birra Tusker di fronte al camino acceso che ci fa un po’ dimenticare il freddo e l’umidità, e poi tutti in tenda non prima di aver dato un’occhiata al cielo che mostra uno spettacolo di stelle da lasciare senza respiro. Mi sembra impossibile che sia lo stesso cielo che vediamo dalle nostre città… Quarto giorno: Nakuru Si parte per il nostro primo safari: destinazione lago Nakuru. Il primo incontro con gli animali avviene già al parcheggio, dove alcune scimmie si divertono a visitare il nostro truck in cerca di cibo. Entriamo poi nel parco sempre a bordo del nostro mezzo pronti ad avvistare ogni animale in circolazione. Sullo sfondo appare subito la macchia rosa formata dai fenicotteri che dimorano sul lago. Dopo averla vista in centinaia di foto mi sembra addirittura incredibile averla davanti agli occhi. Incontriamo babbuini, gazzelle di vario tipo, impala, bufali, rinoceronti, tantissime zebre, pumba, pellicani, iene, quasi tutti accompagnati dai loro piccoli. I leoni si fanno un po’ desiderare e riusciamo ad avvistarne solo due in lontananza mente si riposano pigramente riparandosi all’ombra. La vista che si gode dall’area dove ci fermiamo per pranzo è qualcosa di veramente unico. Sembra ancora incredibile che quella macchia rosa sia davvero viva. Mangiamo i panini che ci siamo preparati e ripartiamo per gli ultimi avvistamenti per tornare poi alla base ripassando da Nakuru. Al campeggio becchiamo il nostro primo vero acquazzone che ci costringe, per la prima volta, a cenare al coperto. E’ però l’occasione per cantare e imparare le parole della canzone forse più popolare che ci accompagnerà per tutto il viaggio: Jambo, jambo buana…Hakuna matata, che riassume la filosofia di vita keniota: senza pensieri! Quinto giorno: Nakuru - lago Naivasha Si riparte nuovamente, dopo aver come sempre fatto colazione e caricato il truck. La destinazione è il lago Naivasha. Arriviamo al Fisherman’s camping a metà giornata: il campeggio è molto carino, posto direttamente sul lago, con tanto di piscina e ristorante. La leggenda vuole che nella notte gli ippopotami si spingano a mangiare l’erba in mezzo alle tende ma, dopo avere dato un’occhiata alla recinzione, ci sentiamo rassicurati. Perché, anche se l’ippopotamo è un erbivoro, pare che con le sue fauci spezzi in due tutto quello che si trova sulla sua strada. E comunque è sempre l’incontro con una creatura che puo’ pesare fino a 4 tonnellate. Nel pomeriggio ci imbarchiamo su due lance che ci portano dall’altra parte del lago dove inizieremo il nostro primo safari a piedi. Mentre siamo sul lago le nostre guide buttano dei pesci in acqua per farci vedere l’aquila pescatrice in azione. Arrivati sull’altra sponda di questa enorme distesa d’acqua dolce possiamo camminare in mezzo a zebre, gazzelle, giraffe. La tentazione di avvicinarsi è sempre fortissima, ma anche se gli animali sono abituati alla presenza umana preferiscono sempre tenere le distanze. Un’altra caratteristica di questa zona dell’Africa che mi ha impressionato è la presenza degli alberi di acacia. I più maestosi sono di una bellezza spettacolare e la guida ci spiega che quando sono giovani presentano delle spine che sembrano quasi armi per evitare che gli animali devastino i rami. Una volta superata l’altezza critica le spine spariscono e l’albero cresce in tutta la sua magnificenza. Ripartiamo sulle lance per avvistare finalmente gli ippopotami che abbiamo solo intravisto all’andata, ma il tramonto ci coglie mentre siamo ancora in mezzo al lago e il freddo e il buio ci spingono a tornare al campeggio dove arriviamo verso le 19,30, ben un’ora dopo l’orario in cui tutte le imbarcazioni devono rientrare dalle acque del lago. E’ strano trovarsi in mezzo a questa distesa d’acqua quasi totalmente al buio, con pochissimi riferimenti sulle sponde, ma siamo rassicurati dalla presenza della nostra guida locale che sembra conoscere a memoria ogni angolo del lago. Rientro e cena e poi solito briefing: c’è da discutere come affrontare la giornata di domani a Hell’s Gate dove faremo un altro safari a piedi. L’alternativa è noleggiare delle bici e pedalare, ma alla fine si decide di camminare tutti insieme. Sesto giorno: Hell's Gate National Park Hell’s Gate National Park è un vero spettacolo della natura. Appena si entra ti accoglie un lungo sentiero pianeggiante circondato da montagne rocciose di un rosso acceso che nascondono, sulla loro cima, alcuni campeggi per chi vuole passare la notte qui. Ci aspettano 12 km di camminata, ma nonostante il caldo che dopo poco comincia a farsi sentire è veramente un piacere attraversare a piedi questa riserva, sempre preceduti o seguiti da qualche zebra, qualche gazzella o qualche facocero. Il sole è veramente forte, non ho mai usato così tanta crema solare in vita mia. Verso mezzogiorno facciamo una sosta per recuperare un po’ di energia con i nostri soliti panini e poi affrontiamo la gola dell’Inferno. Qui hanno girato Tomb Raider II e devo dire che la bellezza dello spettacolo che Hell’s Gate offre è veramente degna di un set cinematografico. Ci spaventiamo un po’ quando la guida ci dice che, per arrivare alla fine della gola, si deve affrontare un percorso un po’ tortuoso tra alcune rocce passando anche sotto delle cascate che, fortunatamente, sgorgando da rocce di origine vulcanica quantomeno hanno l’acqua più calda delle docce del campeggio. Alla fine si rivela un’esperienza esaltante e siamo tutti soddisfatti del percorso fatto. Prima di tornare al punto dove il truck ci aspetta incontriamo come sempre qualche scolaresca. Lo spettacolo di questi bimbi con i loro splendidi sorrisi, tutti vestiti con la stessa divisa, è una delle immagini che mi rimarrà più impressa! E’ qualcosa di così anacronistico e contrastante con il resto del posto ma, allo stesso tempo, riesce a dare un’immagine felice e spensierata, un’emozione che davvero non so spiegare. Torniamo cotti dalla fatica e dal sole al campeggio e decidiamo di prenderci un pomeriggio di relax. Dopo tanto viaggiare e tanto camminare, ci vuole proprio! Ceniamo intorno al fuoco e dopo un bicchiere di vino rosso sudafricano andiamo a dormire, sempre col dubbio che qualche ippopotamo possa interrompere i nostri sogni. Settimo giorno: lago Naivasha - riserva Masai Mara Ci alziamo all’alba, che sul lago Naivasha è davvero uno spettacolo! Partiamo verso la riserva di Masai Mara, 320 kmq che confinano a sud con Serengeti, in Tanzania. Le leggende dei Masai ci aspettano e siamo tutti ansiosi di vedere gli animali che ci mancano per completare tutti i big five: visti leoni (anche se non siamo soddisfatti), bufali e rinoceronti, ora siamo alla caccia di elefanti e leopardi. Tutte le guide dicono che non c’è posto migliore di Masai Mara. La strada è se possibile ancora più dissestata di quelle a cui ci eravamo ormai abituati, ma per fortuna la temperatura comincia a salire un po’ e ad assomigliare a quella che noi tutti ci aspettavamo. Finalmente è savana! Da subito ci si accorge di entrare in territorio Masai perché iniziano a spuntare dappertutto le tradizionali coperte colorate, i bracciali e le collane fatte di perline e, qua e là lungo la strada spuntano bambini masai con l’immancabile bastone a guardia del loro gruppo di mucche o di capre. Oggi in Kenya è festa nazionale Kenyatta day in onore dei caduti per l’indipendenza (20 ottobre). Ce ne ricordiamo fermandoci a Narok per fare rifornimento di gasolio perché sentiamo in sottofondo dei rumori che ci fanno pensare a una specie di parata o qualcosa del genere. Purtroppo questo ci impedisce, una volta arrivati al villaggio Masai, di potere incontrare gli adulti del gruppo che sono tutti riuniti nei festeggiamenti con i grandi capi. Ci sembra di avere intravisto il raduno passando con il truck, ma ovviamente l’ingresso è vietato ai turisti. Concordiamo con il giovane capo e con un giovane masai, un moran che parla inglese, di visitare comunque il villaggio e veniamo accolti dalle danze dei moranes (che hanno veramente decorazioni e acconciature splendide) e in seguito dai canti delle donne. Ci chiamano anche a ballare (che per gli uomini è “saltare”, come il mito dei Masai vuole) con loro e poi alla fine entriamo nel villaggio. Io rimango senza parole nel vedere tutto il terreno cosparso di cacca di mucca; mi spiegano poi che le bestie di notte vengono rinchiuse nel villaggio, che è delimitato da un cerchio di arbusti, e che le donne usano gli escrementi per costruire le case. Nonostante la fierezza e la leggendarietà degli uomini masai, tutte le attività del villaggio, escluso il pascolo, sono coordinate dalle donne masai. Ce ne accorgiamo anche al mercatino, dove nessun moranes si permette di accettare un prezzo senza