Kenya is a  beautiful  country  located  within  East  Africa  region and  takes  its  name  from  Mt Kenya,  which  is  the  second  highest  mountain  in  Africa. The  Kikuyu  people, who  mainly inhabit central Kenya, referred  to the mountain  as  Kiri-nyaga(Kirinyaga) which  literally  translates  to 'has  ostriches' while the  Embu  people called it Kerenia,  meaning  mountain  of  whiteness  because  of  the  snow  capped  peak.   The  name  Kenya  arose  from  the  inability  of  the  British  to pronounce  Kirinyaga correctly.

The  capital city  of  Kenya  is  Nairobi. The  other  cities  are  Mombasa  and  Kisumu. Major  towns  include  Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Meru, Thika  and  Kakamega.

Kenya  is  a  land  of  captive  diversity. From  the  beautiful soft  sandy beaches  at  the  Coast; the  magnificient view  of  the  snow  peaked  Mt  Kenya  to  the  diverse  habitats in  the  breathtaking Rift  Valley with its  abundant wildlife  that  includes  the  world-renowned  wildebeest  migration in  the  Maasai Mara; not forgetting  the  unique  and  diverse  culture  and  traditions  in  the  variety  of  music, song, dance and  cuisine. 

Wildlife is the prime attraction of Kenya. Wildlife safaris take place in  the world renowned national parks that  dot East  Africa such  as Masai Mara, Tsavo, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and  Serengeti.

Area and population  
Kenya occupies a total area of 582,650 sq. km and straddles the Equator. Of this area, the lakes occupy a total area of 16,600 sq. km. Kenya's current population is 35 million (Government of Kenya 2006).

Bordering countries  
Kenya shares common borders with Five (5) nations namely; Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, Sudan and Ethiopia to the North and Somali to the east.

Official languages and political system  
English is the official language of communication  while Kiswahili is the National language. Kenya is a multi-party democracy.

Time  
Kenya has a single time zone - which is GMT/UTC +3 all the year round with an almost constant 12 hours of daylight. Sun rises at 0630 hours and sets at 1845 hours daily.

Weather and Climate  
Kenya is divided by the equator and enjoys a tropical climate. It is hot and humid at the coast, temperate in  the  inland and very dry in the north and north-eastern parts of the country. Summer is from December to March with the hottest months being February and March. The coldest months are July and August. The long rains occur from April to June while  short rains are  experienced from October to December. Rainfall  tends  to  fall in  the  afternoon  and evening.

When to come  
Kenya is a year-round destination with excellent game viewing throughout the year. Visitors coming with intention to see wildbeast migration  will need to plan carefully in order that their visit can  coincide  with the procession which  varies from year to year but usually between the months of July-August. Main tourist seasons are December-January and July-August responding to the international vacation schedules. The best  time for  beach holiday is October-January.

Currency  
The unit of  currency is the Kenya Shilling (Ksh). Coins are in  denominations of  50 cents and of Ksh. 1, 5, 10, 20 and 40. Notes are in  denominations of Kshs 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000. There are no restrictions on the movement of currency into or out of Kenya for current transactions.

Credit Cards  
Most of the major cards such  as American Express,Visa, Barclaycard and  Mastercard are widely accepted throughout Kenya. 

Religion  
Christianity is the dominant religion. There is also a large precence of Muslim and Hindu following.

National Parks/Reserves  
Kenya’s national parks are wildlife and botanical sanctuaries set aside to conserve special species and for educational and recreational purposes. The total conservation area is 44,359 sq. km. The  main parks include Aberdares, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Meru, Mt. Elgon, Mt. Kenya, Nairobi, Tsavo East and West, Hell’s gate among others. There are two major marine parks namely Mombasa and Malindi. There are over 80 major animal species ranging from the biggest  animal  on land, Elephant, and the  most  elusive  predator 'leopard' to the tiny antelopes. There are over 1,500 species of birds in Kenya found in the  60 important bird areas in the country.

Historical Sites  
Kenya has over 400 historical sites such as prehistoric fossils, petrified forests, 14th century slave trading settlements, Islamic ruins and 16th century Portuguese ports.

Electricity  
Power voltage supply ranges from 220 - 240 volts with the most commonly used plugs being the 3 pin/square.

Health  
Visitors from the Far East, Central America, South, Central and West Africa may be required to have valid certificates of inoculation against yellow fever and cholera.

Visas  
All visitors to Kenya are required to have valid passports and  Visas. It is advisable for the visitors to check visa requirements through airlines, tour operators or Kenya tourist offices, Kenyan embassies or High Commissions in their respective countries before embarking on  the  trip.

Dress  
Visitors should avoid  walking  in towns or public areas in their swim-wear as this is against African culture and offends a large section of the community. Nude bathing is not allowed. Kenyans appreciate decent behavior devoid of immoral tendencies. Visitors are therefore advised to dress in  ways  that shows to  respect to the local people, their culture and traditions.

Accommodation  
You will have the choice of staying in a range of accommodation in Kenya - anything from mobile safari tented camps, to fine old lodges steeped in tradition, to modern hotels designed to blend in with their natural surroundings.

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