Author: amazingarl

It’s worth the visit- Kenya

Vast savannahs peppered with immense herds of wildlife. Snow-capped equatorial mountains. Traditional peoples who bring soul and colour to the earth. Welcome to Kenya.

Stirring Landscapes

When you think of Africa, you’re probably thinking of Kenya. It’s the lone acacia silhouetted on the savannah against a horizon stretching into eternity. It’s the snow-capped mountain almost on the equator and within sight of harsh deserts. It’s the lush, palm-fringed coastline of the Indian Ocean, it’s the Great Rift Valley that once threatened to tear the continent asunder, and it’s the dense forests reminiscent of the continent’s heart. In short, Kenya is a country of epic landforms that stir our deepest longings for this very special continent.

Proud Peoples

Filling the country’s landscape, adding depth and resonance to Kenya’s age-old story, are some of Africa’s best-known peoples. The Maasai, the Samburu, the Turkana, the Swahili, the Kikuyu: these are the peoples whose histories and daily struggles tell the story of a country and of a continent – the struggle to maintain traditions as the modern world crowds in, the daily fight for survival in some of the harshest environments on earth, the ancient tension between those who farm and those who roam. Drawing near to these cultures could just be a highlight of your visit.

Abundant Wildlife

Kenya is the land of the Masai Mara, of wildebeest and zebras migrating in their millions with the great predators of Africa following in their wake, of endangered species like black rhinos managing to maintain their precarious foothold. But Kenya is also home to the red elephants of Tsavo, to Amboseli elephant families in the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro and to the massed millions of pink flamingos stepping daintily through lake shallows. Africa is the last great wilderness where these creatures survive. And Kenya is the perfect place to answer Africa’s call of the wild.

Conservation’s Home

The abundance of Kenya’s wildlife owes everything to one of Africa’s most innovative and successful conservation communities. Through some pretty tough love – Kenya pioneered using armed rangers to protect rhinos and elephants – Kenya stopped the emptying of its wilderness and brought its wildlife back from the brink after the poaching holocaust of the 1970s and 1980s. More than that, in places like Laikipia and the Masai Mara, private and community conservancies fuse tourism with community development and wildlife conservation to impressive effect. In other words, if you want your visit to make a difference, you’ve come to the right place.

Kenya Safaris

Home to the ‘big five’ game animals: lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard, Kenya arguably one of the best places to see the most impressive animals on the earth.

The Rift Valley

Stretching from Mozambique to the Dead Sea, this is one of the greatest valleys on earth. A 3,700-mile fault line it quite literally has everything, from beautiful lakes and stunning hills to soaring volcanoes. Lake Turkana, in the Northern Plains on the Rift Valley, is a 250-kilometre long freshwater lake and its dominance amongst the seven main lakes in the Rift Valley region is not something to be missed – it is the worlds permanent desert lake. But the Jade Sea is remote and getting there is just the tip of the adventure iceberg.

Best of the Rest

After spending part of your holiday in the all-action excitement of safari and the plains, you need some time to relax. Wherever you go on the Indian Ocean coast you will find a tropical paradise. Diani Beach tends to be the area for families while an active end to the holiday can be found at Malindi. Elsewhere, Lamu is incredible for Swahili culture ad if you’re still looking for wildlife then Watamu is a must-see.

Kenya deserves more than one visit – but for your first time, where will you start?

There is nothing like Australia

Australia and New Zealand’s medley of mountains, deserts, reefs, forests, beaches and multicultural cities are an eternal draw for travellers. Remote, beautiful and friendly, the Pacific islands’ white sands and clear waters are almost dreamlike in their perfection.

Islands & Beaches

The island nations of the Pacific are scattered across the map like flower petals, but one thing that unites them all is the ever present sound of the ocean. If you’re looking for the perfect beach you probably won’t find it: there’s one around every headland. The Pacific is not just about relaxing on palm-fringed white-sand beaches, you’ll also discover dramatic coastlines built for long walks where the wind and sea-spray are your only companions. 

Wildlife & Wild Nature

From up-close encounters with furry marsupials in Australia to the kaleidoscopic marine life of the Pacific, you will connect with a world here that you might otherwise only know through the narration of David Attenborough. While cities and resorts are dotted across the region the best feature is nature. You can swim with whale sharks in West Australia; hike through jungle to swim under a waterfall in Fiji; or be awed by snow-capped mountains and deep fiords of New Zealand.

Traditional cultures

The cultures of the Pacific islands have changed with the years but people still dress with modesty and live with a strong sense of respect for their elders and tradition. What some Pacific countries may lack in terms of luxuries they make up for in generosity. A night spent sharing food and song with a close-knit community will soon makes you realise that for every modern advantage in life there is often a trade-off in lost skills, knowledge, and kinship. Hospitality and hearty laughter is the local currency of the Pacific, so make like the locals and greet everyone with a nod or a smile in the street. 

Outdoor Adventure

New Zealand may be the capital of adventure sports where bungee jumping, zorbing and extreme skiing are just a few of the activities on offer, but the wider Pacific has plenty to offer those who want to test their mettle. There’s world-class surfing, snorkelling and diving but how about hiking to crumbling sacred statues in the jungle, swimming with whales, trekking to the top of a volcano, rappelling down a waterfall or kayaking to forgotten beaches? And in Australia and New Zealand you can undertake a long-distance walking trail (roughing it, or on a softer mattresses-and-sherpa-guides tour), as well as mountain-biking, rock-climbing and parachuting.

The Great Barrier Reef

Each year, more than 1.5 million visitors come to experience this World Heritage–listed area that stretches across 2000km of coastline. Diving and snorkelling are just some of the ways of experiencing this wonderfully rich ecosystem. There’s also sailing, scenic flights and a world of DIY options for exploring the reef’s gateway towns and stunning islands.

Do not forget to add Australia to your bucket list……

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