KENYA lies astride the equator and rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus at its center. Within the borders of a single country, you will find savannas rich with big game, timeless tribal cultures unchanged by the modern world, pristine beaches and coral reefs, equatorial forests and mighty snow-capped mountains, searing deserts and cool highland retreats.

Wildlife safaris have made Kenya famous for decades, and several Kenyan parks, such as the  Tsavo, Samburu and Amboseli are among the best places in Africa to see lions, elephants, leopards and of course  the famous wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara. In addition, Kenya rates as one of the top five bird-watching destinations in the world with over 1,000 species recorded.

Kenya also has an interestingly diverse population with around 40 different tribes, all with their own languages and cultures. Major tribes include the Kikuyu, the Luyia and the Luo, but the most famous are the tall, proud, beautiful red-clad Maasai, who still lead a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of cattle-herding along the southern border.

Kenya Highlights: Maasai Mara National Reserve, Tsavo, Samburu National Reserve, Amboseli National Park

The Maasai Mara National Reserve covers an area of 1,800 square km and is part of the Serengeti ecosystem that extends from northern Tanzania into southern Kenya. It is probably the most famous and most visited reserve in Kenya. It offers an extraordinary density of animals including the Big Five and many varieties of plains game. An impressive feature is the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle from the plains of the Serengeti that cross the Tanzanian border and rivers to reach the Mara’s lush grassland from late June, hunted by the predators: lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and circled by vultures as the journey unfolds.

The joint mass of Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks forms one of the largest National parks in the world and covers a massive 4% of Kenya’s total land area. Tsavo East the larger of the two, lies to the east of the Nairobi – Mombasa road, equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa. Its beautiful landscape and proximity to the coast make it a popular safari destination. Game includes elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, crocodile, waterbuck, kudu, gerenuk and zebra. Home to some of the largest herds in Kenya, the elephants glow red after dust baths, blowing the vivid red dust through their trunks over their bodies. Some 500 bird species have been recorded in the area, including ostrich and some migratory kestrels, while buzzards stop at Tsavo-East during their long flight south.

Tsavo West is located on south eastern Kenya, 240km from Nairobi along the western side of Mombasa-Nairobi highway. Major wildlife attractions include elephant, rhino, hippo, lion, cheetah, leopard, buffalo as well as diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near threatened Basra Reed Warbler.

Samburu National Reserve is situated on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River in the dry northern reaches of Kenya. It is a hot and arid area characterised by a parched landscape of hills and plains. The presence, however, of the river and its shady trees, attracts plenty of wildlife. Giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck and zebra (including the endangered Grevy's zebra) from the surrounding savannah plains trek to the water. Lion, leopard and cheetah are also quite easy to spot, thanks in part to the lack of grass cover.

Samburu is also home to large herds of elephants, and the reserve is well known for providing the opportunity to see wildlife that only lives in the dry north of Kenya. Be on the look out for gerenuks - these odd, yet distinguished looking, gazelle have long necks, and stand on their hind legs to feed. For birders, around 365 species have been recorded and the river area is particularly rewarding.

Amboseli National Park is located in Loitoktok District, Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The ecosystem is mainly savannah grassland spread across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants among other wildlife species. Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet the Maasai and spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.