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Kenya Biography

Kenya lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. It is a medium-sized country by continental standards, covering an area of about 586,600km sq. Inland waters cover some 10,700km sq, the bulk of this in Lakes Victoria and Turkana.

The landscape of Kenya is divided into two halves. The eastern half slopes gently to the coral-backed seashore, and the western half rises abruptly through a series of hills and plateaus to the Eastern Rift Valley. West of the Rift is a westward-sloping plateau and the lowest part is covered by Lake Victoria.

The snow-capped peak of Mount Kenya (5,199m) is the country’s highest point, making it the second highest mountain in Africa.

The coastline extends some 536km from the Tanzanian border in the southeast, to the Somali border in the northeast.

The main rivers are the Athi/Galana and the Tana. The major lakes are Lake Victoria, Baringo, Turkana, Naivasha, Jipe, Magadi, Nakuru, Bogoria and Elementeita.

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Kenya

History and Background

Kenya is revered by anthropologists as the ‘cradle of humanity’. It has the globe’s most magnificent wildlife parks, unsullied beaches, thriving coral reefs, memorable mountain escarpments and ancient Swahili cities.

The Swahili word safari literally means journey. It wouldn’t mean much to most people if it wasn’t for this East African adventure land which is known for the annual mass migration of wildebeests in the Masai Mara!

Kenya’s history dates back six million years, when ‘Millennium Man’ first walked the Tugen Hills and began his long journey back to the stars. With an evolutionary record stretching back 25 million years, Kenya is the motherland of mankind. It is the adopted home of over 40 different ethnic migrant groups who wandered here from Ethiopia, the Nile and the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. After that came the formation of the various language groups who developed their own religions, traditions, governments and ruling systems in which they dictated their way of life, managing to keep alive their trade and occupations.

After this period the white settlers arrived, followed by the fight for liberation, which gave birth to the Mau Mau freedom fighters and the rise of the Kenyan heroes.

In recent history, Kenya gained independence in 1963 with Kenyatta becoming Kenya’s first president. When Kenyatta died in 1978, Daniel Arap Moi became President, and in the democratic multiparty elections in 1992 and 1997 he was re-elected. The current president Uhuru Mugai Kenyatta is a Kenyan politician and the 4th president of the Republic of Kenya.

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Adventures in Kenya

Pick from a wide range of adventures to suit all

Sanctuary Olonana

Sanctuary Olonana - the award winning tented camp situated on a private stretch of the Mara River in the Maasai Mara – located in the heart of Kenya’s big game…
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Governors’ Private Camp

Governors’’ Camp is located on the banks of the Mara River in the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Governors’ Camp has been a pioneer of safaris in Africa for 30 years.…
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Tawi Lodge

Located in a private conservancy and bordering Amboseli National Park, Tawi Lodge is ideally located, facing Mount Kilimanjaro. Environmentally friendly, this new boutique hotel is perfectly integrated with its outdoor…
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Msambweni Beach House and Private Villas

Msambweni Beach is located on the South Coast, 50 miles South of Mombasa and 20 miles from the border of Tanzania. Msambweni Beach House & Private Villas are situated in…
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8th Wonder of the World

The Annual Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya is one of the greatest natural spectacles in the world, the annual movement of massive herds…
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Sabuk Lodge

Sabuk Lodge is situated in Laikipia - central Kenya, perched on a cliff overlooking the Ewaso Nyiro River, which cascades beneath the lodge all year round. Sabuk, which remains a…
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'We recommend their bespoke safaris and services'

We decided to go on Safari with Africabound Adventures, the service provided was excellent! Sylvia took care of all our holiday planning by listening to our queries and put all our anxieties at ease - addressing and meeting all our expectations. Her passion, close links and expertise of Zambia and the region prompted us to book with Africabound Adventures. This one-to-one personalised service was second to none! We had a superb holiday, visiting the 4 recommended National Parks! The lodges were great - of a consistently high standard and comfortable, particularly Lion Camp in the South Luangwa. The game viewing lived up to expectations! The food was great and the people warm and friendly. Thank you Sylvia, for all your efforts towards arranging and delivering a memorable and enjoyable safari with passion, energy and expertise.

Anne and Steve

Zambia

'The lodge was great!'

We had a great time in Livingstone. The lodge was great - you need to have a love for nature to stay here. The rooms were quite open, overlooking the river therefore you were likely to get a few wasps, bugs etc. fly into your room. However the mosquito netting over the beds avoided one being bitten at night. The manager at the lodge was helpful – however I would recommend that anyone who travels to the Victoria Falls should book their activities directly from the individual activity centres. Other than that had we had great time!

Shreya and Family

Zambia

'It was absolutely wonderful!'

We travelled to three separate locations, staying in four beautiful venues; initially in Zambia at Sindabezi and Tongabezi, then moving onto Mfuwe for a stay at Nkwali Lodge - the safari part of our holiday and finally flying to Malawi and the paradise which is Kaya Mawa on Likoma Island. We can neither praise nor thank Sylvia enough for all the care and attention she gave us. As an example, whilst in Zambia we discovered on New Year’s Eve that we’d left one of our internal flight e-tickets at home. We phoned Sylvia in a panic and by the time we’d reached our next destination, our onward bound ticket was waiting for us at the reception. Not a service which would have been available from a high street tour operator I suspect! Tim had wanted to give me a trip of a lifetime and thanks to Sylvia he was able to do so. We will never forget our time in Africa and can’t wait to return. Thank you again Sylvia – it was absolutely wonderful!

Tim & Jo

Zambia & Malawi

'We can’t wait to go again!'

This was our first trip to Southern Africa and our first safari and we can't wait to go again. From the outset Sylvia was incredibly helpful understanding exactly what we wanted from the trip and using her vast local knowledge and experience to tailor the holiday perfectly. The choice is overwhelming and having the benefit of someone to guide you through the options and suggest places to stay and visit was such a help. Sylvia also worked closely with a travel agent to match the internal and international flights to the places we wanted to stay and maximise the time available on our trip. Having all the transfers arranged by Sylvia also took a lot of hassle out of moving between locations. The trip was amazing from the hospitality and drives around the reserve at Tanda Tula, getting up close to wonderful wildlife to the incredible welcome at the stunning River Club in Zambia and a walking safari with rhinos. I would totally recommend using Sylvia and Africabound Adventures to organise your holiday.

David Owen

South Africa & Zambia

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