THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Anthony Ham, Stuart Butler, Dean Starnes

p222South Coast

Mombasa & the

p52& AroundNairobi

p258North Coast

The

p89Kenya

Southern

p162Highlands

Central

p108ValleyRiftp128

KenyaWestern

Northern

p194Kenya

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z .................. 360Transport ......................... 373Health ............................... 383Language ......................... 389Index ................................. 399Map Legend ..................... 407

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

If you stay up-to-date with your vaccinations and take some basic preventive mea-sures, you’d be pretty unlucky to succumb to most of the health hazards covered in this chapter. Africa certainly has an impressive selection of tropical and other diseases, but you’re much more likely to get a bout of diarrhoea (in fact, you should bank on it), a cold or an infected mosquito bite than an exotic disease. When t comes to injuries (as op

sed to illness), the most y reason for needing

al help in Kenya is as a road accidents.

YOU GOe all

ast

RVacci

World Hezation (www.who.recommends that albe covered for diphthetetanus, measles, mumprubella and polio, as well afor hepatitis B, regardless otheir destination.

According to the Cent-ers for Disease Control & Prevention (www.cdc.gov), the following vaccinations are rec-ommended for Kenya: hepa-titis A, hepatitis B, meningo-coccal meningitis, rabies and typhoid, and boosters for tetanus, diphtheria, polio and measles. It is also advisable to be vaccinated against yellow fever (see p387).

Medical ChecklistIt’s a very good idea to carry a medical and rst-aid kit with you, to help yourself in the case of minor illness or injury. Following is a list of items you should considbringing:

Acetaminophen (mol) or aspirin

Acetazolamfor altitudscript

Health

PAGE

50

PAGE

359

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Look out for these icons:

o Our author’s top recommendation S A green or

sustainable option F No payment required

Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their favourite places are listed first.

NAIROBI . . . . . . . . . . . . 52AROUND NAIROBI . . . . . . . . 86Ngong Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Kiambethu Tea Farm . . . . . . 87

SOUTHERN KENYA . .89SOUTH OF NAIROBI . . . . . . . 91Lake Magadi & Around . . . . 91The Road to Arusha . . . . . . . 91THE SOUTHEAST . . . . . . . . . 92Amboseli National Park . . .92Chyulu Hills National Park . . . . . . . . . . . .96Tsavo West National Park . . 97Tsavo East National Park . . 102Voi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Wundanyani . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary . . . . . . .106The Road to Moshi . . . . . . . 107

RIFT VALLEY . . . . . . . 108Longonot National Park . .109Naivasha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Lake Naivasha. . . . . . . . . . . 111Hell’s Gate National Park . .116Naivasha to Nakuru . . . . . . 118Nakuru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Around Nakuru . . . . . . . . . . 121Lake Nakuru National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 122Lake Bogoria National Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Lake Baringo . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

WESTERN KENYA . . . 128MASAI MARA . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Narok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129Masai Mara National Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

LAKE VICTORIA . . . . . . . . . 137Kisumu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Lake Victoria’s South Shore . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Ruma National Park . . . . . . 143Mbita & Rusinga Island . . . 144Mfangano Island . . . . . . . . . 145

WESTERN HIGHLANDS . . . 145Kisii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Kericho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147Kakamega . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149Kakamega Forest . . . . . . . . 150Eldoret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Kitale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Mt Elgon National Park . . . 158Saiwa Swamp National Park . . . . . . . . . . .160

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS . . . . . . . 162ABERDARES . . . . . . . . . . . . 163Nyeri & Around . . . . . . . . . . 164Aberdare National Park. . . 168Nyahururu (Thomson’s Falls) . . . . . . . . 171Mt Kenya National Park . . 172

AROUND MT KENYA . . . . . 179Naro Moru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Nanyuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181Timau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

Meru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187Meru National Park . . . . . . 189Chogoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Embu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Mwea National Reserve. . . 192Thika & Around . . . . . . . . . . 192Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 193

