Things to do in Kenya

Nairobi, the capital, is where most journeys begin, with a national park where wildlife roams beneath the skyline, an orphanage for young elephants and the Giraffe Centre. Its markets, museums and leafy suburbs make a good introduction before heading out on safari.

The Maasai Mara is famous for its big cats and for the Great Migration, when wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River. Amboseli offers elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, the Rift Valley lakes of Naivasha and Nakuru attract hippos and birdlife, and Samburu and Tsavo show wilder landscapes. On the coast, Mombasa, the Swahili old town of Lamu and the beaches of Diani reward a few days of rest.

Nyama choma, meat grilled and shared among friends, is a national pastime, alongside ugali, sukuma wiki greens, fragrant coastal pilau and excellent tea and coffee. The dry seasons from June to October and from late December to February are best for safari, with the migration usually in the Mara from about July to October.