Major Tourists Attraction Areas In Coast,Nyanza, Rift Valley,Eastern,Central Kenya

Coastal Region Tourist Attractions Areas

Fort Jesus is a Portuguese fort built in 1593 designed by an Italian Architect and Engineer, Joao Batista Cairato. It is Mombasa's most popular tourist attraction. The fort, located along the coastline near the Old Town was built to secure the protection of Portuguese residing on the East Coast of Africa. Fort Jesus is a historic piece of architecture that has a museum that displays various remnants from the era when Mombasa served as a transit point for the slave trade and commodities. It also comprises of torture chambers and prison cells where slaves were contained before trade. Fort Jesus was declared a Museum in 1962 and is a significant historical moment for Kenya.

The Gedi Ruins are the remains of a Swahili town that thrived over 500 years ago. It is located in Gedi, near the coastal town of Malindi and was declared a Museum in 1948.

The Gedi town once had mosques, palaces, and large stone homes, and these buildings were quite refined during their day. Excavations were carried out between 1948 and 1958 that discovered porcelain from China, an Indian lamp, Venetian beads, Spanish scissors, and other interesting remnants that show evidence of international trade. It is not largely understood as to what caused the downfall of Gedi but a possible explanation was that a punitive expedition came from Mombasa against Malindi that forced the inhabitants to leave and by the 16th century, the city was abandoned.

Lamu Old Town is the oldest living town and a well preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. It is built in coral stone and mangrove timber and is set apart by minimalism of structural forms of architecture .Lamu has hosted major Muslim religious festivals since the 19th century, and in recent years, has played host to the annual Lamu Cultural Festival, which celebrates the unique Swahili heritage.

Lamus history dates back from the Portuguese invasion that began in 1506, which was encouraged by the nations thriving mission to have power over trade along the coast of the Indian Ocean. Driven by Turkish raids, Lamu led a revolution against the Portuguese, in the 1580s. By the 1652, Lamu was supported by Oman in order to triumph over Portuguese control. The years of the Omani rule was marked as Lamus golden age.

The Hindu Temple is located near the Railway Station in Mombasa .It is a popular tourist attraction and shows one of the many signs of Mombasa's cultural diversity. It showcases amazing idols and stone carvings from the numerous spiritual beliefs; the temple truly celebrates the Hindu heritage.

The Mombasa "Tusks" represents the entrance into the heart of the town and was built in 1952 to honor the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Mombasa. During that period, Ivory was seen as an exquisite commodity and the tusks were meant to be a sign of having embraced the Queen and the British realm. By chance, the tusks also spell the letter "M" for Mombasa.

The "Old Town" is reminiscent of the heavy influence that the Arabs had towards the culture, architecture, language and lifestyle of Mombasa. With historic buildings and antique art designs, it is popular place for Kenyan mementos.

Haller Park is the major animal sanctuary in Mombasa, situated near the Bamburi Cement Factory. The Park features a diversity of animals, reptiles, insects and botanical gardens. Due to limestone mining, the land was once stripped off all its resources and consequently became infertile.Haller Park was created to restore the fertility and biodiversity of this area through reforestation and preservation efforts .It is now a home to a vast number of flora and fauna.

Mamba Village is situated in Nyali and is considered as East Africa's largest crocodile farm. The all-inclusive tour of the farm showcases the life cycle and behavior of crocodiles. It also offers towards the end, an engaging highlight; a brilliant scene of blood-thirsty crocodiles fighting for food. Also available is the Restaurant that offers mouth watering international cuisine and also specializing in grilled crocodile meat.

The Vasco da Gamas Pillar is most famous monument in Malindi, situated on the seafront road near the jetty. The Pillar marks the last stop in Africa before Vasco da Gama sailed across the Indian Ocean to India in 1498, and is one of the oldest remaining monuments in Africa. It was built by the great Portuguese explorer, as a symbol of appreciation and respect for the generous welcome bestowed upon him by the Sultan of Malindi.

The Marafa is a geological irregularity located outside Malindi. It is also called  Hells Kitchen or Nyari"the place broken by itself" .With time, wind and rain have weathered a ridge of sandstone into a set of gorges. They way the light hits the exposed sandstone at sunset makes Marafa a magical place.

The Indian Ocean is home to some of the world's most magnificent marine life. And, because the coastal waters are warm all year round and offer excellent visibility the opportunities for diving and snorkeling, without a wetsuit and in shark-free waters, are superb. You can also obtain your diving certificates at one of the many excellent diving centres that offer professional training, kit rental and proficient guides.