NORTHERN KENYA . . . . . . . . . . . . 194ISIOLO TO ETHIOPIA . . . . . 195Isiolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Lewa Wildlife Conservancy . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Around Lewa Wildlife Conservancy . . . . 200Archer’s Post. . . . . . . . . . . 200Samburu, Buffalo Springs & Shaba National Reserves . . . . . . 201Matthews Range . . . . . . . . 204Marsabit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205Marsabit National Park . . 208Moyale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

MARALAL TO TURKANA’S EASTERN SHORE . . . . . . . . .211North to Maralal . . . . . . . . . 211Maralal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212Around Maralal . . . . . . . . . . 214Baragoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215South Horr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215North to Lake Turkana. . . . 215Loyangalani . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216North Horr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217Kalacha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

MARICH TO TURKANA’S WESTERN SHORE . . . . . . . 218Marich to Lodwar . . . . . . . . 218Lodwar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220Eliye Springs . . . . . . . . . . . 220Ferguson’s Gulf . . . . . . . . . . 221

MOMBASA & THESOUTH COAST . . . . .222MOMBASA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

SOUTH OF MOMBASA . . . . 239Shimba Hills National Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239Tiwi Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240Diani Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . .242Gazi Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248Shimoni & Wasini Island . . . . . . . . . . . .248Lunga Lunga . . . . . . . . . . . 250

NORTH OF MOMBASA . . . . 250Nyali Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . .252Bamburi Beach . . . . . . . . . .253Shanzu Beach . . . . . . . . . . .255Mtwapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255Kilifi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256

THE NORTH COAST . . . . . . . . . . . .258Watamu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263Gede Ruins . . . . . . . . . . . . .263Malindi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265Tana River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

LAMU ARCHIPELAGO . . . . 272

Lamu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272Around Lamu . . . . . . . . . . . 281Manda Island . . . . . . . . . . .283Paté Island. . . . . . . . . . . . . 284Kiwayu Island . . . . . . . . . . 286

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OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Anthony Ham Coordinating Author, Nairobi, Southern Kenya, Rift Valley Anthony brings to Kenya more than a decade’s experience in Africa. His love aff air with the continent began in North and West Africa, where he has spent the last decade exploring the Sahara with Tuareg nomads and tracking down endangered elephant herds from the Malian Sahel to remote corners of southern Chad. In addition to coordinating Lonely Planet’s West Africa, Africa and Libya guides, Anthony writes and photo-

graphs for numerous newspapers and magazines around the world, primarily covering conservation issues, nomadic and indigenous peoples and countries in confl ict. When he’s not in Africa, Anthony lives in Madrid with his wife, Marina, and their two daughters, Carlota and Valentina.

Stuart Butler Northern Kenya, Mombasa & the South Coast, The North Coast Stuart Butler grew up listening to stories of his father’s childhood in Kenya and his grandparents’ tales of working on the earliest English-language editions of the Daily Nation newspaper. When Stuart fi nally stepped foot in Africa, it was Kenya he chose. It didn’t disappoint. Stuart now calls the south of France home. His travels, for both Lonely Planet and various surfi ng magazines, have taken him beyond Africa from the coastal deserts

of Pakistan to the jungles of Colombia.

Dean Starnes Western Kenya, Central Highlands Dean fi rst backpacked through Kenya in 2004 as part of a greater East African adventure. After racing camels in Maralal (despite a backwards facing start, he came a respectable 14th) and dhows near Lamu, he fell in love with the diversity, culture and humour of the Kenyan people and vowed to return. Since then he has worked on Lonely Planet’s Ethiopia (4th edition) and East Africa (9th edition). Dean lives in New Zealand with his wife and his wife’s

cat. When he’s not writing for Lonely Planet, he works as a freelance graphic designer and plots new ways to shirk his responsibilities.

