Kenya, a country with the most beautiful natural wonders, fascinating tribes and immense contrasts. Travel to remote Lake Turkana in the north, relax at the white sand beaches around Tiwi and Diani, visit Lamu island and enjoy the best safari experience in the world in Masai Mara. After a 3-months stay, I compiled a list of Things Not To Miss In Kenya. This is a subjective list, but we hope it gives you inspiration for your future Kenya trip! Will you let us know, if we miss anything?
28 things not to miss in Kenya!
Experience the natural beauty of Lake Turkana
Go on a game drive in Masai Mara
Visit the old town of Lamu
Old men in Lamu. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Cycle with zebras in the rough Hell’s Gate NP
Cycling with zebra’s and other animals in Hell’s Gate National Park. A fun day!! Kenya ©Bunch of Backpackers. Behold (or hike) the Kilimanjaro!
Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background. ©Annajo. Explore Kenyas countryside
Kenyan farmers in the Rift Valley. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Kenya is a birdwatching’s paradise. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Board a matatu
Board a matatu in Kenya. Matatu’s are local buses. Often they are ‘pimped’ with art and load music boxes. ©Bunch of Backpackers Dive into Nairobi’s urban life!
Nairobi is a fun city for a few days. You can go clubbing or shopping (or in our case, go to the cinema) ©Bunch of Backpackers. Meet a hippo at the shore of Lake Baringo
Come up close with hippos at one of the bungalows at Lake Baringo. This was taken in front of our porch. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Come close to a giraffe in Karen Blixen
Karen Blixen Giraffe center is worth a visit to learn more about these fascinating animals. Did you know they got longer necks over time, simply because they giraffe’s with shorter necks couldn’t reach the trees. A great example of natural selection ©Bunch of Backpackers Go on an adventure in Kenya’s northern deserts!
Adventures in the remote Northern desert in Kenya. Not many people venture here ©Bunch of Backpackers. Have a tusker!
Have a tusker with your meal. ©Bunch of Backpackers. See thousands of flamingo’s at Lake Bogoria
A gorgeous sight: thousands of flamingo’s in Lake Bogoria in Kenya by Bunch of backpackers Spot black rhino’s around Lake Nakuru
Spot a black rhino at Lake Nakuru. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Drink tea at one of the tea plantages of Kisumu
Have a cup of tea at the Kisumu tea fields. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Spot Sitatunga deers at the smallest national Park of Kenya: Saiwa Swamp
Go to this little visited, but beautiful national park called Saiwa Swamp, home to the Sitatunga deer. By Bunch of Backpackers Behold a beautiful forest at the ancient Kakamega Rain Forest
Kenya has a variety in landscape. Visit the Kakamega forest Kenya. ©Bunch of Backpackers Try game meat at the Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi
Not suitable for vegetarians ;) You can try game meat in the famous Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi in Kenya by Bunch of Backpackers Learn about local customs at a Masai village
Learn about Masai customs in their village near Masai Mara. ©Bunch of Backpackers Behold colorful reptiles who may even drop your jaw more than the big five
Reptile Kenya. ©Bunch of Backpackers Collect portraits of Obama
There are many Obama portraits in Kenya!©Bunch of Backpackers Visit Kenya’s great museums!
Kenya has some good museums to offer. Such as the Western Kenya musuem, the museum in Kitale and the excellent, but small Kapenguria museum. ©Bunch of Backpackers Enjoy the white sand beaches of the south coast (Mombasa, Tiwi and Diani)
Time to relax at one the white sand beaches in Kenya. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Dance the night away in Nairobi
Let’s dance in one of the clubs of Nairobi. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Be amazed!
Inventive transportation Kenya. ©Bunch of Backpackers Get yourself some fresh fish at Kenya’s coastal region
Fresh fish. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Enjoy Kenya’s beautiful sunrises
Sunrise Kenya. ©Bunch of Backpackers. Save on Pinterest
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How to travel Kenya on a budget
Five best things to do in Lamu
Get in the mood for Kenya with these five popular songs
How to arrange a budget Kenyan safari?
An interview with the Dutch ambassador in Kenya
How to travel by bus to Lodwar
A guide to Eliye SpringsHave you been to Kenya? Let us know if we miss something in our ‘Things not to miss in Kenya’ list!
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Wow! Fantastic pics!!!! Never been to Kenya, and although I’m sure wildlife there is fantastic, it is Nairobi and Mombasa that would probably attract me the most!
Hi Els, wildlife is indeed fantastic and Kenya also has some great cities to visit :)!
Kenya is one my wish list of places to go and my top country to visit in Africa. It looks incredibly rich with culture and I’d love to visit the national parks there. Great photos and it just made me more excited for when I go (someday) !
Hope you can make it there someday Samantha!
Wow Manouk, those are really quite a lot of great things to do in Kenya. Unfortunately I haven’t been there yet, but seeing some wild game, exploring the villages and countryside like the deserts and rain forests, would definitely interest me. On the other hand, equally as fascinating seem the Masai customs and the inventive transportation options, leading me to think that I surely need to visit Kenya at some point… :)
Hi Dennis, Kenya is so diverse! I’d to recommend to anyone :)! Thanks for reading the article!
Great pics! Lamu is very high on my wishlist, but the camels-on-the-beach (I mean, camels!!), sunrises, museums and small towns also make me curious…
Great post. There are some incredible photos, and so many great suggestions! I’d love to go to Kenya someday :)
Thank you Emily!
Thats an awesome list of things to do! I would probably have to stay there for a solid month to fully immerse myself in it.
Israel | Peace and Harmony in the Ba’hai Gardens
Thanks Bianca :)!
Great tips for things to do in Kenya. Most people go on safari, but visiting the country side to connect with people is recommended as well, Thanks for sharing.
Wow Manouk, there is so much wildlife in Kenya, that would be one of the main reason that would make me going there :)
Hope you will make it there some day Franca :)! And thanks Bente (sorry for this extremely late reply)!!
Great pictures and information – I’m heading out to Kenya in July for 8 weeks volunteering but will have weekends free :) Definately plan to do more than a few of these. Thanks for sharing
Happy travels x
I traveled to Kenya in 2013 and my heart has never been the same. I miss it every day! My husband spends a lot of time over there on business and considers it his second home. It is a beautiful country and you will never meet kinder people. We will be taking our sons in 2016, and I hope that this amazing place will touch their hearts as well. Our hopes are to retire there someday……..
we went in 2012 and are headed back in a few weeks!
I’d add Mt. Elgon to your list for sure. And the David Sheldrake Wildlife Trust – the elephant orphanage, in Nairobi.
Must have been an amazing experience. Love the photos
im leaving tomorrow to travel to Kenya for the first time…. i spent 18 months in South Africa about 35 years ago… really excited to go back to Africa and experience another part of this wonderful country….
Have an amazing time Lesa!
Kenya is such a nice place indeed but we have a political stand still that can ruin your visit here, postpone until Jan 2018, hope all will be well, thanks but truth be told