Kenya
Area: 583,000 sq kms 
Population 30 million
Capital: Nairobi  

Nairobi:
Kenya's capital is a busy cosmopolitan city, the largest between Cairo and Johannesburg. It is relatively easy to find a variety of airlines that fly here from various parts of the world. Connecting to nearby Tanzania and Uganda is also an option that is very popular among visitors to East Africa.
Among places to visit whilst in Nairobi are the Kenya International Conference Centre, offering wonderful views over Nairobi; the Bomas of Kenya - a cultural centre at Langata and near Nairobi National Park - home to the country's largest population of black rhino and sporting a wetland with over 550 species of birdlife and all manner of flora and fauna in the shadows of Nairobi's skyscrapers.
Other places to visit are the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a sanctuary for orphaned black rhino and elephant; the Langata Giraffe Centre and Giraffe Manor, where children in particular find it entertaining to feed the Rothschild giraffes; the Karen Blixen Museum, and the Carnivore - voted one of the world's best restaurants where a huge barbeque of farmed game meats such as crocodile, zebra and hartebeest are served along with other more common meats and poultry.
Nairobi is the base for many of Kenya's safari destinations as well as being an interesting destination in its own right, or a stopover for connections to Tanzania or Uganda. 

Kenyan Safari Destinations:

Amboseli
Lying in the shadow of the Great Kilimanjaro, Amboseli National Park is the ideal place to view this majestic mountain. The snow clad peak of this mighty mountain gives rise to porous volcanic material which forms the bed rock of the Amboseli, from which rain and snow drain into the numerous rivers and springs which surface in this national park.  Amboseli has abundant swamps and marshes the Engoko Narok and Olokenya permanent swamps - where the great big herds of elephant and hippo enjoy a good soak.  The park is one of the smaller parks covering an area of 392 sq kms and is approx 2 hours drive from Nairobi, and 45 minutes to the border with Tanzania at Namanga, enabling one to extend the safari experience into Tanzania.
                                                   

Maasai Mara
With an area of about a tenth the size of the Serengeti, the rich grasslands of the Mara are home to a host of animals including the migratory wildebeest who make their way from Tanzania's Serengeti during the dry season. This is dubbed the Greatest Show on Earth - and the migration can be witnessed in the Mara between August and November, depending on the rainy season.
Apart from the migration, the Mara has a host of other interesting wildlife including lions, leopards and cheetah made famous by the Big Cat Diary and the infamous Mara River, where hundreds of wildebeest perish at the jaws of huge crocodiles.
The Maasai Mara comprises an area of 1510 sq kms and is a 5-7 hour drive from Nairobi. The more comfortable way to travel would be to fly in light aircraft from the Nairobi Wilson airport.

Sambura
Set in a harsh yet stunning landscape, the Samburu is dry most of the year, typical of the arid northern part of Kenya.  The uncommon Gerenuk, or giraffe-necked gazelle, as well as the finely patterned reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx and Grevy's zebra are the elegant animals found in this park, preferring the dry lands.
Samburu is 235 sq kms and its landscape comprises tall dome palms and patches of forest among the dry lands.

Tsavo
This park is the largest in Kenya and is actually divided into two parts - Tsavo East which covers an area of 11,747 sq kms, and Tsavo West which is 9065 sq kms. 
Home of the infamous Tsavo man-eating lions, the Tsavo is the park through which the Uganda Railway was built in the 1890's.
Tsavo is famous for its vast herds of elephants, antelopes, hippos, crocodiles and lions. There are two permanent rivers, Tsavo and Athi, and other interesting sites to visit are the Lugard Falls on Galana River and Mzima Springs with an underwater viewing hide where one can watch the hippo, crocodile and fish swim past. The Yatta Plateau is the world's longest lava flow emanating from Kilimanjaro, and this dominates the eastern part of the park.

Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha
The Lake Nakuru national park covers an area of 180 sq kms and is one of the most visited reserves in Kenya after the Maasai Mara. The main attraction of this park is the soda lake to which thousands of flamingo can be observed forming a pink blanket - an ornithologist's haven. White and black rhino, that were introduced here a few years ago, may also be seen here along with antelope, buffalo, hippo, warthogs, baboons, hyrax and birds of prey. Besides its spectacular birdlife, Lake Nakuru is a sanctuary to some rare species such as the Rothschild giraffe and white rhino. A huge forest of euphorbia amongst which leopard like to lurk surrounds the lake.
Lake Naivasha is a fresh water lake where flamingo habitat to quench their thirst after their highly specialised diet of algae in the soda waters of Lake Nakuru. The lake itself is not as spectacular as its surrounding area and many visitors to the area tend to visit the Hell's Gate National Park which has more to offer in terms of trekking and walking, with views of gorges and volcanic columns.