Contributing Author David Lukas wrote the Wildife & Habitat chapter. David is a freelance naturalist who lives next to Yosemite National Park in California. He writes extensively about the world’s wildlife, and has con-tributed wildlife chapters to eight Africa Lonely Planet guides ranging from Ethiopia to South Africa. He also wrote A Year of Watching Wildlife, which covers the top places in the world to view wildlife.

Read more about Anthony at:lonelyplanet.com/members/anthonyham

Read more about Stuart at:lonelyplanet.com/members/stuartbutler

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9838th edition – June 2012ISBN 978 1 74179 673 5© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Itiner-aries

ETHIOPIA

SOMALIAUGANDA

TANZANIA

SOUTH SUDAN

NAIROBI

Amboseli NP

Masai MaraNR

É

É

#÷

#÷

#•

#•

#_

INDIANOCEAN

One WeekSafari Njema

Ideal for those with limited time, this classic safari route brings you face to face with the continent’s most charismatic creatures. Safari njema – have a good trip!

Begin in Nairobi. Kenya’s (in)famous rough-and-ready capital is not without charm; if nothing else, it’s the only capital city with a national park on its doorstep –

watch lions, leopards and cheetahs against the backdrop of distant skyscrapers. This is just a taster for the world-renowned Masai Mara National Reserve. Between July and October, the Mara hosts the annual wildebeest migration, which offers an iconic slice of safari Africa, and one of the greatest wildlife concentrations on earth. If you can’t time your visit to coincide with this epic event, the Mara is worth visiting any time.

Staying in Maasailand and tracing its trajectory across Kenya’s south, head to Amboseli National Park, where you can get closer to elephants than almost anywhere else in Africa. From here, the views of Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, are without rival in Africa.

Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.

23

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UR TRIP ITIN

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RIES

» (above) White rhinos, Lake Nakuru (p 122 ) » (left) Leopard, Masai Mara National Reserve (p 129 )

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INDIANOCEAN

Three WeeksIn Search of the Big Five

Seeing the ‘Big Five’ has become a mantra for African wildlife watchers, but few know it was coined by white hunters for those fi ve species deemed most dangerous to hunt: elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buff alo. Seeing all fi ve is relatively easy in Kenya; it’s even possible to spot them all in a single day, although you’d have to

be pretty lucky. Start your search at Lake Nakuru National Park, a stunning alkaline lake in the Rift

Valley. The lake’s population of many thousands of pink fl amingos and pelicans is one of Kenya’s signature images – the sort to make you gasp at the sheer beauty of it all. This vitally important national park also protects the country’s largest population of endangered black rhinos, as well as large herds of buff alo; the black rhino is present elsewhere, but sightings are almost guaranteed here.

From Lake Nakuru, your next stop is the obligatory safari in Masai Mara National Reserve, which is lion country – your chances of seeing lions on a kill are nowhere higher than in the Mara during the annual wildebeest migration from July to October. With a little luck, you can also spot leopards lounging in trees, and cheetahs prowling around the savannah. From the Mara, head southeast, passing through Nairobi, to Amboseli National Park for a wildlife drive in the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro. Here you’ll see ele-phants at nearly every turn (there are around 1200 in just 392 sq km), while lion sightings are also common; buff aloes lurk in the swamps, although generally in small numbers.

From Amboseli it’s a straightforward drive to Tsavo West National Park and Tsavo East National Park, Kenya’s largest wildlife parks and a real taste of the African wilder-ness. The chances of spotting wildlife are higher in Tsavo East, where the vegetation is less dense, but Tsavo West has the advantage of being home to all of the Big Five – see them all in one day and you’ve hit the safari jackpot.

From here you can head down the highway to the ancient Swahili port of Mombasa, where you can either fl y straight home, or start a whole new journey exploring the Kenyan coast.