avere l’assenso di mamma masai. Le case del villaggio sono talmente piccole che mi chiedo come possano viverci questi giganti dalle gambe di gazzella; e sono talmente buie che mi ci vogliono dieci minuti prima che gli occhi si abituino e riescano a vedere qualcosa. La nostra guida masai ci chiede se abbiamo qualche domanda da porre e ognuno si toglie qualche curiosità. Rimango perplessa quando chiedo come sono fatte le mitiche coperte e mi viene risposto che vengono acquistate a Nairobi…ma siamo comunque nel XXI secolo, e ci sta anche questo! Un giovane moran ci dimostra come si accende il fuoco e poi si prodiga nel domandare quante mucche dovrebbe dare al padre di Marta per tenerla con sè! L’Africa è anche questo... Salutiamo i masai dopo avere saccheggiato il loro mercatino e ci addentriamo nella riserva nazionale vera e propria, dove campeggiamo. Un geniale boiler gigante alimentato con fuoco a legna ci fa sognare una doccia calda; ed effettivamente, mai come in questo campeggio i servizi sono stati apprezzati. Ottavo giorno: riserva Masai Mara Finalmente si parte alla ricerca dei big five. Già ieri siamo stati accolti all’arrivo da qualche elefante. A tutti viene il dubbio che forse saremmo dovuti partire prima poiché leoni e leopardi sono animali che vivono prevalentemente di notte, ma seguiamo la decisione presa dalla nostra guida masai. Attraversiamo tutta la riserva sul nostro truck raggiungendo a sud il confine con Serengeti e la Tanzania. Gli spazi sono veramente sconfinati e il cielo di una bellezza impressionante. Incontriamo orde di gnu che però ci dicono essere nulla rispetto al periodo della migrazione, zebre, gazzelle, avvolti, tantissime giraffe, struzzi, dik dik, elefanti. Ci fermiamo poi al fiume Mara dove incontriamo una colonia di ippopotami e qualche coccodrillo. Un ranger, con tanto di fucile, ci accompagna per una breve passeggiata e ci spiega qualcosa di più sulle abitudini degli ippopotami. Ripartiamo a bordo del truck e proseguiamo in questa giornata così ricca e allo stesso tempo stancante; e non nascondo la delusione quando, al tramonto, rientriamo al campeggio senza avere avvistato né un leopardo né l’ombra di un leone. La guida ci spiega che la natura non si può controllare, e che questo è anche il bello della libertà in cui vivono gli animali. Sicuramente ha ragione, ma la mia delusione rimane forte. La speranza ci sostiene fino alle porte del campeggio, ma poi ci arrendiamo. La sera ceniamo stancamente e mentre alcuni masai arrivano al villaggio per danzare tutti si stanno già praticamente ritirando nelle tende. Nono giorno: riserva Masai Mara - Nairobi Partenza all’alba. I safari sono finiti, si parte verso il mare, ma la strada è veramente lunga: prima tappa Nairobi, poi Voi, e finalmente Mombasa. Attraversiamo praticamente in orizzontale tutto il Kenya. Abbiamo già lasciato la riserva quando un gruppo di gnu che si sposta velocemente ci fa aguzzare la vista, e ci accorgiamo che c’è una coppia di leoni a caccia! Anche se è veramente presto non siamo mai stati così reattivi! Lo spettacolo è veramente emozionante e i video e le foto si sprecano; ma le sorprese non finiscono qui perché dopo meno di un chilometro vediamo un leone a pochi metri di distanza che, in tutta la sua maestosità, sorveglia la sua preda ormai a terra e poi si allontana infastidito da tutti i veicoli che si fermano a guardare. Mancherebbe ancora il leopardo ma dai sorrisi che tutti hanno si capisce che ormai possiamo lasciare Masai Mara pienamente soddisfatti. Mentre sfrecciamo via intravedo tra l’erba qualcosa che assomiglia a un gatto selvatico e capisco che si tratta di un serval. Un’altra piccola soddisfazione. Riprendiamo il viaggio. Usiamo le coperte masai che abbiamo acquistato per coprirci dall’aria tagliente e pole pole arriviamo a Nairobi. E' metà pomeriggio, l'autista ferma il truck in città e ci indica quali strade percorrere. Rimaniamo tutti insieme, un po’ intimoriti dalla novità di essere per la prima volta in un centro così grande. In realtà non c’è niente di concreto che possa spaventare, ma le leggende su Nairobbery si sprecano e preferiamo non correre alcun rischio. La città è caotica, e il centro niente di speciale. Sarà che il confronto con la savana non regge. Ci ritroviamo dopo poco più di un’ora al truck e si torna al campeggio Indaba, che ci sembra quasi casa! E la sera dopo cena ci si ritrova al piccolo ma accogliente pub ascoltando musica africana e chiacchierando come vecchi amici. Decimo giorno: Nairobi - Voi Giornata interamente di viaggio che ci permette di realizzare quanto il Kenya necessiti di migliorare nei collegamenti stradali. Finalmente si va verso il caldo e, gradualmente, le acacie lasciano il posto agli altrettanto affascinanti baobab. Viaggiare un giorno intero sul truck é come sedersi al cinema davanti a un film che ti parla del Kenya. Ormai sappiamo che a metà della giornata le strade si colorano di tutti i bimbi in divisa che tornano da scuola così come sappiamo che all’improvviso puoi incontrare un gruppo di zebre o di babbuini che ti attraversa la strada. Lungo le vie si formano degli agglomerati di case che, onestamente, non so nemmeno se siano città. E comunque è veramente uno spettacolo da gustare! La sera arriviamo a Voi, in un campeggio che tipicamente definirei “in culo ai lupi”, piantiamo le tende e dopo le solite attività di routine si conclude la giornata. Undicesimo giorno: Nairobi - Voi Si riparte verso il mare con tappa, prima di pranzo, a Mombasa. La città sembra più solare di Nairobi anche se il traffico per le strade popolate da matatu, tuk tuk, bici e dagli spericolati autisti kenioti non manca nemmeno qui. Ci fermiamo prima di traghettare da Likoni verso le spiaggie del sud; andiamo in centro per cambiare gli ultimi euro e ne approfittiamo per percorrere la strada principale, Moi Avenue, e vedere le zanne di elefante incrociate, uno dei simboli della città. Saliamo con il truck sul traghetto dove, in 5 minuti di tragitto, un venditore riesce a rifilarci dei bracciali e delle collane praticamente arrampicandosi sulle finestre del nostro mezzo. Certo che noi non riusciamo veramente a resistere alla tentazione di comprare, principalmente per il gusto di contrattare. Il mare già a Mombasa è di un azzurro cristallino che lascia davvero ammirati. Sull’altra sponda, l’atmosfera è tipicamente da spiaggia: a breve ci ritroviamo circondati da palme e si sente già il profumo del mare. Alloggiamo a Tiwi Beach, in un resort che dà direttamente sulla spiaggia. Le camere sono pulite e spaziose, e tutte vista mare. E che vista! Pranziamo circondati dalle solite scimmie e poi finalmente il primo e tanto sognato bagno! L'autista ci avvisa di fare attenzione ai beach boys che passano la giornata percorrendo la spiaggia in lungo e in largo nel tentativo di vendere souvenir, escursioni e chissà cos’altro. Fortunatamente noi siamo sempre in gruppo e nessuno si sente mai minacciato o disturbato. Facciamo invece quasi amicizia con le donne che vendono i parei. I colori e le fantasie sono veramente irresistibili e lo shopping è selvaggio. E si ripete ogni giorno! Alla fine ci mettiamo d’accordo e lasciamo a queste ragazze shampoo, saponi, magliette, creme, penne e altre cose che tanto non porteremmo nemmeno a casa. La sera si cena tutti insieme per salutare l’autista e il cuoco che domani riporteranno il truck a Nairobi. Scopriamo anche che nel resort si mangia veramente bene. Nota particolare per il beef palau, che dà veramente soddisfazioni a tutti. Anche il pub del resort è accogliente e la gente che si ferma qui ha veramente l’aria di volere vivere in pieno l’atmosfera di queste spiagge, lontano dal caos più turistico che invece ci dicono regni nella vicina Diani Beach. Dodicesimo giorno: Mombasa Mi alzo pigramente per godermi in pieno questa giornata senza programmi. Faccio colazione guardando il mare e poi la giornata trascorre in spiaggia tra nuotate, dormite e shopping. Resto sorpresa all’arrivo in spiaggia da quanto il mare si sia ritirato a causa della bassa marea: per arrivare all’acqua bisogna camminare per forse più di cento metri sul fondo fatto di sabbia, rocce e costellato di stelle marine. Vado in esplorazione si unisce un ragazzo del luogo che diventa una guida utile per capire cosa mi passa sotto i piedi. Faccio un tuffo dove finalmente c’è acqua a sufficienza e poi torno alla rilassante vita da spiaggia. Nel pomeriggio decido di raggiungere Diani Beach per acquistare gli ultimi souvenir e per connettermi a internet e dare qualche segnale di vita via web. Il taxi che mi chiamano alla reception costa 8 euro, che per il Kenya è un vero furto, ma dicono che il sentiero per raggiungere