Kenya's Amazing Landscapes
Kenya is home to a variety of landscapes: from mountains to lakes and from deserts to rain forests. Nature is of breathtaking beauty here.
Kenya is a beautiful country. Not only astonishing because of its wildlife, but also because of its amazingly diverse landscapes. In Kenya, you find deserts, rainforests, and everything in between. Below, we highlight a few landmarks that you shouldn’t miss!
East African Rift Valley
The East African Rift Valley is a tectonic rift that is in the very slow process of splitting the African continent in two. The rift starts in North Africa and goes via Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya to Tanzania and Mozambique. In Kenya, the Rift Valley goes from Lake Turkana south. Via Laikipia County, Aberdare National Park, Ol’ Pejeta Conservancy, Lake Nakuru National Park and Lake Naivasha it goes past the Masai Mara National Reserve straight into Tanzania. It creates an amazing landscape full of winding roads, calderas, dormant volcanos, hills, mountains, rainforests and multiple lakes. Famous are the alkaline lakes such as Lake Nakuru. Algae growing in the salty water attract thousands of flamingos every year. When planning your safari, make sure to include at least some of the parks in the Rift Valley. It makes for a great road trip!
Savannah
When you say Africa, you think savannah. Savannahs are famous because of the typical African animals that roam around here: elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and many others. Savannahs are enormous plains with long, brownish grasses and some trees and bushes scattered around.
The Masai Mara National Reserve is probably one of the most famous places in the world to find the savannah. But also Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park, Samburu National Reserve and Amboseli National Park are well-known for their savannahs and its inhabitants. The Big Five usually roam the savannah, and the Wildebeest Migration full of wildebeests and zebras also thunders over these grasses. In short, something to put on your bucket list!
Mountains and craters
Ironically Kenya’s most famous mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, actually lies on Tanzanian territory. But since it’s visible from several places in Kenya, it’s often mistaken for a Kenyan mountain. In fact, one of the best views on Kili you get from Kenya. From Amboseli National Park to be precise – which is probably why this mistake is commonly made.
Deserts
Kenya is home to two deserts. Nyiri can be found in the south of the country, while the Chalbi Desert lies in the north between the Ethiopian border and Lake Turkana. The Chalbi Desert is over 100,000 square kilometers in size, and temperatures can reach between 43 and 46 degrees Celsius.
A special destination for people with a little extra time.
