Things to Do in Kenya

Somewhat of a rarity among Kenyan national parks, travelers are encouraged to hike and cycle around the 68.25 sq kilometer expanse, thanks to the lack of lions and cheetahs. Only 90 minutes' drive from Nairobi, the park offers a far less scary experience than its name suggests, with the chance to see zebras, giraffes, gazelles and antelopes.

Named after its inhabitants, the Maasai tribesmen, and the Mara river which runs through the park, the reserve is certainly the most famous in Kenya. Located within the Great Rift Valley, it's perhaps best known for the 'Great Migration', a massive annual movement of wildebeest, that is among nature's most remarkable spectacles.

Dedicated to the author of famed culture-shock novel Out of Africa, this museum near Nairobi resides in Blixen's former home. She lived in 'Mbogani' between 1917 and 1931, with her novel an unusual European account of life in Africa.

The tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world, Kilimanjaro looms over the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley at an exhausting 5,895 meters high. Though inactive, its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawensi and Shira give the peak a unique appearance.

At 68,000 sq kilometers, Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa, the second largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of surface area, and the largest tropical lake in the world. A major source of the Nile, Victoria also plays an important social role in Africa, with ferries a crucial means of transport between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.