la strada principale sia pieno di imprevisti…e sento di potere affrontare l’investimento! La cosa più interessante che vedo andando a Diani Beach sono le cosiddette palestre per i colobi, delle scimmie bianche e nere: da una parte all’altra della strada sono tirati in aria dei cavi per permettere a questi animali di attraversare senza correre il rischio di essere investiti. Un consiglio per lo shopping al centro: i negozi sono cari e la contrattazione è difficile, ma lungo la strada ci sono una serie di bancarelle dove, armati di pazienza, si possono fare grandi affari! Tredicesimo giorno: Mombasa Partenza alle 7.30 per quella che doveva essere una tranquilla mattinata di snokelling e che si trasforma in una vera avventura. Tutti convinti di salire sui matatu per andare a 5 minuti di viaggio di distanza veniamo informati, già in viaggio, che ci sono 50 km da percorrere il che, sulle strade di South Beach, non sono proprio una passeggiata. Ci rassegniamo e, hakuna matata, ci facciamo portare al molo dove si parte per l’escursione su una versione moderna di dhow con meta il Marine Park. Sulla nostra rotta incrociamo i delfini che si divertono a mettersi in competizione con la nostra barca e, quando arriviamo a destinazione, nonostante il tempo non sia proprio dei migliori devo dire che lo spettacolo merita davvero! Ci troviamo di fronte al più tipico dei paesaggi tropicali: mare cristallino, spiaggia bianchissima e coralli e pesci colorati da scoprire sott’acqua! Rientriamo verso le 3 del pomeriggio e riprendiamo la tranquilla vita in riva al mare di Tiwi beach. Al tramonto il cielo offre uno spettacolo strepitoso: anche se il sole scende alle nostre spalle, sopra al mare si formano degli splendidi riflessi colorati che fanno da cornice alla luna che splende già alta. Fa comunque buio presto, ma non si crolla più subito come quando eravamo in campeggio e le serate al pub sono l’occasione per conoscere sempre meglio i nostri compagni di viaggio. Quattordicesimo giorno: Mombasa Ultima giornata di mare che decidiamo di trascorrere ad abbronzarci. Grazie al mare cristallino e alla sabbia bianca il riflesso del sole è talmente forte che ci si abbronza anche all’ombra delle palme, rischiando qualche cocco in testa. Nel giardino del resort ci sono diversi abitanti: oltre alle immancabili scimmie avvisto lucertoloni lunghi oltre un metro, iguane coloratissime, gechi, ragni grandi come una mano che però mi assicurano non scendano mai dagli alberi, e in mezzo al mare vedo gru e altri uccelli. Alla sera cena di gruppo: si chiacchiera ancora un po’ e poi tutti a fare i bagagli. Quindicesimo giorno: Mombasa-Nairobi Si va a Mombasa a prendere il pullman diretto a Nairobi. Prendiamo un minibus dal resort che traghetta e ci porta alla stazione. Sul bus c’è scritto aria condizionata, ma dai finestrini aperti capiamo che non sarà proprio così. La strada è orrenda e l’autista corre come un folle; mi chiedo come faccia a non rompersi tutto. Il pullman ferma in the middle of nowhere come diciamo noi, dove ci sono i bush che fanno da toilette. Non che non fosse già capitato con il truck, ma fa più impressione vedere le donne keniote, magari musulmane, con le loro lunghe vesti colorate che si inoltrano tra i cespugli con una disinvoltura che mi fa sorridere. Arriviamo verso le 17 a Nairobi in zona aeroporto dove finalmente rincontriamo il nostro truck e il nostro autista che ci riporta all’Indaba camping dove subito ci buttiamo sotto la doccia. La sera decido di assaporare la cucina del Carnivore, ristorante leggendario di Nairobi dove una volte venivano servite bistecche di zebra e antilopi varie mentre ora ci si accontenta di carne di struzzo e coccodrillo. All’ingresso del ristorante si può ammirare l’enorme e spettacolare spiedo su cui vengono arrostite tutte le portate. Su ogni tavolo c’è una bandierina e finché sventola i camerieri continuano a portarti nuovi assaggi: abbassare la bandierina significa arrendersi, e passare quindi al dolce e al caffè. Impossibile vincere la sfida. Mentre si cena i camerieri intonano più volte in alcuni tavoli vicini il solito inno Jambo buana! Veramente da non perdere (il costo si aggira sui 25 euro a testa, tutto compreso). Sedicesimo giorno: Nairobi-Italia (aereo) |
| Questo articolo è rilasciato sotto i termini della
GNU Free Documentation License Esso utilizza materiale tratto da http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya Cronologia/Autori: http://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenya&action=history Kenya Da Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
Il Kenya è uno Stato dell'Africa Orientale, confinante a nord con Etiopia e Sudan, a sud con la Tanzania, a ovest con l'Uganda, A nordest con la Somalia e ad est con l'Oceano Indiano. Nairobi ne è la capitale e la città più grande. il Kenia dal satellite
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Divisione amministrativaIl Kenya è suddiviso in 7 province e 1 area:
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Territorio e climaDalla costa bassa e sabbiosa dell'Oceano Indiano, il territorio del Kenya si eleva procedendo verso le aree interne. Alla fascia costieram lungo oltre 400 Km, succede una regione di altopiani aridi e stepposi; quello centrale, che si eleva a quote comprese tra i 1500 e i 3000 metri, è diviso dalla frattura della Rift Valley che si sviluppa da nord a sud e che forma il bacino del Lago Turkana (o Rodolfo). Ai lati della Rift Valley si innalzano imponenti massicci vulcanici, il maggiore dei quali è il Monte Kenya (5199 m), uno dei monti più alti dell'Africa. L'altopiano digrada a ovest, in prossimità del Lago Vittoria, e a nord dove il territorio del Kenya è occupato da un ampio tavolato desertico.
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I fiumi e i laghiI fiumi del kenya non sono imponenti, i due principali, Tana e Galana, si gettano nell'Oceano Indiano e hanno un regime molto variabile nel corso dell'anno perché dipende esclusivamente dalla frequenza delle precipitazioni piovose. Il lago più vasto del paese è il Turkana, dal momento che solo una piccola porzione del Lago Vittoria appartiene al territorio del Kenya; il Lago Turkana ha acque salmastre e vi affiorano numerose isole.
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Il clima e gli ambientiIl clima, caldo e umido nelle regioni costiere, diventa più mite e asciutto nel cuore del Paese, in rapporto all'altitudine. Le piogge sono concentrate in due periodi dell'anno, da marzo a maggio e da ottobre a dicembre. L'ambiente dominante è quello della savana, tutelato da numerosi parchi naturali che coprono circa il 10% del territorio nazionale. Sulle pendici delle montagne e lungo il corso dei fiumi si trovano tracce dell'originaria foresta pluviale; mentre a nord, nelle zone meno piovose, la savana sfuma nel deserto. La savana è l'habitat di grandi mandrie di erbivori (antilopi, gazzelle, giraffe, bufali, zebre, elefanti) e dei loro predatori (leoni, leopardi e ghepardi). Nelle acque dei laghi e dei fiumi vivono ippopotami e coccodrilli.
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La storia e la popolazioneMolte città costiere del Kenya furono fondate dagli Arabi che, a partire dal IX secolo d.C., intrattennero proficui rapporti commerciali con i gruppi indigeni bantu. Dall'incontro tra i due popoli nacque la cultura swahili, contraddistinta da due elementi di unificazione: la lingua kiswahili e la religione islamica. Gli agricoltori kikuyu, dell'etnia bantu, rappresentarono subito il gruppo più potente e numeroso del territorio; la loro supremazia fu messa in discussione dai bellicosi masai, un popolo di allevatori che invase il Kenya nel XVI secolo. In quel periodo i portoghesi occuparono alcune località della costa. La presenza degli europei si intensificò alla fine del XIX secolo, quando il Kenya divenne una colonia britannica. I bianchi scacciarono gli indigeni dai fertili altopiani dell'interno, avviando l'agricoltura di piantagione. I kikuyu vennero impiegati nelle belle fattori disseminate sul territorio e diedero un importante contributo alla crescita economica del Paese. I masai, invece, furono sempre più isolati, perché rimasero ancorati alle loro tradizioni. Nel secondo dopoguerra i kikuyu lottarono aspramente per conquistare l'indipendenza, che fu ottenuta il 12 dicembre 1963. Il Paese in seguito è rimasto in buoni rapporti con la Gran Bretagna, introducendo un sistema amministrativo simile a quello britannico e promuovendo importanti riforme economiche. Nel 1982 è stato instaurato un regime autoritario e antidemocratico; da alcuni anni tensioni e violenti conflitti etnici insanguinano il Paese.
