Nine of the best things to do in Kenya

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If you’re heading to Kenya, you’re probably going on safari. That’s what Kenya is most famous for. And quite rightly too, with simply magical national parks and reserves including the Maasai Mara, Tsavo East and Amboseli. But what’s not so commonly known is that there are a huge number of things to do in Kenya other than safaris. In detailing my personal pick of the best things to do in Kenya, I can’t fail to mention its wildlife. However, I’ll also take you on a whirlwind trip to beaches, mountains and buzzing cities.

1. Take the safari of a lifetime in the Maasai Mara

The Kenyan tourist board makes a lot of its wildlife. And it’s no idle boast. I could tell you there are 23 national parks and a further 28 national reserves covering around 8% of the country. Or I can simply tell you their names. It’s probable you’ve already heard of the likes of Tsavo, Amboseli, Samburu and of course, the Maasai Mara.

The Mara remains the first Kenyan safari destination suggested by most travel agents and guides. However, from a sustainability and animal welfare point of view, it’s well worth considering visiting either alternative parks, or travelling during the off season.

The doyen of the east African safari scene, the Maasai Mara is one of the best places to see the Big Five. Together with the adjoining Serengeti, it’s also the only place to see the Great Wildebeest Migration.

Safaris remain one of the best things about Kenya. The landscapes they marry you to are varied, the wildlife spectacular and the sense of reconnection with nature unmissable.

2. Uncover the medieval heart of Mombasa

Mombasa gets mixed reviews. For some, it’s little more than a large commercial port with a ferry so rife with pickpockets there are actually signs warning of the dangers. As a white man, I was told to stay inside the minibus I was travelling in – the only passenger allowed to do so. (If you’re worried about safety in Kenya, I’ve got a guide for that too.)

For others, myself included, Mombasa does a great job leading visitors into the history of the Kenyan coast. Here a multitude of city states were ruled by kings and sultans, peaking in the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries (or there abouts).

It’s the east of this road-linked island where you’ll want to head as a visitor. This is where you’ll find the winding alleyways of Mombasa’s medieval street layout. It’s still largely unaffected by the tourist industry, aside from a handful of souvenir stalls leading to Fort Jesus too.

When it comes to things to do in Mombasa, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s Fort Jesus or bust. First built by the Portuguese in the 1590s, it sits on the channel leading to Tudor Creek. As a relic from another age, it’s absolutely fascinating, and contains sixteenth-century graffiti unearthed during restoration work.

Arguably better known are the crossing tusks monument, Pembe Za Ndovu (meaning Elephant Tusks), which were constructed to honour state visits by the British royal family in the 1950s and span Moi Avenue. Both are big ticket items, alongside Haller Park Game Sanctuary, guided tours around Mombasa.

3. Summit Africa’s second-highest peak

Those looking to bag Africa’s highest mountain need to head south to Tanzania. Legend has it Queen Victoria gifted Mount Kilimanjaro to her cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II, when the boundary between the two countries was being formalized.

Frankly though, Mount Kenya, less than 700 metres lower, is an altogether better climb in my opinion. Its lower slopes encompass forest hiding everything from monkey to elephant and leopard. Meanwhile, the zone beyond the tree line is a completely different world, where hyrax scurry about the rocks, and snow and ice lingers year round despite the mountain’s equatorial location.

Although a tougher climb, a secondary benefit is that Mount Kenya is far less crowded than Kilimanjaro. Around half the number of people climb it each year. At 4,985 metres above sea level, Point Lenana requires no rope skills. It’s the finishing point for most climbs, ignoring the need to return.

There’s also the choice of eight different walking routes. The Sirimon and Chogoria routes are the most popular and easiest to organize as a result. Don’t forget to also check out the best time to visit Kenya for optimum hiking conditions.

4. Use Kisumu as your gateway to Lake Victoria

Situated on the shoreline of Lake Victoria, on a large bay pushing inland from the lake’s main body of water, Kisumu has a very different vibe to Mombasa. A thriving hub of commerce in its downtown area, its lakeside suburbs have a much more relaxed vibe.

Nowhere typifies Kisumu’s tranquil-at-heart atmosphere better than Hippo Point. Yes, hippos do occasionally visit (so stay away from the water’s edge). But Hippo Point is actually now the preferred site for taking in Kisumu’s sunsets. On a dry season day with clear skies, they are a blaze of colour.

Elsewhere, Kisumu Museum takes the form of a Luo homestead. The traditional guardians of this part of Kenya, the homestead comes complete with granary, livestock enclosure and individual huts for the patriarch, his (multiple) wives and children.

Beyond the ethnographic exhibits, Kisumu Museum has a pavilion housing pre-historic African rock art, another with a natural history display of stuffed animals, and others with an aquarium and vivarium full of snakes.

5. Hit the streets of Nairobi

One upon a time, in the not-too-distant past, Nairobi was to be avoided at all costs. Not so any longer. Although rough around the edges (in areas of no interest to most tourists), the heart of the Kenyan capital has developed an ambience all of its own.

