Located in East Africa, Kenya is a land of contrasts and diversity, from the snow- capped slopes of Mt. Kenya in the cool central highlands, to the sunny white tropical beaches, the rain forests, plains and the Savannah grasslands.

Kenya is bordered by the Indian Ocean on the eastern side which has the important historical ports of Mombasa and Malindi where goods from Arabian and Asian traders entered the continent for many centuries. Together with Lamu, the three historic centres have made a great contribution to Kenya’s musical and culinary heritage. Some of the finest beaches in Africa are also found along Kenya’s coastline, including Diani in the South Coast, to the North Coast’s Kilifi, Watamu and Malindi.

Inland, there are populous highlands famed for both tea and coffee plantations, and a variety of wild animal species. The western counties of Kenya are marked by lakes and rivers, some are forested, while a small portion of the north is made up of desert and semi-desert.

Kenya is also known as the cradle of mankind, where recent fossil evidence suggests that man took his first steps in Kenya’s Rift Valley. The country also has a rich cultural heritage, with 45 ethnic groups, each with its own language, traditional cuisines, clothing, traditional arts and crafts, architecture, oral literature and socio- economic activities. This mix includes the world renown Maasai people, often clad in bright red robes, and long, red ochre-stained hair and the coastal Swahili, with a unique blend of African, Arab, Persian, Turk, Indian, Portuguese and British cultures brought about by centuries of trade in ivory, slaves and spices. Renowned for their hospitality, Kenyan people gladly share their culture and way of living with tourists.