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DemografiaLa popolazione del Kenya continua a crescere a ritmi elevati: nel giro di vent'anni è pressoché raddoppiata e molto alta è la quota di popolazione giovane, con meno di quindici anni. La densità demografica è elevata nella regione interna degli altopiani; mentre la fascia costiera è poco abitata, fatta eccezione per l'area di Mombasa. Il tasso di urbanizzazione è ancora basso; la maggior parte della popolazione vive nei villaggi, in capanne costruite nei pressi dei campi e dei recinti per il bestiame. La popolazione urbana si addensa soprattutto nelle città di Nairobi, la capitale, e di Mombasa. La religione è così suddivisa: animisti 60%, cattolici 27%, protestanti 7%, musulmani 6%.
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CuriositàIn Kenia, vicino a Malindi è situato il Centro Spaziale Italiano Luigi Broglio, in concessione all'Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. Il centro è utilizzato per tracciamento di satelliti dell'Agenzia Spaziale Europea e di altre agenzie, come quella cinese. La sua posizione equatoriale rende questo sito ideale per lanci spaziali, benché l'ultimo lancio effettivo risalga al 1988. Il centro è stato costruito nel 1964 grazie all'impegno del Professore Luigi Broglio (1911-2001), pioniere della ricerca spaziale in italia.
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L'economiaL'economia del Kenya, dopo un periodo di relativo benessere negli anni immediatamente successivi all'indipendenza, si trova oggi in una fase di grave crisi. Il benessere di pochi, infatti, è pagato con la miseria di molti; l'instabilità politica, la corruzione dilagante e le continue violazioni dei diritti umani hanno accelerato la crisi economica e aggravato le condizioni di vita della popolazione.
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| Kenya Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i_3 Trevor Mikelas There are many different landscape and cultures, all quite different and beautiful. There is the desert of the north, and The Rift Valley where evidence of protohumans was first found. There are many brilliant Lakes , including Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Lake Naivasha and many more. Kenya has the second highest peak in Africa, the great Mt. Kenya . It has twenty National Parks and Reserves packed full of the exlusive “Big Five” (Elephant, Leopard, Lion, Cape Buffalo, and Rhinoceros). Of course, there is also The Coast , very picturesque, with white sands, emerald water, and the Swahili culture, a unique mix of Arabic and Bantu influences. Compound the incredible scenery and limitless travel options with friendly and welcoming people, and visiting Kenya becomes a great vacation. while in coast visit the garden of eden :maweni beach cottages in tiwi. Lovely naturalland scapes with self catering cottages. Fresh sea food to your doorstep every morning by the local fishermen. Cottages with a lovely seaview. No tv, radios are allowed just the noise of the waves breaking and early morning birds. Real paradise. No wonder advance bookings required. maweni beach cottages. The northwestern region of this country, the Turkana District, is a vast, desolate, hot, arid landscape where goatherders and bandits coexist. Lodwar, comparable to the "Dodge City" of the early American West, has the basic necessities of life, including Internet kiosks and semi-reliable electricity. Lokichoggio, the outpost in the northeasternmost sector of this county, is home to UN refugee camps with 30,000+ people. Roads are extremely rough, the terrain unforgiving, and people always inquisitive about what brings you to their country. The best places to start your travels in Kenya are probably Nairobi N.P. the capital and South of Mombasa the second largest city, located on the coast. Both are served by international flights and have a very good tourist infrastructure. Maasai Mara National Game Reserve is connected with Serengeti N.P. in Tanzania. The park is very accomodating to tourists, and offers many opportunities to see true African wildlife. The Maasai Mara Sopa Lodge is a true romantic complex overlooking the savannah and offering world class accomodations for the weary traveler. ___________History Edit This i Trevor Mikelas Although Kenya may have provided the setting for the earliest development of the human species, the ancestors of the modern nation's African population began making their appearance in the region less than 1,000 years ago, and the in-migration of some ethnic aggregations continued into the twentieth century. Culturally and linguistically heterogeneous groups of agriculturists and nomadic pastoralists settled in the physically varied environment of the country's interior, where as many as 40 distinct ethnic categories have been recognized. Among these the Bantu-speaking Kikuyu emerged as the dominant group in Kenya's fertile heartland. The coastal region experienced a different history, coming under Islamic influence as early as the tenth century. Arab and Persian merchants founded towns there whose ports became part of a commercial network linked to the Middle East. Intimate contacts between the Arab and indigenous Bantu cultures on the coast produced over a long period of time the Swahili culture, in which the characteristics of both were assimilated. The history of Kenya as a political entity began with the region's inclusion in the British sphere of influence in the late nineteenth century and the subsequent establishment of a British protectorate and colony there. The British brought together the country's diverse elements under a unified administration and bestowed on it the name Kenya after the 5,200-meter peak in the central highlands that the Kikuyu called kere nyaga, the "mountain of whiteness." The aim of British colonialism in Kenya was to integrate the country into an imperial system and to develop its economic potential, while providing for the security of the indigenous population and improving their general well-being, as defined according to the prevailing mentality of colonial authorities. The political, economic, and social changes brought about by the British were not effected smoothly, however, nor from an African perspective were they uniformly advantageous. An early realization that the climate and fertility of the Kenya Highlands made the region ideal for European settlement encouraged the reservation there of large tracts of the country's best land for the white minority and corresponding restrictions on African and Asian land use. Social pressures engendered by these restrictions and the inability of limited African reserves to meet the land needs of an expanding population-together with growing African resentment of the inferior status accorded them-provoked unrest that contributed to the formation of political action groups, organized on the basis of ethnic affiliation, in the 1920s. Improvement in the lot of the average African was limited until after World War II when political movements, like that among the Kikuyu led by Jomo Kenyatta, demanded a role for the black majority in Kenya's government. The determination of the European community to retain exclusive control in a "White Man's Country" and the continued denial of African rights set off a violent reaction during the Mau Mau emergency in the 1950s. The Kikuyu-led insurrection was suppressed, and the lengthy imprisonment of Kenyatta and other African leaders suspected of complicity in it caused a hiatus in organized African political activity until 1960, when the campaign for majority rule within the framework of the colonial regime succeeded in submerging ethnic differences among Africans and in winning the recognition of British authorities. In 1961 the British government set Kenya on a course that led to majority rule and, at the end of 1963, to full independence within the Commonwealth of Nations. The next year Kenya became a republic under a unitary form of government headed by Kenyatta as its first president, and the principal political parties voluntarily merged under his leadership in the Kenya African National Union (KANU). Radical dissidents and ethnic interest groups fearful of Kikuyu domination followed Oginga Odinga out of KANU during an interlude in the late 1960s, but the rival political movement that they formed was banned in 1969, and Kenya reverted in practice to being a one-party state. Ethnic antagonisms remained the principal stumbling block to national unity, but Kenyatta's firm, paternalistic rule nonetheless provided the country with a substantial degree of stability during the first decade and a half of Kenya's independent existence. Although the Mzee-the "Old Man," as Kenyatta was familiarly known-held tightly to the reins of power, Kenya maintained basically democratic institutions. Parliamentary debate was sharp and frequently questioned government policies, elections were vigorously contested by rival candidates, and the press was relatively free in its reporting and commentary. A program of "Kenyanization" of government and the economy was instituted, however, gradually forcing the departure of most of the country's European and Asian populations. Operated by an African entrepreneurial elite with close ties to the political elite, the Kenyan economy developed along capitalist lines, emphasizing rapid growth and modern production methods. The favorable orientation of the economy and stable political conditions inspired a confidence in the country's future that encouraged investment. Political opposition, however, focused on substantial inequities in distribution, particularly of farmland, as well as on official corruption. As an aging Kenyatta became more withdrawn from the everyday conduct of government, decisionmaking was deferred more and more to members of the inner circle of advisers and officials who surrounded him. Rival personalities and factions within KANU maneuvered for position in anticipation of the end of the Kenyatta era. When the Mzee died in office in August 1978, he was succeeded by his vice president and heir apparent, Daniel arap Moi, in an orderly transition of power. . . . . The Peopling of the Interior People of three distinct language groups-Bantu, Cushitic, and Nilotic-are found in present-day Kenya. The interior of the country, extending from the nyika (Swahili for wilderness-applied to the climatically hostile area forming a barrier behind the coast) to Lake Victoria, is populated by intermingled groups of Bantu-speaking and Nilotic peoples, whose ancestors migrated to Kenya after the beginning of the second millennium A.D. The early Cushitic people who inhabited western Kenya and parts of the highlands area were absorbed or driven out during these movements. Elements of the present Cushitic-speaking population, which occupies the northern and northeastern parts of the country, began arriving sometime before the sixteenth century. Somali clans eventually ranged over most of northeastern Kenya. A particularly large influx of Oromo (Galla) people, moving out of Ethiopia, started toward the end of the nineteenth century and continued through the early decades of the twentieth (see fig. 2). In their oral histories, the Kikuyu, the nation's largest ethnic group, claim that their ancestors came originally from northeast of Mount Kenya in a migration that was probably under