Kenya

This is the Central Highlands & Laikipia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guidebook.

The Central Highlands are the spiritual heartland of Kenya’s largest tribe, the Kikuyu. This is the land the Mau Mau fought for, that the colonists coveted and whose natural, cyclical patterns define the lives of the country’s largest rural population.

• hold a frozen Kenyan flag in your frozen hands atop the frozen summit of Point Lenana on Mt Kenya, 16km from the equator
• maps
• do a David Attenborough with an orphaned rhino then gett up close and personal with its wild cousins in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
• transport
• spend an evening in Ol Pejeta Conservancy learning how to track lions
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Aberdares, Nyeri, Aberdare National Park, Laikipia, Solio Game Reserve, Nyahururu (Thomson’s Falls), Nanyuki, Segera Ranch, Ol Pejeta Con-servancy, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, Borana Conservancy, Lekurruki Community Ranch, Mt Kenya National Park & Around, Naro Moru, Meru, Meru National Park, Chogoria, Embu, Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park.

This is the Lamu & the North Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guide-book.

Prepare to fall under the spell of this hypnotic part of Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline, where the exotic permeates everything, blending spice, soul and sand. The attractions of this slice of paradise are not been lost on anyone lucky enough to visit.

• hop by dhow between stunning islands of the Lamu Archipelago and delve into centu-ries-old Swahili culture
• maps
• come face-to-face with serpents and reef fish while diving around Watamu
• transport
• embrace the Swahili village of Kilifi and high-five Mother Nature on the bank of Kilifi Creek
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: South of Lamu, Kilifi, Watamu, Arabuko Sokoke For-est Reserve, Mida Creek, Gede Ruins, Malindi, Lamu Archipelago, Lamu Island, Manda Island, Paté Island, Kiwayu Island.

This is the Masai Mara & Western Kenya chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guidebook.

For many travellers, the magic of western Kenya is summed up in two poetic words: Masai Mara. Few places on earth support such high concentrations of animals, and the Mara’s wilde-beest-spotted savannahs are undeniably the region’s star attraction.

• watch one of the greatest wildlife shows on Earth in the Masai Mara National Reserve
• maps
• enjoy one of East Africa’s finest wildlife territories, Naboisho Conservancy
• transport
• look for birds and primates in Kakamega Forest Reserve, Kenya’s last true rainforest
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Masai Mara, Narok, Masai Mara National Reserve, Maji Moto Group Ranch, Mara North Conservancy, Naboisho Conservancy, Olare-Orok Con-servancy, Olderikesi Conservancy, Siana & the Southeastern Conservancies, Lake Victoria, Ki-sumu, Homa Bay, Ruma National Park, Mbita & Rusinga Island, Mfangano Island, Western Highlands, Kisii, Kericho, Kakamega, Kakamega Forest, Eldoret, Kitale, Mt Elgon National Park, Saiwa Swamp National Park

This is the Mombasa & the South Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guidebook.

Governed by Swahili rhythms and the rise and fall of the tides, life here moves to its own beat. Thanks to the long interplay of Africa, India and Arabia, this coast feels wildly different from the rest of Kenya.

• step barefoot onto the miles and miles of soft white sand of Diani Beach, and later kitesurfing its waves
• maps
• explore a centuries-old fort and shop for spices and antiques in the labyrinthine streets of Mombasa’s historical heart
• transport
• go elephant-spotting at Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, a tremendous success of a local conservation project
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Mombasa & Around, Shimba Hills National Reserve, Tiwi Beach, Diani Beach, Gazi & Chale Island, Funzi Island, Shimoni & Wasini Island, Lunga Lunga, North of Mombasa, Nyali, Bamburi, Shanzu Beach, Mtwapa.

This is the Nairobi chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guidebook.

East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city, Nairobi is Kenya’s beating heart, an exciting, maddening concrete jungle that jarringly counterpoints the untrammelled natural beauty to be found else-where in the country.

