Take a study tour through Kenya, a state in East Africa! Central-Central Kenya is crossed by the Rift Valley, part of the East African Rift Valley. The highest point, the Batian, is in the Mount Kenya massif. Visit the largest cities in Kenya, such as the capital Nairobi with the Jomo Kenyatta statue and parliament building, the Nairobi National Park, the Langatta Giraffe Center, Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi Uhuru Park or Daphne Sheldrick’s Orphanage; the city of Mombasa with the Fort Jesus, the old market hall, one of the landmarks of the city – the Tusks (tusks) or the Shree Swammarayan Academy; Kisumu with the port, the Catholic Archdiocese or the Apostolic Vicariate and the city of Nakuru with an important train station, Lake Nakuru National Park, the Menengai crater or the prehistoric Hyrax Hill. Admire Kenya as part of a tour and get to know its culture!
Nairobi National Park
The Nairobi National Park, one of the smallest of its kind on the African continent, is located just outside the gates of Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Bounded on three sides by an electric fence, it only offers a transition to the wilderness with the southern border formed by the course of the Mbagathi river.
Great biodiversity in a small area
The almost 120 square kilometers of the Nairobi National Park, largely covered by a savannah landscape, was declared a protected area in 1946. Around 80 species of mammals and more than 500 different species of birds inhabit the national park area, which is around 1,600 meters above sea level.
However, its diverse flora is also impressive, ranging from forests covered with olive and muhuhu trees to extensive grassy areas and moist alluvial forests in its southern area.
Successful sanctuary for rhinos
Zebra or antelope herds are often among the first animals to be discovered on a tour through the national park. Usually, however, it does not take long before some, often resting, lions can be discovered or some majestically striding giraffes cross the given path. Buffalo, hyenas or wildebeest and a multitude of small and large birds provide further company.
A little more luck and a particularly calm behavior are required to spot one or some of the black rhinos that inhabit the Nairobi National Park. This rhinoceros subspecies is one of the endangered species in Africa.
A memorial erected in the park commemorates the persecution and slaughter of many elephants to commemorate the public cremation of confiscated ivory in 1989.
Visiting opportunities
The Nairobi National Park is easy to reach from Kenya’s capital and can be visited daily with your own vehicle or by booking a tour. The latter often include a meal in an attached restaurant and a temporary visit to an elephant orphanage attached to the park. Elephants living in the wild cannot be seen in the national park.
Visitors to the park who are traveling without a guide are only allowed to leave the vehicle at a few marked picnic areas.
Lake Bogoria
Species-rich lake in Kenya
Lake Bogoria is a soda lake located in Kenya, in the East African Rift Valley, 285 km north-north-west of Nairobi, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake, about 17 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide, is best known for its thermal springs and geysers as well as the abundance of birds and the variety of mammals.
A paradise for flamingos
Dry, hot desert air and volcanic activities in the interior of the earth cause the water temperature to rise up to 70 ° C in places. Since Lake Bogoria has no drain, more and more salts and minerals are deposited. That is why there are special algae in this water, which are the food for millions of flamingos. 135 species of birds are native to Lake Bogoria, including hornbills, marabous, pelicans and bee-eaters. But numerous mammals have also found a home in the hot surroundings at Lake Bogoria. Zebras, warthogs, impalas and gazelles feel at home here. Due to the adverse conditions, large wild animals are rarely found at Lake Bogoria.
Particularly interesting for ornithologists
Most of the Bogoria National Park can be explored on foot by hiking. This gives you the opportunity to experience and enjoy nature up close. Papyrus swamps and acacia forests form a wonderful backdrop on the shore. The colorful plumage of the many birds and the blazing desert sun offer a unique natural spectacle. But a visit to Lake Bogoria is not only worthwhile because of the many animals. Visitors can feel the forces of nature at the geysers and springs that can be seen here.