way in the fifteenth century. Archaeological discoveries in central Kenya, related to the presumed Bantu-speaking people who entered southern Kenya during the first millennium, indicate that these people preceded the Kikuyu in the region. Linguistic studies further suggest that they may have been the ancestors of several later Bantu groups in the area, including the Kikuyu. During the three to four centuries after their migration began, the proto-Kikuyu moved slowly southwestward, splitting into new groups that by the late nineteenth century occupied a broad area in the central part of the highlands. In the course of their movement they absorbed other groups already in place. Such ethnic elements included the short-statured Gumba and the Athi (also Okiek or Nderobo), both hunting and gathering peoples. The Gumba, believed to have been Cushitic speakers, were primarily hunters in the open grasslands. Oral traditions state that they were skilled at iron working and pottery making, a knowledge of which they imparted to the Kikuyu. The two ethnic groups seem to have lived in a symbiotic relationship, exchanging meat and skins for agricultural products, and considerable assimilation of the Gumba by Kikuyu groups occurred. The expansion of the Kikuyu, however, resulted in friction and eventually war, as land used for hunting was cleared for cultivation. Little is known about the fate of the Gumba after hostilities with the Kikuyu in the mid-nineteenth century. The Athi were forest dwellers who seem to have had a relationship with the Kikuyu similar to that of the Gumba. They were only partly assimilated by the Kikuyu, however, and groups of them still survive, mainly in Rift Valley Province. The Athi are important in Kikuyu history; it was they who, according to tradition, sold the heartland region of Kabete to the Kikuyu in exchange for cattle. The Bantu communities that eventually merged to form the Kamba appear to have been in the area of Mount Kilimanjaro about the fifteenth century, and they probably reached the Mbooni Hills, their ethnic heartland in present-day Machakos District, in the latter half of the seventeenth century. Initially hunters and gatherers, they turned to agriculture because of the fertility of the new territory. Population growth led to their expansion to areas less suitable for cultivation, including Kitui to the east, where they returned to hunting and readopted their earlier pastoralism. Kamba hunting groups discovered the value of ivory as a trade item, beginning the systematic exploitation of elephants and eventually forming two-way trade caravans to the coast. From the late eighteenth century their trade increased greatly, and activities were eventually extended over a wide area stretching north to the Tana River, south into present-day Tanzania, and west to the forests of Mount Kenya and Kikuyu country. At its peak in the mid-nineteenth century, Kamba trade was the mainstay of the prosperity of the coastal port of Mombasa, but other groups were by then beginning to contest their monopoly. Feuds among the Kamba clans also began to affect trading operations, as did efforts by peoples in the Kenya Highlands to exclude the Kamba from their territory-in part because the Kamba had turned to raiding for slaves. Depletion of elephants by the late nineteenth century had created a new problem, forcing Kamba hunters to go hundreds of miles for ivory. Moreover, a general state of unrest, which endangered caravan traffic, existed in the nyika, and caravans traveling safer routes farther south secured much of the interior trade. Kamba trade continued at a much reduced rate until competition from the Uganda railroad, which ran through their territory carrying goods between Mombasa and Kisumu, finally brought an end to well over a century of aggressive Kamba commercial activities. Bantu-speaking peoples had begun arriving in the Lake Victoria region of western Kenya by about the eleventh century. Sometime during the next few centuries, separate agricultural groups that later came to constitute the Luhya occupied the lakeshore. During the sixteenth century the pastoral Nilotic Luo pushed into the area north of Winam Bay from present-day Uganda, displacing the Luhya eastward. Settled agricultural practices appear to have been adopted by at least some Luo, but by the middle of the next century others were on the move southward along the shore of the lake, conquering new territory as they went. There they came against the Bantu Kisii (Gusii), who were also expanding into this part of Kenya. Territorial adjustments between these three peoples, as well as with Nilotic groups on their eastern fringes, often involved warfare and continued until the imposition of British control early in the twentieth century effectively brought an end to the forcible occupation of land by rival ethnic groups. The time of entry and dispersion of the ancestors of various other Nilotic peoples in modern Kenya is uncertain. The first groups must have begun their in-migration-from the general area of southwestern Ethiopia-in the early centuries of the second millennium, for the ancestors of the Kalenjin peoples, among them the Nandi, appear to have reached the Mount Elgon region before 1500. By the early seventeenth century Maasai pastoralists were pushing southward through the Rift Valley and are known from oral records to have been at the southern end of the Kenya section of the rift in the eighteenth century, becoming the dominant force in southwestern Kenya. Although weakened by internal warfare, the Maasai were so feared by neighboring groups that few dared challenge their control of the southern valley, plains areas, and surrounding plateaus. Among the latest major Nilotic arrivals were the Turkana pastoralists, who entered northwestern Kenya in the eighteenth century. The Kenya Coast The coast of East Africa was mentioned in Greek accounts written in the first and second centuries A.D., listing items of trade from the region that included ivory, tortoiseshell, and spices. Although archaeological evidence of sites dating from before the thirteenth century is lacking, references in medieval Arab documents indicate that Muslim traders had set up an outpost on Pate Island in the Lamu Archipelago some 500 years earlier and that other settlements founded along the coast by Arab and Persian (Shirazi) merchants probably date from the tenth and eleventh centuries. These towns, stretching from the Benadir Coast in Somalia to Sofala in Mozambique, became links in an extensive commercial network connecting East Africa with Southwest Asia and the Indies. Gold brought to the coast from the fields around Great Zimbabwe was shipped from Kilwa in present-day Tanzania, the most important of the Arab colonies. Those farther up the coast at Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu, and Pate in present-day Kenya exported slaves and ivory that had been exchanged by Africans from the interior for salt, cloth, beads, and metal goods. A trading expedition from China is recorded as having reached Malindi about 1417. Although the sultan of Kilwa exercised a loose hegemony over them, the larger Arab towns gradually developed as autonomous sultanates, competing fiercely for a larger share of the region's commerce. The fortunes of the sultanates rose and fell but, by the end of the fifteenth century, Malindi had established itself as the most prosperous trading center on the Kenyan coast, surpassing its rival, Mombasa. Migration of Arab families to East Africa continued, particularly from the Hadramaut in southern Arabia. Over time a distinctive Islamic culture resulted in the coastal region from intermarriage between indigenous Bantu-speaking Africans and Arab settlers. Physical and cultural integration were accompanied by the development of the Swahili (from the Arabic for "coastal") language, which came to serve as the lingua franca of the East African littoral as well as the mother tongue of the mixed population. The Portuguese Presence The navigator Vasco da Gama called at Mombasa and Malindi on his voyage to India in 1498, initiating 200 years of Portuguese influence along the East African coast. The sultanate of Malindi quickly established friendly relations with the newcomers and opened its port to their trade. Its rival, Mombasa, reacted with hostility to the Portuguese intrusion, however, and in 1505 the town was sacked by Francisco de Almeida, who commanded an expeditionary force that had occupied Kilwa and Sofala earlier that same year. When Mombasa became the center of Arab resistance in East Africa, the Portuguese carried out a second destructive attack on the town in 1529 with the assistance of Malindi, compelling its sultan to recognize the overlordship of the Portuguese crown and pay an annual tribute. Portuguese control in the region, exercised at a distance by the governor of Goa through allies such as the sultan of Malindi, remained tenuous during most of the sixteenth century. Resentment against foreign influence continued to fester, until in 1589 Mombasa renounced Portuguese suzerainty and accepted the protection of the Turkish corsair Mirale Bey and his fleet. A strong Portuguese flotilla, dispatched from Goa, captured the Turkish vessels and left Mombasa to be looted by the Zimba, a marauding band of African warriors who two years before had destroyed Kilwa. When the Zimba next turned against Malindi, however, they were defeated by the intervention of warriors from the neighboring Segeju tribe. The sultan of Malindi then employed the Segeju in taking Mombasa, moving his court there in 1592 and inviting his Portuguese friends to install a garrison. In order to strengthen their hold on that stretch of the East African coast, the Portuguese began construction of a massive defense works, Fort Jesus, at the entrance to Mombasa harbor in 1593. For close to four decades thereafter Portuguese dominance was unchallenged until, in 1631, they temporarily lost both the town and the fort to a disaffected Arab sultan. Although these were recaptured eight years later, the Portuguese were soon challenged by the growing power of the imam of Oman (southeastern Arabia) for control of the northern coast. (The imam derived his political authority from his office as religious leader.) In 1660 Mombasa was seized by Omani forces, although the Portuguese held Fort Jesus until 1699 when it fell after an epic three-year siege. An attempt by the Portuguese to regain the fort in 1728 failed. Not until the start of British antislaving activities in East Africa early in the next century was European influence reasserted in the region. Throughout their 200 years on the Kenyan coast, the Portuguese showed no interest in colonization. The chief concern of the handful of Portuguese in the coastal towns was trade, and the two centuries of their presence left no permanent marks other than a few words bequeathed to the Swahili language and such monuments as Fort Jesus. Indirectly, however, as elsewhere in East Africa, Portuguese influence had a far-reaching impact through the introduction of major food crops from the New World, in particular, maize, cassava, and potatoes. These became staples in much of the region and contributed to the growth of its population. The Omani Hegemony After the capture of Fort Jesus and the subsequent expulsion of the Portuguese from Zanzibar, the imam of