• search for wild lions and rhinos within sight of skyscrapers in Nairobi National Park
• maps
• bottle-feed a group of orphaned baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
• transport
• relive Out of Africa nostalgia at Karen Blixen’s House & Museum
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: History, Sights, Activities, Courses, Tours, Festivals & Events, Sleeping, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Around Nairobi.

This is the Northern Kenya chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guidebook.

Calling all explorers! We dare you to challenge yourself against some of the most exciting wilderness in Africa. Step forward only if you’re able to withstand appalling roads, searing heat, vast distances and more than a hint of danger.

• blast over the plains of darkness to a ‘Sea of Jade’, Lake Turkana
• maps
• enjoy a private slab of wild Africa in Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy
• transport
• search for forest elephants in an ocean of sand in Marsabit National Park
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Isiolo & Around, Archer’s Post, Samburu, Buffalo Springs & Shaba National Reserves, Samburu Area Conservancies, Matthews Range, Marsabit, Marsabit National Park, Moyale & Around, Maralal & Around, Lesiolo, Baragoi, South Horr, North to Lake Turkana, Lake Turkana’s Eastern Shore & Around, Loyangalani, North Horr, Kalacha, Turkana’s Western Shore & Around, Marich & Around, Lodwar & Around, Eliye Springs, Fergu-son’s Gulf.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Kenya, Kenya’s Top 18, Need to Know, If You Like..., Month by Month, Itineraries, Safaris, Outdoor Activities, Travel with Children, and Regions at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guidebook.

Your journey to Kenya starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on outdoor activities.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about planning a safari
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Kenya, Kenya’s Top 18, Need to Know If You Like: Big Cats, Elephants & Rhinos, Birdwatching, Culture & Wildlife Immersion, Month by Month, Itineraries, Safaris, Outdoor Activities, Travel with Children, and Regions at a Glance.

This is the Southeastern Kenya chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guide-book.

Southeastern Kenya is one of the great wildlife-watching destinations in Africa. Here you’ll find a triumvirate of epic Kenyan parks – Amboseli, Tsavo West and Tsavo East – that are home to the Big Five and so much more.

• snap photos of elephants by Mt Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park
• maps
• roam the wilderness of Tsavo West National Park in search of leopards
• transport
• brave man-eating lions and red elephants in the back country of Tsavo East National Park
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: South of Nairobi, Namanga, Amboseli National Park & Around, Chyulu Hills National Park, Tsavo West National Park, Mbulia Conservancy, Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo Conservancy, Voi, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary, Wundanyi.

This is the Southern Rift Valley chapter from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guide-book.

This slice of Africa’s Great Rift Valley is, for the most part, cool and calm, swathed in forest and watered by moody mineral lakes that blanch and blush with the movement of pelicans and flamingos.

• look for rhinos and tree-climbing lions in one of Kenya’s most rewarding parks, Lake Na-kuru National Park
• maps
• watch hippos shuffle into the spume and enjoy some of Kenya’s best birdwatching at Lake Baringo
• transport
• feel like part of the food chain by walking through the wildlife-rich, red-cliffed gorges of Hell’s Gate National Park
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Lake Magadi & Around, Longonot National Park, Naivasha, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Elmenteita & Around, Nakuru, Lake Nakuru National Park, Njoro, Lake Bogoria, Lake Baringo.

This chapter contains the Kenya Today, History, Tribes of Kenya, Daily Life, The Arts, Kenyan Cuisine, Environment, National Parks & Reserves, Directory A–Z, Transport, Health, and Lan-guage chapters from Lonely Planet’s Kenya guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, food, culture and wildlife, to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• rundown on the tribes of Kenya
• info on the region’s diverse wildlife and habitats
• full coverage of the arts, including music, literature and jewellery
• details on the national language, Swahili

Coverage includes: Kenya Today, History, Tribes of Kenya, Daily Life, The Arts, Kenyan Cuisine, Environment, National Parks & Reserves, Directory A–Z, Transport, Health, and Language.