Kenya is one of the countries occupying the Great Lakes region in East Africa. The country is a famous safari destination on the African continent. Kenya is home to various species of wildlife that are scattered all over the national parks.

Kenya is also celebrated for its outstanding cultures and attractive people especially the Masai who have interesting historical significance and the overall way of life.  Kenya’s capital Nairobi, is a popular city too due to its sensational destinations, hospitality and nightlife which travelers find quite satisfying and worth a stay.

Origin of Kiswahili

The earliest inhabitants of the Kenyan land were hunter gatherers. They were the Cushites and settled in the lowlands prior 3200 BC. Lowland savanna pastoralists – Nilotes later migrated from the north in the present day South Sudan to join the hunter – gatherers in Kenya and mixed up.  Bantu people on the other hand settled at the coast though they later moved in the inner parts of the country with the coming of the Arabs and Europeans. The Arabs joined the coast and brought about the Swahili culture which led to the birth of the Kiswahili language that is highly spoken in the country today.

It was formerly used as a mode of communication while doing business at the coast but it is now somewhat formal. When the Europeans joined the Kenyan land in 1500 AD, the Portuguese later followed suit due to the goodies that were located in the land especially minerals and slaves. Kenya was and still is a gateway to other landlocked East African countries. Serious colonization of the Kenyan land later started when the Europeans took over the land.  The Europeans intermarried with the locals and formed the other new races in Kenya.

Safety and security of Kenya

Kenya is a highly safe country especially in the towns and tourist destinations and so travelers do not have to worry for their life when exploring the country.  Security operatives have been deployed by the government on the streets in the towns and in the tourist destinations to ensure that business goes on safely daily.  Cameras have been installed on various streets in cities and sensitive areas especially at the ATM ccenters to make sure that muggings and robbery are curbed.

However, it is important to note that minor cases of muggings and robbery are registered just like any other country but they are followed up and a corrective action is taken by the authorities on the culprits. The culprits face punishment for their acts and to send a message to other people planning to do so which helps to improve on security.

The culture and people of Kenya

The Kenyan culture blends with modernity in various aspects of the day-to-day life. Traditionally, most Kenyans do not use direct communication but nonverbal techniques to pass on their messages with their fellows. This type of communication though highly depends on the level of connection and intimacy between the people communicating.

The Kenyan diet is made-up of mainly Posho (locally known as Ugali) which the local people usually enjoy feasting on with other local cuisine especially meat, fish, eggs, rice, meat, maize and bread. Kenyans use sorghum to make their local brew that is used to supplement their meals and is served on parties as well. 

Linguistically, Kenya is a multilingual society with each of the tribes having a language. It is important to remember that Kiswahili and English dominate the Kenyan society and they are the formal languages used.

Family is a key structure of the Kenyan society.  Kenyans live in extended families which help in the upbringing of responsible citizens in society.

Climate and travel seasons in Kenya

Kenya is characterized by various types of climate in different zones which incorporates the hot and wet the climate, very hot and very dry, hot and dry, warm with moderate and reliable rainfall, cool and wet, and cold and wet that are scattered all over the country in the different regions.

It is however important to note that most of the land is dominated by the warm, moderate and reliable rainfall kind of climate. The best travel seasons in Kenya are during the dry seasons which account for the time beginning early June up to late October.  They are the best times to travel because they are characterized with no rainfall and thus minimized interruption.

Kenya is a host to the wildebeest migration which usually happens during the months of late July to August and October all through to early November.

Other activities to do in Kenya

Kenya being one of the leading safari destinations in Africa offers a wide range of activities and they include;

Game Drives

Game drives which are conducted all over the national parks of the country to help visitors view the animals that live within.  The animals that can be observed include the Cape buffaloes, African Bush elephants, hippopotamus, crocodiles, lions, leopards, serval cats, common genets, warthogs and birds.

Hot air balloon safari

This is also an exciting activity that is carried out in the national parks of Kenya.  This offers visitors the opportunity to view the national parks and the animals they host from above. It also improves on the overall experience a tourist gets from the region since the feeling of being on the hot air balloon safari is adrenaline pushing and enjoyable.

Hiking

Hiking is also done in the country especially on Mount Kenya where visitors have the opportunity to view the various animals living in the high altitudes on the mountain especially the aardvark, tree hyrax and birds along with the beautiful vegetation types.

Hiking unveils the beautiful scenery of the surrounding areas of the mountain that is good for videography and photography.

City tours

City tours in Kenya are usually conducted in Nairobi – the capital and biggest city in Kenya. The city has exciting places to visit especially shopping malls, local markets, museums and libraries.