The Indian Ocean offers some of the world's finest deep-water offshore fishing where marlin, sailfish, shark, swordfish, tuna and Wahoo abound off the coral reefs of Watamu, Malindi, and Mombasa. And should you be lured by the squeal of the reels, the thrills of ‘the chair' and the yank of 50-pounder on your line… then we can make it happen.

Central Region Major Tourists Attraction Areas

Hells Gate & Gorge

Hells Gate National Park is situated near Lake Naivasha, roughly 110 kilometers from Nairobi City. It is one of few parks in Kenya where hiking, camping and cycling is permitted.

Hells Gate National Park is renowned for its hot natural geysers, stunning cliffs and the "Hells Gate Gorge".

Several scenes from the film"Tomb Raider" starring Angelina Jolie was shot in the Hells Gate Gorge. Other attractions include; Fishers Tower, Njorowa Gorges and two extinct volcanoes, Olkaria and Hobleys. The vast wildlife roams freely around the park and mainly incudes herbivores (giraffe, buffalo & Zebras).

Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya was established in 1949 and is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. Mount Kenya is located in Central Kenya and is said to be one of a few places near the equator in Africa with permanent glaciers. The mountain is a vital source of water for a great deal of Kenya.

Mt.Kenya is said to be where the Kikuyu God Ngai resides. The name of the country is derived from the original name of Mt. Kenya, which was previously Mount Kirinyaga.

Nyanza Region Major Tourists Attraction Areas

Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world. The lake is very wide and shallow in comparison to other bodies of water. Lake Victoria borders Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya although international water travel between these countries is no longer viable. The lake brought about great interests from Europeans who considered a passable means along the Nile to the Mediterranean. Their efforts to reach Uganda across the lake were also the reason for the construction of the East African Railway.

Great Lake  & River Fishing

Serious fly-fishermen can also catch some of the gamest fish in the world in the lakes and rivers of East Africa .Lake Victoria, for instance, is Africa's largest freshwater lake and offers an abundant haul of fish whilst the legendary source of the Nile provides enthusiasts with the ultimate in alternative fishing venues

Rift Valley Region Major Tourists Attraction Areas

The Great Rift Valley

The Great Rift Valley was formed by the weakening of the earths crust, tearing itself apart forming an uneven gap, thousands of kilometers long, across the African continent. Consequently, the land on either side erupted forming huge volcanic mountains, whilst the valley floor slowly dropped into a low flat plain. The Great Rift Valley divides Kenya precisely down the lengthy of the country, basically separating east from west.

Uninhabitable desert and fertile farmland, flat arid plains and steep escarpments characterize today's Rift Valley.

Spectacular lakes found in the Rift Valley include Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria, Lake Baringo, Lake Elementaita and Lake Magadi .The lakes all have a somewhat different water composition varying from freshwater to extremely alkaline, highly saline to blackish. The waters in these lakes are highly concentrated sodium carbonate, consequently, an ideal breeding site for algae. Quite a few species of fish thrive in the surroundings. Therefore millions of birds flock to these soda lakes to indulge on the plentiful supply of algae and fish.

Koobi For a

Koobi Fora, an archaeological site, located in East Africa. More specifically, it's on the east side of Lake Turkana .Richard Leakey first excavated Koobi Fora in 1967. At this site, both Australopithecines and early Homo fossils have been found.

Richard Leakey uncovered approximately four hundred fossils at the Koobi For a. As a result, the site is known for having the richest and most varied human remains that have been found in the world. Surface prospecting made the first discoveries in the fossil beds at Koobi Fora-Today you can see the remains of a giant crocodile approximately 15 metres long.

Suswa Caves

Suswa is a magnificent extinct volcano in the Rift Valley, only about 50km from Nairobi .This huge double-cratered volcano is located very close to its well-known sister, Mt. Longonot. Suswa has a vast network of obsidian caves and an array of flora and fauna. The main attraction is the volcanic caves that are located on the edge of the outer crater. They comprise of lava tube systems, which were produced in a period of volcanic activity. Lava tubes are comparatively uncommon, and are formed when molten lava, have the right type and thickness flow down a slope at an ideal angle. The outer layers cool and harden, but the center remains liquid and flowing, and in rare cases, evacuate itself completely leaving behind an empty tube.

Eastern Region Major Toursits Attraction Areas

Leviathan-Chyulu Hills

Leviathan caves are sometimes called the world's longest lava tubes. They have their own features like lava ropes and benches, stalactites and stalagmites produced by different minerals dissolved in the ground waters. The openings of the caves are actually collapsed holes in the tubes, have distinctive vegetation and a constant temperature.

The caves are not dangerous, however, they are wild caves and guests should be cautious. The floor can be rough and there is always some climbing involved.