Hell's Gate National Park
This aptly named national park is located in the Great Rift Valley about 15 km from Lake Naivasha, and is home to a variety of bird and animal life including zebras, gazelle, baboons and the occasional cheetah, leopard and ostrich. Birds of prey such as the rare Lammergeyer raptor are being introduced. Once entering the park through the main Elsa Gate, the road takes you past Fischer's Tower, a 25m high column of volcanic rock and through a steep sided gorge close to Central Tower, a much larger column of volcanic rock. There are opportunities for walks and treks. The park also houses the Ol Karia Geothermal Station, a power project utilising steam from the earth's geothermal source.

Mt. Kenya
Mt Kenya is Kenya's highest mountain standing at 17,058 ft (5199m).  The mountain has a base diameter of 120 kms and the park surrounding it is 715 sq kms. The slopes of the moutain have an immense diversity of flora and fauna, and are the one place one can spot the shy bongo, a beautiful antelope with ivory tipped horns, a species uncommon in the wild, and now successfully bred in the sanctuary of Mt Kenya.
Mt Kenya can be scaled along various routes. The Naro Moru is the most straightforward and popular of all the routes. The trek takes a minimum of 4 days to the summit of Point Lenana - Mt Kenya's third highest peak. (The highest peaks of Batian and Nelion can only be reached by experienced mountaineers with technical skills).  The next most popular route is the Sirimon Route, which has more spectacular scenery, and offers better acclimatisation with gentler rate of ascent - a five-day trek would be just right. Another popular route is the Chogoria, route but the main disadvantage here is the long drive to the start of the trek at the park gate.

The Aberdare
The Aberdare mountain range lies in the central highlands of Kenya and comprises the Kinangop Plateau in the south, which is a 60km stretch of moorland, peaks and forest, and the Salient, which is an outcrop of dense rainforest to the east. Rain is imminent at any time.  The park has a variety of flora and fauna seldom found elsewhere. Elephant and buffalo as well as black rhino, bongo antelope, serval and the elusive black leopard can also be found here. There are a number of spectacular waterfalls including the Karura Falls and the Gura Falls - the latter drops 300m into thick forest and is the more difficult to get to. 

Meru National Park
This is one of the most geographically diverse parks in Kenya and unfortunately due to poaching, elephant and rhino numbers have dwindled since the 1970s. The marshy Bisanadi Plains has a number of elephant, lion and cheetah as well as lesser kudu, eland, Oryx, buffalo, reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra and a plethora of bird species. The park is less visited than the others and is tranquil.

 

Sweetwaters Game Reserve
This is a 90 sq km private reserve housing an important chimpanzee sanctuary and a dedicated black rhino breeding area. 

Kenyan Coastal Destinations:

Mombasa
This is the largest city on the Kenyan coast and the largest port in East Africa. The most interesting part of Mombasa is the Old Town with its historical winding alleyways and Swahili and Arabic style houses to the ruins of the Portuguese Fort Jesus. The Mombasa Yacht and Golf Clubs offer day membership for use of the facilities. Luxury dhow cruises around the harbour are popular and an excellent way to see the harbour, Old Town and Fort Jesus with a delicious meal at the end. There is a string of superb beaches with the famous Diani Beach, which houses the bigger resorts.

Lamu
This is perhaps the highlight of the Kenyan coast - an ancient historical Swahili town dating back to the late 14^th Century, with a sleepy, laid-back traditional way of life stemming from Arabic influences.  Only Zanzibar in Tanzania can rival its rich feast of Swahili culture and traditional architecture.The best beach around Lamu is the Shela Beach and the waters around it is good for windsurfing. Across the channel between Lamu and Manda Islands, is the Manda Beach, with fine white sand.

Malindi
This is a historic Swahili township with an array of glorious beaches.
The Malindi Marine National Park covers 213 sq kms and has some impressive coral reefs. Snorkelling and trips on glass-bottomed boats can be arranged.