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INDIANOCEAN

Two to Three WeeksSun, Surf & Swahili

Whether you’re interested in exploring the remaining vestiges of Swahili culture or simply kicking back on the beach for days on end, don’t miss the chance to explore Kenya’s sun-drenched coast.

Before setting out, explore the coastal gateway of Mombasa, one of the truly great port cities on earth and the essence of East Africa. It gets steaming hot here, so your fi rst stop heading south should be Tiwi Beach, a tranquil white-sand paradise popular with independent travellers. Just down the road, you can head on to the package-holiday destina-tion of Diani Beach for a taste of the full-on resort experience.

Near the Tanzanian border, Funzi and Wasini Islands provide a dose of unspoilt coastal life; on the latter Mkwiro is somewhere close to paradise. These islands also aff ord easy access to the excellent Kisite Marine National Park. Whether you spot crocodiles along the banks of mangrove-lined rivers or dolphins crashing through the surf, a visit to the marine park is a wonderful complement to Kenya’s terrestrial wildlife destinations. Off shore, humpback whales are a possibility from August to October. A trip in a traditional dhow is also a must.

Heading north back on the coastal trail, make a quick stop in the charming town of Kilifi before pressing on to Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve. One of the largest remain-ing tracts of indigenous coastal forest in East Africa, the reserve plays host to prolifi c birdlife and forest elephants, and is a last refuge of the golden-rumped elephant shrew.

Further north are the Gede ruins, an ancient Swahili city dating back to the 13th century. Another historic destination along the Swahili coast is Malindi, a 14th-century trading post that’s now one of the country’s leading beach destinations for Italian holidaymakers. While it can be something of a scene, it has bucketloads of charm once you get beyond the beach.

This itinerary ends (and peaks) at the wonderful Lamu archipelago, a veritable tropical paradise and Swahili heritage gem. However, you should check the security situation before travelling here (see boxed text on p 279 ).

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Desert FrontiersRift Valley & Wetlands

Two to Three WeeksDesert Frontiers

This adventurous trail winds through the barren but beguiling landscape around Lake Turkana. The eastern gateway to this region is the small

town of Isiolo, just north of Mt Kenya; a side trip to Matthews Range is great for walkers.

Alternatively, plough straight into the desert route, heading up the rough road to Marsabit, the dusty tribal centre of this re-mote area, which boasts a fine national park.

Assuming you’re not tempted to hop across to Ethiopia at Moyale, take the western loop to Turkana via North Horr, heading for the tiny lakeside settlement of Loyangalani, a base for trips into even more remote parts.

From here the trail leads south again, passing all kinds of scenic zones and the stopover towns of South Horr and Bara-goi. It’s worth stopping for a couple of days in Maralal, to replenish supplies and sam-ple the joys of camel trekking.

You could end the trip here, but for the full effect head up to the other side of Tur-kana, passing through the lush western area around Marich Pass to reach sweltering Lodwar and the lovely lakeshore at Eliye Springs.

Two to Three WeeksRift Valley & Wetlands

The Rift Valley is one of Africa’s de-fining geological marvels. West and northwest of Nairobi lie some of the country’s most fertile and scenic

spots, characterised by still, tranquil bodies of water.

An excellent place to start is Lake Naiva-sha, a popular freshwater lake close to the starting point of the climb to the summit of Mount Longonot, one of the Rift’s pretti-est vantage points. Then it’s an easy hop to Lakes Nakuru, Bogoria and Baringo, all of which support a wealth of birdlife.

Take the loop through the Cherangani Hills to the agricultural town of Kitale and the lovely Saiwa Swamp National Park, a real wetland treat.

Heading south, you’ll come across the Kakamega Forest Reserve, an essential stop for walkers and bird lovers alike. Con-tinue down the road to the region’s main city, Kisumu, on the shore of Lake Victoria. Skirting the Winam Gulf, you reach busy Kisii, a handy hub for Lake Victoria’s small islands, and tiny Ruma National Park, a rarely visited gem.

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