Why Should Everyone Travel to Kenya?!

I was 21 when I travel abroad my homeland country, Iran for the first time. Destination? Kenya! It may seems weird at first. There are so many other places with world-famous tourist attractions. So why I chose a far country in Africa for my first journey abroad? The short answer: Because it's awesome!

Kenya is the world's 48th largest country and located in eastern Africa. The land reaches the Indian Ocean on the east, with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. But the main reason to travel to Kenya is to see wildlife. In a way that you think you are directing a documentary movie about African wildlife!

But beside all the national parks and magnificent beaches, what makes Africa more attractive to travel is the reach history of it. Africa is the birthplace of all of us. Scientific evidences show that The Great Rift Valley in Middle East and Africa was the birthplace of human kind. Rift Valley is known as "The Cradle of Mankind" and you can visit some parts of this 7,000 kilometres valley in Kenya. It runs from the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon which is in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa.

I guess now you are agree with me that traveling to Kenya was a great decision! So let's explore this magical country with some stories and pictures.

My trip to Kenya began from Nairobi. You may remember the name from the famous Netflix series, Money Heist! Nairobi is the capital and the largest city of Kenya. It was founded in 1899 by the colonial authorities in British East Africa and is not an old city. The city has a population of more that 4 million people. So it's a crowded city with an unbelievable traffic jams!

The city doesn't have much attractions for tourists. Unless you want to see the daily life of people and have new experiences. But unfortunately it's not much safe to walk around the city as a tourist, as our guide told us on the first night in Nairobi.

But by a 20km drive from Nairobi you can visit the Giraffe Center. The place was established in 1979 to protect endangered species of giraffe found only in the grasslands of East Africa. It's worth a visit, but don't get to exited! You will encounter to wildlife in Kenya much more!

After a night in Nairobi, we left to Amboseli National Park. Amboseli National Park is located in southern Kenya and at the border of Tanzania. The park is famous for being the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants.

Meanwhile, one of the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen from Amboseli. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa with an elevation of 5895 meters. It is located in Tanzania, but one of the most amazing views of the summit can be seen from Amboselli in Kenya.

As you might know from my last story on Vocal I'm a night sky photographer. So another attraction of Amboseli was its beautiful starry sky.

I saw the southern sky for the first time in my life in Amboseli National Park. It was an unforgettable experience to see the southern sky gems for the first time in the very dark sky of Amboseli National Park. The bottom image is the view of Milky Way from our lodge, just after they turned off the lights for energy saving.

After three nights in Amboseli and lots of fun with elephants and stargazing we hit the road to the Lake Naivasha. Naivasha is one of the largest lakes in Kenya. In Naivasha, like almost any other place in the country, you can enjoy seeing animals up close in their habitat.

The camps and lodges in Kenya built with the minimum effect on the wildlife and their habitat. So it's normal to wake up in a lodge in Naivasha and see a giraffe looking at you from the window!

Bird watching in the lake is another thing you can do in lake Naivasha. You can try it by boat riding in the lake. A relaxing experience which may become exciting by African Fish Eagle hunting!

But in my opinion, the most amazing place in Kenya is Masai Mara National Reserve. Masai Mara is one of the the best places in the world to get close to free-ranging animals.

All members of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo, black and white rhinos) can be seen in Masai Mara all year round! You can also see Hippopotamuses and crocodiles in large groups in the Mara and Talek rivers. You can also see many zebras, giraffes and cheetahs in the grasslands of Masai Mara. It got even more amazing when you travel between July and September, which is the time of the Great Migration.

Every year about two million wildebeest and large groups of other species travel from Tanzania's Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara in search of abundant grazing pastures and life-giving water. During the migration, they have to pass Mara river, where crocodiles are waiting for a meal!

Wildlife safari in Masai Mara and watching the free-ranging animals up close and with your own eyes is not something to describe easily.

My best experience during our 3 day safari in Masai Mara was seeing a cheetah hunting a gazelle. I couldn't believe my eyes when the world's fastest land animal start running and grab the gazelle's neck with its sharp teeth!

I can go on more, but I think it's enough to convince you why should everyone travel to Kenya!

You can visit my website or Instagram for more images. I also wrote a story about "Chasing Dark Skies in Madagascar" which you read it here on Vocal. And if you like my stories and photos and want to support me in my future adventures, you can send me a tip in Vocal.