In my mind, Nairobi’s centre equates with the area from Uhuru Park in the west and August 7th Memorial Park in the east, Kenyatta Avenue to the north and Haile Selassie Avenue to the south. Within this area it’s pretty safe to wander during daylight hours, when there are no shortage of suited Kenyans going about their business.

Uhuru Park is one of the best places in Nairobi for a picnic lunch, as demonstrated by how busy it gets at midday. The August 7th Memorial Park is equally pleasant, and contains a museum detailing the events leading to the bombing of the US Embassy on the site in 1998.

Using the circular tower of the Kenyatta International Conference Centre as a guide, other things to do in Nairobi include Nairobi Gallery, the national Parliament Building, modernist Catholic basilica, and mausoleum of Jomo Kenyatta, the country’s first independence president. For souvenirs, there’s the indoor Maasai Market on the corner of City Hall Way and Taifa Road.

To experience the area like a local, check out this great tour run by former street children.

Further afield, the National Museum of Kenya delves deep into human evolution, with many of anthropologies most important finds discovered in the country. And if you just haven’t got enough of the country’s wildlife yet, there’s Nairobi National Park.

Spanning almost 120 square kilometres across the south of the city, it has an impressive array of species, including lion and black rhino. The only noticeable absentees are elephants, while half-day tours generally cost under £50.

6. Soak up the sun on Watamu Beach

There’s an awful lot of competition for the most beautiful thing in Kenya, with Watamu Beach surely up there with the best of them. Imagine an Indian Ocean beach, and you’re probably picturing something nearly identical to Watamu’s reality.

At Watamu, white sand so bright it can dazzle the eye meets shallow waters so blue they look like they’ve had filters added. Often combined with a safari, the snorkelling and scuba diving is world-renowned, with 600 fish and over 100 species of stony coral in attendance. Just try to forget that the world’s largest species of spitting cobra was discovered here – in 2007.

The town itself have plenty of places to eat and drink, with a distinctly Mediterranean flavour thanks to a large Italian expat community. There are places to stay for both the backpacker and higher-end market, while Malindi around 15 kilometres north is best for those who prefer a resort feel.

7. Make the day trip to Lake Nakuru

It’s unusual for the best things to do in Kenya to be achievable as a day trip due to the size of the country. Kenya is over twice the size of the UK. But Lake Nakuru, at around 140 kilometres north of Nairobi, can be visited from the capital in a day with relative ease.

Read the blogs of people who write about Kenya without having actually visited, and you’ll likely read that Lake Nakuru is known for its vast populations of flamingo. And it was. Once.

Nowadays, changing water levels in the lake have diluted the alkalinity of its waters. If you know anything about flamingo, it’s that they love it alkaline. There’s still plenty of bird life, just not of the pink-hued and spindle-legged variety.

On the other hand, Lake Nakuru has a decent population of both black and white rhinos, alongside lions, leopards, and Rothchild’s giraffe. If you’re dead set on flamingos, I’d suggest Lake Natron on the Kenya/Tanzania border instead.

8. Absorb Lamu’s unique culture

Lamu Town reminds me a little of Stonetown, Zanzibar. It was not only similarly founded as a Swahili settlement in the Middle Ages, but is far enough from major government offices to feel like a different country entirely.

Kenya’s longest-continuously inhabited town, Lamu is also richer than it first appears. There’s admirable architecture, and a fishing culture seemingly undaunted by the coming of twenty-first century. There’s spice markets and two hundred year old mosques, and donkeys remain the main mode of transport.

There’s also Lamu Fort. First though, make a detour to Lamu Museum, where displays take a deep dive into the region’s culture, from carved wooden doors to jewellery. Located within the former home of some of Lamu’s most important citizens, the building itself also demonstrates just how sophisticated this part of Africa was before the arrival of Europeans.

The same can be said for Lamu Fort, constructed on the orders of Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr, better known as the Sultan of Pate, and finished in 1820.

9. Gaze at Mount Kilimanjaro from Amboseli National Park

I end my pick of the best things to do in Kenya back in the country’s great open spaces, this time in Amboseli National Park. Although small, this national park never fails to impress, meaning single day tours often become three-day affairs.

Acacia trees stud the low grass plains in time honoured tradition as Amboseli’s most famous residents – its elephants – amble nearby. Indeed, Amboseli is known for just how close visitors can get to these icons of Africa.

The setting is no less alluring, since the bulk of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro stands watch over all that goes on. This includes the flight of around 400 species of bird, more than 10% raptors, the stalking of lions, and the fights that invariable result when spotted hyena sense a kill.

The best things to do in Kenya

You’ve probably already worked out I’ve got a penchant for museums. Africa isn’t always the best place to take in an exhibition, but Kenya certainly has its fair share of spaces worth stopping by. At the same time, it’s outdoor activities in Kenya that will dominate most trips. How could it be otherwise when the best things to do in Kenya include heartwarming safaris, epic mountain hikes, and idyllic beach stays?