Oman was able to claim suzerainty over the entire coast of East Africa. His authority there was largely nominal, however, and actual control lay in the hands of the Arab families who ruled the coastal towns. The strongest of these families was the Mazrui, who in 1727 had come to power in Mombasa. In 1741 the incumbent imam was overthrown in Oman and replaced by Said al Busaidi, who also took the secular title of sayyid (lord) and established a dynasty. The Mazrui took advantage of the change of rulers in Oman and renounced their allegiance to the imam, establishing at Mombasa an independent shaykhdom that eventually dominated much of the coast from Pate in the north to Pemba Island. In 1806 a strong figure of the Busaidi line, Said bin Sultan, became sayyid in Oman and set about to reassert Omani authority in East Africa. His rise to power coincided, however, with British efforts to curb the slave trade and combat piracy in the Persian Gulf, which caused Britain to exercise a dominating influence over the actions of Said and his successors throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. In 1823, for example, British representatives persuaded Said to consent to an agreement restricting his involvement in the slave trade to his own possessions. The treaty had little impact on the existing slave trade inasmuch as the main movement of slaves in the region ran through territory claimed by Oman or in its coastal waters, but it was intended rather to prevent the expansion of the trade to new markets. Of larger significance at the time was the treaty's recognition of Omani sovereignty from the Benadir Coast southward to Portuguese Mozambique. By 1824 Said's forces had ousted the Mazrui from the Lamu Archipelago and were poised to attack their stronghold at Mombasa. When the townspeople petitioned the captain of a British naval vessel to guarantee their security, the officer proclaimed a protectorate over Mombasa, considering it an opportunity to stop slaving through the port, although he lacked authorization for such an action. The British government repudiated the arrangement made in its name, as did the Mazrui, who claimed the town. Mombasa fell to the Omani in 1828, although Mazrui held out against them in Fort Jesus for another nine years. In 1840 Said moved his court from Oman to Zanzibar, where he assumed the title of sultan, but British influence followed him there. Zanzibar was the main entrepot for the slave trade along the East African coast, prompting the British to impose another treaty on Said in 1845 that limited the trading to the coastal area from Kilwa to Lamu. The trade in the unrestricted area continued to flourish, however. Reports of the horrors of the slave trade made by British naval officers and by European travelers shocked the British public and brought support for the permanent stationing of an antislaving patrol in the western Indian Ocean. British pressure was also increased on the sultan to agree to a further restriction of the trade. Gradually, concessions were made, and in 1873 the reigning sultan, Barghash, agreed to stop the sale of slaves and all slave shipments between ports in his domain. Movement of slaves continued overland behind the coast, but in 1877 the sultan ordered this halted as well. The entry of slave caravans from the interior to the coastal area was also prohibited. To enforce these decrees an armed force led by a British officer was recruited. The measures were far from popular, and in Kenya in 1880 Swahili slave traders at Mombasa attacked a British missionary-operated center for freed slaves, which the traders associated with the sultan's ban on slaving. Discontent over slaving restrictions continued on the Kenyan coast until the end of the century. Zanzibar became a center of legitimate trade as Said developed the clove industry on the island and actively encouraged trade from the interior. Kenya was largely bypassed-the main interior trade routes ran south of it-but Mombasa was reported to have been prosperous at mid-century, largely because of the ivory and other items collected in quantity by Kamba traders in the interior and directed to the port town. In the following decades elephants in the Kamba and other areas were hunted out, and caravan operations were also disrupted by tribal warfare. The decline in trade that resulted (and the rise of Zanzibar as a commercial center) brought an exodus of merchants and artisans from Mombasa that, together with British antislaving operations, reduced the town to comparatively minor importance. Mombasa did not recover from the decline until the early 1900s, after it had become the starting point for the construction of the railroad to Uganda. European activities on the mainland were confined largely to missionary work and exploration from the 1840s to near the end of the century, although a few trading concessions conducted limited operations at a number of coastal points. In Kenya the first Christian mission was established in 1846 near Mombasa by Johann Krapf and Johann Rebmann, Swiss serving with the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS). In 1862 Krapf, then associated with the Methodist Missionary Society, founded another mission also in the vicinity of Mombasa. Both missions conducted schools that were the first such Western institutions in Kenya. Efforts to extend mission activities to the interior were frustrated by the local hostilities that kept large areas unsettled. On the coast, after the banning of the slave trade in 1873, the CMS established a settlement for freed slaves at Frere Town outside Mombasa. But little else could be done because the indigenous Muslim population was strongly opposed to the teaching of Christianity and otherwise resentful of the missionaries, whom they considered leaders of the antislavery movement. In the years that followed, however, mission stations for freed slaves were also established by Roman Catholic and Scottish Presbyterian missionaries. Most of the Europeans-estimated to number 300 in the region by 1885-were involved in missionary work. [Add New] History of Kenya Edit This in 1963 kenya became independent. Imperial War Museum sound archive #30268. Key words: Kenya/Mau Mau/terrorism/freedom fighters/colonial rule/Mt Kenya White Highlands/Mt Kenya Crown Forest . The Imperial War Museum recently recorded my recollections of 18 months in the Mt Kenya forest back in 1955/56 as a 17-year-old fighting the Mau Mau gangs above Nanyuki, Meru and Embu. I had been farming at around 8,900 feet on the edge of that forest when the request came from the Kenya authorities to report more.. World66 rating: [rate it] email: tim.symonds@shevolution.com ______________Practical Information Edit This Trekkers Restaurant , is the best family entertainment concept in Mombasa consisting of an la carte menu restaurant specializing in sea foods and African dishes ; the best and only open air disco complete with a stunning showbiz performers stage and dance floor ; a Sports Bar complete with a 20x30 ft DSTV screen .( www.trekkersmsa.com) The setting is a surrounding natural jungle deco of a rehabilitated municipal dumpsite quarry with its natural relaxing ambiance, attractive cool lighting and the best music in Mombasa , resulting in a very romantic hideout for people looking for a get away. C atering standards are good. Tasty food too. Children enjoy the many outdoor game fixtures, an ice-cream/pop corn parlor and a large open air play area. Angela’s Salon offers international Cuisine in a cool quiet setting interrupted only by the clutter of cutlery and quiet music. For the young at heart there is Trekkers grill offering tasty Kenyan Dishes (Nyama choma!). Trekkers grill fronts the stunning show biz performers stage and dance floor; a Sports Bar complete with a 20 x 30 ft DSTV screen, attractive cool lighting and probably the best music in Mombasa. The theme not surprisingly is ,Good Food. Good Music. Great Place. Day or night a good place to eat and enjoy. tel no?. 020 2068504 0725 830171 Currency The local currency is the Kenyan Shilling (KES) ____________Getting Around Edit This photo Richard Bascom By Air: Kenya has about 250 airports (of vastly varying quality) and plenty of airlines connecting Nairobi with Mombasa, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Malindi, Lamu, and the national parks/reserves of Amboseli Masai Mara and Samburu. While many flights are heavily booked flying around Kenya during the high season, it is a relatively safe and relatively cheap way to cover a lot of ground. Always buy your tickets in advance. If you are going on a “safari” with an organized tour, the company will usually book your tickets to the national parks for you, and the price will be included in the total amount. By Rail: Kenyan Railways is a parastatal corporation, presently being privatized, which runs the trains, ferries and railway restaurants in Kenya. The train is a convienient, sometimes luxurious way to move, with comfortable beds and good meals, and is by far the safest - though slowest - way to travel on the ground. A passenger line runs inland from Mombasa to Nairobi and on to Kisumu. The Uganda passenger connection has been discontinued years ago. There are further passenger branch lines to Taveta, Nanyuki and Butere (Nyahururu was to be re-opened in 2005, but has been postponed). All trains are diesel powered, but special tourist steam excursions (Nairobi-Naivasha, and occasional other directions) take place every second Saturday of the month. Prior reservation is necessary, since the steam train will only be fired if there are enough bookings. There are three classes: First Class, which is the most expensive. You get your own bed and get good service, with free drinking water. Second Class is mostly the same, without all the pampering and free water, but still with a bed and meals. Third Class is very cheap, but passengers have only seats, if they are lucky enough to get one. The train is a good way to get to and from Mombasa from Nairobi, although it is slow and long waits and delays are expected. By Road (Public Transportation): Public Transportation is very extensive in Kenya, perhaps more so than many other African Countries. Some form or public transportation leaves every hour to major cities, and even several times daily to rural areas. There are several types of public transportation. These include buses, the train, and matatus. Matatu is the general name for smaller forms of public transportation, i.e., mini-buses, vans (called "Nissans"), or box matatus, which are simply a 2-wheel drive pick-up with a shell on the back. People are then crammed inside and you're off to your destination. Buses: Buses are comfortable, some what reliable, and fairly cheap. They are quite slow, however. Buses usually leave every morning from major cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret. Night buses are also available to some cities. Good bus companies will not overload their buses will not allow passengers to stand. The best, safest and most reliable bus companies are EasyBus (only Kakamega or Kisumu to Nairobi), Eldoret Express (the most, newest and quickest buses to western Kenya), Coast Bus (Mombasa to and from Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu and Kakamega, only nicght buses), Stallion Bus (Nairobi-Mombasa), Akamba (almost anywhere in east Africa, but