What to See In: Kenya Safari Tour Operators

Sightseeing : Touring Kenya

This eastern African country touches the Indian Sea at the southeastern border, and shares borders with Somalia to the northeast, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, and finally with Tanzania to the south. 

Scientists have dubbed Africa the “cradle of life”, and have found that it is the origin of all human life with people moving out of the African continent and seeding the entire world over the course of many millennia.  This means that there are amazing remains and fossils, both human remains and fossils of prehistoric animals, abounding for interested scientists and paleontologists to explore and catalogue. 

Kenya is the site of a rare African dinosaur fossil site as well, with two hundred dinosaur and giant crocodile fossils discovered in the country dating from the Mesozoic Era over 200 million years in the past.  Primates are suspected to have roamed the area more than twenty million years ago according to fossil evidence, and significant discoveries have been made about human ancestors in the region. 

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to have a great influence in the area.  They arrived late in the fifteenth century and demanded tribute from the coastal cities all along the Indian ocean, sacking anyone who would not submit until they had assured themselves tribute to the Portuguese crown and a safe haven for their own commercial interests in the area.  In the seventeenth century, however, Portuguese dominance in the area was challenged by the Dutch, British, and Omani Arab incursions. 

The colonization of the area was eventually conducted primarily by the British, who began to take an undue amount of control over the native population.  They made a great deal of profit by taking land from the natives and growing coffee and tea, eventually banning natives from growing coffee at all.  They retained control through a very bloody revolution, only to begin turning power over in 1957 until 1963 when Kenya finally became independent again. 

Kenya enjoys a considerable amount of wildlife habitat that includes the “big five” animals of Africa: the lion, the leopard, the buffalo, the rhino, and the elephant.  This makes the are great for the traditional safari adventures that tourists world over have been so fond of for so many years.  Watch the massive annual migration of the blue wildebeest among other bovids, as they desperately search for forage in the Kenyan dry season, some 250,000 perishing in the quest each year.  

The Culture
In addition to the amazing land, there is the culture of Kenya to take into consideration when you visit this amazing country.  The amazing history of the country and the intricate dances with so many other countries over time has left Kenya with a unique and wonderful culture to explore.  Learn about tribal customs and dress and enjoy learning about a whole different culture composed of many facets of the countries that have touched her.  From Arab settlements to Portuguese fortifications, this region is no stranger to other cultures touching her shores and making a big impact on the way of life of the native people.  Instead of entirely resisting change, however, the Kenyan people adapted to the newcomers with a remarkable flexibility. 

The Kenyans are more than interested in welcoming you to their shores now and showing you a little bit of their history, such as the turbulent times of Fort Jesus, erected by Portuguese settlers.  Let them tell you their history with fire, lights, and sound, and prepare to be welcomed to Kenya in a very Kenyan fashion: with open arms and a fierce pride born of survival.