it got so old and slow now), Kenya Bus Service (the public bus servis is very o.k., but oftly late) and Stagecoach (not everywhere). Buy your tickets in advance at the ticket office near the bus stage. Matatus: Matatus are by far the most common means of transportation in Kenya. Matatus leave from designated spots called stages. Passengers get seated, then the matatu leaves when it is full. Matatus can also be caught from the road. If one is passing, stick out your arm with your palm down. This is the sign you want to be picked up. If the vehicle is not full, the driver will pull over to let you in. There are at least two people that run every matatu: a driver and a tout, who is usually a young man dressed in the current fad. A driver's job is self explanatory, but the work of a tout needs a bit of explanation. First, his job is to get customers to enter his particular matatu. Some times there are several matatus to the same destination, so touts will "fight" over you. Some may even grab you luggage and force you to follow him to his matatu. Touts can be very aggressive and rude. Don't let a tout take your bag, and make your own decision about what vehicle to take. Touts are actually good guys if you get to know them. Try joking around and speaking a bit of Kiswahili with them. Once you befriend a tout, they are a valuable ally. In major stages, you pay for a ticket before you get on a matatu. It is common, however, to be asked for your money after the matatu is on its way. It's a good idea to ask the fair before entering the matatu. Ask other customers what they're paying. Some touts may try to cheat you! Of all the types of matatus, "Nissans", or mini-vans are the most comfortable and the fastest. Of course they are a bit more expensive than mini-buses or box-matatus, but worth the price for comfort. Since February 2004 there are strict rules forpublic traffic: seat belts for every seat, not more that 14 seats in a minibus and not more than 80 km/h. And police check! Goats and chickens are crammed into a matatu, the driver will always stop for more people and the tout will shove them in. This makes for unsafe conditions and slow progress, so check out for one with long distance travellers! Some other tips for traveling by public transportation: 1. Always try to have your luggage in view. 2. Keep your wallet in your front pocket, and remove all valuables. Pick pockets love to work in matatus, especially mini-buses. 3. Although it is tempting to sit it the front seat next to the driver because it is comfortable, try to resist. This is called the "death seat," since if there is an accident, it is the passengers in front that are usually killed. If you really want the flavor of Kenya, to experience it as only locals do, take at least one trip on a matatu. It can be very stressful, uncomfortable, and a security risk if you don’t be careful, therefore I do not suggest it for the mild-at-heart. For the adventurous tourist, however, it can be quite an experience and a lot of fun. By Car: If you're bringing your own vehicle to Kenya you should get a free three-month permit at the border on entry as long as you have a valid carnet de passage for it. Keep in mind there are certain routes in north-east Kenya where you must obtain police permission before setting out. Hiring a vehicle in Kenya (or at least the national parks) is a relatively expensive way to see the country but it does give you freedom of movement and is sometimes the only way of getting to the more remote reaches. Generally Kenyan roads are in good condition. Renting a vehicle is quite easy, but fairly expensive. Estimate just USD 80 a day for a corolla, 50 for an starlet, and up to $150 per day for a 4-wheel drive vehicle. There are many agencies in the major cities where you can rent vehicles. Best deal is to rent from internet. Only Budget has an permanent office at Nairobi Airport, so maybe you check out their rates. Hitch Hiking: Hitching, or “getting a lift” as it Kenyans call it, is relatively easy in Kenya, depending on your company and your location. Hitching has many advantages: It is safer to travel in a private vehicle, it is fast once you get a lift, and it can be fun to talk to locals that pick you up. If you are willing to try, here’s some pointers. Hitch hiking is safe, but always try to hitch in pairs! I have heard of many women hitching alone and together for over two years, and have not heard anything bad happen even once. I do, however, caution against a woman hitching alone. A pair of one man and one woman is your best bet to get picked up quickly. A pair of two women is just as good, if you’re comfortable. Two or more men together will have a difficult time getting a lift, due to Kenyans worried about security. To hitch hike, find a nice place on a major highway. Start as early as possible, say around 7:00 or 8:00 am, depending on how far you are from a major city where vehicles are leaving, heading your direction. Stand a few yards before a turn-out, so the vehicle has room to pull over after seeing you. Make sure you are clear of any matatu stopping point, or every one will stop for you. When a private vehicle approaches, stick out your arm, just like getting a matatu, but face your palm up instead of down. This means that you want a free lift. Most lifts are free, although sometimes a driver will ask for money. It’s up to you to decide how much you are willing to pay. More times than not, however, your driver will take you for free and buy you lunch. Good luck! By Sea: For the more maritimely minded sailing on a dhow along the East African coast is one of Kenya's most worthwhile and memorable travel experiences. Some of the most popular and most expensive dhow cruises leave from Nyali on the mainland opposite Mombasa Island. ____________International flights to Kenya from within Africa: Kenya Airways have flights within Africa from Nairobi to Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Bamako, Blantyre, Bujumbura, Cairo, Contonou, Comoros Island, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Douala, Entebbe, Freetown, Harare, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lilongwe, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Maputo, Mombasa, Lamu, Seychelles, Yaounde and Zanzibar. Europe: London, Amsterdam, Istanbul & Paris. Middles East & Asia: Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong & Guangzhou Kenya Airways co-operates with KLM & Air France and in Sep 2007 was made a Sky Team Associate whose members include Alitalia, Air france, KLM, Delta, NWA among others. Other flights to Nairobi: LAM Mozambique Airline from Maputo, Nampula & Pemba (-Mozambique). Air Kenya Aviation from Kilimanjaro Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa and Entebbe Precisionair from Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza and Zanzibar. (Co-operation with Kenya Airways) Uganda airways from Entebbe Daallo Airlines from Hargeisa and Mogadishu South African Airways/Delta Airlines from Johannesburg Air Madagascar from Antananarivo Air Mauritius from Mauritius Egyptair from Cairo Air Malawi from Blantyre and Lilongwe (co-operation with Kenya Airways) Air Zimbabwe from Harare Rwandair Express from Kigali (co-operation with Kenya Airways) Bristish Airways from Asmara, Djibouti, Harare, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Lilongwe and Lusaka To Mombasa: Precisionair from Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar (co-operation with Kenya Airways) Flights from outside Africa to Nairobi: Kenya Airways from Amsterdam, Bangkok, Dubai, Hongkong, London Mumbai and Paris. Emirates from Dubai Air India from Bombay British Airways from London Brussels Airlines from Brussels Corsair from Paris KLM from Amsterdam Swiss from Zürich To Mombasa: Corsair from Paris L.T.U. International from München Condor Flugdienst from Frankfurt Overland travel: Tanzania: There are buses to Nairobi from Dar es Salaam and Arusha, to Mombasa from Dar es Salaam and to Voi from Moshi. Uganda: Buses from Kampala. Ethiopia: Connection is possible at Moyale but security is poor on the Kenyan side. Overland travel from Sudan or Somalia should not be attempted. _______________Economy Edit This Economy—overview: Since 1993 the government of Kenya has implemented a program of economic liberalization and reform. Steps have included the removal of import licensing and price controls removal of foreign exchange controls fiscal and monetary restraint and reduction of the public sector through privatizing publicly owned companies and downsizing the civil service. With the support of the World Bank IMF and other donors these reforms have led to a turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's real GDP grew at 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996 and inflation remained under control. Growth slowed in 1997. Political violence damaged the tourist industry and the IMF allowed Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program to lapse due to the government's failure to enact reform conditions and to adequately address public sector corruption. Moreover El Nino rains destroyed crops and damaged an already crumbling infrastructure in 1997 and on into 1998. Long-term barriers to development include electricity shortages the government's continued and inefficient dominance of key sectors endemic corruption and the country's high population growth rate. GDP: purchasing power parity—$150,590(2004 est.) GDP—real growth rate: 34.2% (2004 est.) GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$5400 (2004 est.) GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 34% industry: 20% services: 46% (2004) Inflation rate—consumer price index: 8.8% (2004) Labor force: total: 8.78 million (2004 est.) by occupation: agriculture 75%-80% non-agriculture 20%-25% Unemployment rate: 54% urban (2004 est.) Budget: revenues: $1billion expenditures: $3 billion including capital expenditures of $638 million (FY96/97 est.) Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic furniture batteries textiles soap cigarettes flour) processing agricultural products; oil refining cement; tourism Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2004) Electricity—capacity: 808 000 kW (2004) Electricity—production: 2.47 billion kWh (2004) Electricity—consumption per capita: 134 kWh (2004) Agriculture—products: coffee tea corn wheat sugarcane fruit vegetables; dairy products beef pork poultry eggs rice beans cocoa Exports: total value: $2.1 billion (f.o.b. 2004) commodities: tea 18% coffee 15% petroleum products (2004) partners: Uganda 22.8% UK 20.1% Tanzania 19.1% Germany 14.0% Netherlands 7.6% US 6.1% Imports: total value: $2.9 billion (f.o.b. 1996) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 31% consumer goods 13% petroleum products 12% (1995) partners: UK 21.3% UAE 18% Japan 14% Germany US Debt—external: $7 billion (1994 est.) Economic aid: South Africa Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 1 dollar Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1—61.164 (January 1998) 58.732 (1997) 57.115 (1996) 51.430 (1995) 56.051 (1994) 58.001 (1993) Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June _______________Safety and Security Edit This Safety and Security: As in any country, there are a few safety and security issues in Kenya. Kenya is a poor country, and there are many people who are forced to make a living by illegal means. Normal Kenyan citizens are definitely targets, but rich, naive tourists are an even bigger temptation for thieves, pick pockets, and con artists. Crime is not so common in rural areas, but in big cities, especially Nairobi. By taking necessary precautions, however, the risks of a security incident can be reduced drastically. By decreasing the temptation for thieves, staying away from bad areas, and being aware and using common sense, you can have a safe trip. Luckily, violent crime is rare in Kenya, even in Nairobi. Violence exists, but thieves care only of a victim’s goods, and will not inflict harm unless necessary. An important part in eliminating the risk of being hurt is remembering this: Always try to never fight with a thief, or chase a mugger, although it may go against your instincts. There are many forms of prevention that can A prospective threat can sometimes be noticed before the incident. If you think you’re been followed or eyed by a suspicious person or people, duck into a shop and wait it out. If you make them aware that you are on to them, they will usually give up. Incidents can also be prevented by the way you act. Always act confident and look like you know where you’re going, even if you don’t. Stop in a shop to look at a map or ask directions. Another obvious form of prevention is never to show large amounts of money. Someone who pulls out a stack of 1000 shilling notes to pay for one item is asking to loose it all. Here are some other tips for having a safe trip. Theft: Your bags and valuables are at the most risk when you are on the move. Hotel rooms are usually safe, except for the cheaper brothels. If the hotel has a safe deposit box, use it for your most valuable possessions. When moving in between places, such as from the airport to the hotel, or from the hotel to the bus stage, using a taxi is your best bet. When in rough areas of Nairobi, remember to keep the doors locked and don’t open the windows. If you’re taking public transportation, try to keep your bags in view. Your bags are usually always safe in the boot of a bus, but I’ve heard of touts taking items from a bag on top of a bus. There are several measures you can take to eliminate the risk of loosing items while traveling. First, put small locks on your baggage. If you have a backpack, lock the main compartments. Losing the entire piece of luggage is very rare, so this deters thieves from rooting through your luggage. Also, never keep you valuables in your bags, but on your person, preferably next to your skin. Money belts or pouches around your neck or waist is your best bet, although not fool-proof by any means. As a general rule, never walk anywhere at night. Taxis are sometimes expensive, but the price is worth it. If you are forced to walk, stay in groups and pay a night guard on the street to escort you. Mugging: Of all of the security incidents I heard of in two and a half years in Kenya, most cases were mugging. In the vast majority of cases, the person lost only a small amount of money. Anyone can get mugged, but if you carry only essential items, and hide those items well, you won’t have much to fear from muggers. Preventing getting mugged or pick pocketed is simple: don’t carry anything you can’t bear to lose. Of course, it’s necessary to carry some items, such as money and a passport, but if those are well placed on your body, you should have no fear of loosing anything to muggers. Don’t go out with more money that you need, and keep the money you that do need split up in many places on your body. For example, keep a little money in your pocket for spending, some between your foot and sock, and the rest in your money belt. Never wear items of value, such as watches or other jewelry. Desperate thieves have been known to rip off earrings, so they definitely won’t hesitate to snatch a bracelet or necklace. Nice sports caps are hot items, and it is common for thieves to snatch a cap and run. It bad areas, sunglasses can even be grabbed. If you must carry a camera out when walking around a big city, put it in your small bag or purse, and only take it out when you take a picture. Being mugged or having items stolen is still possible after taking all these preventions. If are a victim of crime, I again encourage you to cut your losses and let the thief go. Some gangs will send one member to take an item, them after being chased by the victim, lead him or her into an alley where the rest of his friends await to take everything. Being chased also gives them reason to use violence. Be careful about yelling “thief” after being mugged. Mob justice is common in Kenya, and one assumed thief is killed by citizens in Nairobi every day. If thieves are caught, you’ll end up seeing him beaten, perhaps even killed. Think about if your $9.99 watch is worth it. Unfortunately, thieves are hardly ever caught by police, and it usually isn’t worth you time to report the incident unless it is required for theft insurance. Harassment: Harassment is the most common form of security risk. I include harassment because it can make travelers feel very uncomfortable and unsafe. Harassment ranges from being taunted to being touched inappropriately. When you’re laughed at, taunted or called names, the easiest thing to do is ignore it. Taking action is necessary, however, when being sexually harassed. Is is quite common for Kenyan men to make rude comments to women tourists. Even men are subjected to sexual harassment by prostitutes. There is no excuse for someone, either woman or man, making a sexual comment or touching someone inappropriately. All Kenyans know better, so let the harasser know his or her actions are not wanted, and don’t be polite. Others around you may come to your aid if you tell them. If the harasser is not embarrassed enough to stop at this point, leave the scene. If the person follows, ask the help of a guard or store owner. Con Artists: It’s quite common to run into someone in Nairobi who has a plan to separate some gullible tourist from his or her money. They take on the role of a political refugee and request money for their family. They’ll pretend like students collecting contribution for their schools. Men dress up as beggars, then, after you give them a coin or two, “plain clothed police” will tell you it’s illegal and ask for a “fine.” They come up with stories that they know you from somewhere are just need a little something for some petrol, then they’ll pay you back. They may even drop money, then after you return it, claim that you have taken some and threaten to tell the police. Con artists think of new stories every day, and it can be quite entertaining to listen to them. Use of common sense is your main weapon against confidence tricks. If you’re not sure whether to believe it, your surely right. Never give money to any stranger. Street Kids: Homeless are very common in Kenyan cities, especially young boys, some that can be very big boys. These boys band together in large groups and can make one feel unsafe even if they’re only begging for change. The best way to get rid of a single street kid, or a small group, is to ignore them and walk on. If they follow, it may help to tell them you have no money, or that you’ll give them something later. Giving money is hardly ever dangerous, but remember that giving money encourages more kids to work the streets and the money may be used to buy glue, which is sniffed by the boys to escape their harsh reality. If you must give something, buying homeless a meal is always a good way to lend a hand. Violent crime: Violent crime can be prevented by not resisting, chasing, or fighting thieves. Walking around at night, especially alone, increases your chances or violent crime. Fortunately, if you take these precautions and use common sense, you can almost completely eliminate all chance of being a victim of violent crime. __________Health Before setting off, you might want to check the illnesses described below that occur here. The information is from the CDC and should be pretty accurate, but if you really think you have something, go see a doctor. If you're not sure where to find good medical attention, check with a the nearest international hotel, they are usually in the know (though the facilities they refer to might charge you a little bit more) AIDS [more] Cholera Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O-group 1 or O-group 139. The infection is often mild and self-limited or subclinical. Patients with severe cases respond dramatically to simple fluid- and electrolyte-replacement therapy. Infection is acquired primarily by ingesting contaminated water or food; person-to-person transmission is rare. [more] Malaria Malaria in humans is caused by one of five protozoan species of the genus Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, or P. malariae. All species are transmitted by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Occasionally, transmission occurs by blood transfusion or congenitally from mother to fetus. Although malaria can be a fatal disease, illness and death from malaria are largely preventable. [more] Rabies A dangerous and possible deadly disease, can be contracted from a wild animal to a human w/ a single bite. Please when visiting do not touch animals that do not seem tamed. [more] Sleeping Sickness [more] Tuberculosis [more] Typhoid A very stong course of anti-biotics will wipe it out. After getting typhoid I was very weak for at least 3 months after the anti-biotic course. There is a vaccine that is good for three years. If you consume a large dose of typhoid there is a good chance of getting it regardless of the vaccine. [more] YELLOW FEVER Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease. Illness ranges in severity from an influenza-like syndrome to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever. Yellow fever is caused by a zoonotic virus that is maintained in nature by transmission between nonhuman primates and mosquito vectors. In some situations, humans may serve as the primary host in the transmission cycle (“urban yellow fever”). [more] a ids As a physician in Belize and had Dengue myself. Ibuprofen works well for the fever and aches, and, in my opinion, is not a risk for hemmorhagic fever (which has never been seen in Belize, as far as I know). [more] _________Things to do Edit This Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa Rolf [Add Activity] Bike The Coast Edit This Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa Tour with Bike the Coast, Mombasa photo by: Rolf Discover Africa off the beaten track with Bike the Coast: local people in their settlements and traditional African villages, palm- and mango-tree forests, different climate zones, fantastic views on Creeks and the Mombasa North Coast Area, bush along the Indian Ocean... Bike the Coast, Mombasa offers guided half day Bush-Tours on safe unpaved roads with no traffic. With the mountain-bike you come closer to the local life than with any other more.. type: Cycling World66 rating: [rate it] accessibility: by taxi or public transport tel: +254 722 87 37 38 url: BikeTheCoast.com address: near Mombasa Go-Kart email: info ät BikeTheCoast.com Wanjiru Edit This The Maralal Camel Derby held every August in Kenya. It is a race on the desert ship, the camel held in Maralal. type: Other World66 rating: [rate it] email: quandycane@yahoo.co.uk |
