5 Alternative Activities In Kenya

Photo by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash

Kenya is a vacation destination for safaris and is home to some of the most incredible wildlife scenes in the world. Nonetheless, there is a lot more to do in Kenya than a safari, so don’t mistake it as a one-trick pony. Why not try some of these alternative suggestions?

Mount Kenya

This mountain is Africa’s second-highest but is far less known than Kilimanjaro. If you want a trek that is less crowded so you can enjoy the spectacular views, this is the climb for you. A guided trek will take 5 days from start to finish.

Diani Beach

This beach has 17 km of white velvet-like sand and clear turquoise water. It’s great for a relaxing day but also hosts a range of outdoor sports. From skydiving to jetskiing, there is an activity for every thrill seeker.

Sail on a Traditional Dhow

In Lamu Island in northern Kenya, you can still find the impressive dhow, a sailing vessel from Swahili past. Take a sunset trip or a snorkeling tour to really experience this collection of islands in a traditional way.

Dance the Night Away

Kenya’s capital Nairobi boasts a trendy nightlife. You will find numerous bars, clubs and cocktail lounges to let your hair down and party all night. 

Lake Turkana

Step back in time with a visit to this National Park. The active volcanoes and landscape set the scene of a prehistoric destination. You may not find dinosaurs but you can see the world’s largest group of Nile crocodiles.

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photo by @randyolson | words by @neilshea13 — This is nearly the best of all endings. The wind is down, no pirates in sight, and there, in the net, is a fish. It’s not big, not small. Certainly it could have been larger, and yes, there might have been more. But, rejoice. The day is done and here is meat. You notice the fish’s eyes do not catch the colors of sunset. They are filmed over, reflecting nothing, gray as beach glass, which means the fish has been a while in the net. It’s too dead to sell, but not too dead for eating. So, dinner. Or breakfast! Really it depends on your wife. Probably she’ll want to feed the children in the morning. We drift out of the reeds and pull up alongside your canoe. The boats knock softly. A band of bright blue beads encircles your thready bicep. Out there birds are crying. Have you caught anything else? I ask, and you smile and say No, nothing, and then there is nothing else to say. So we sit a few moments, all of us together, silent, and watch the sun sink behind distant mountains. Soon it is too dark for note-taking and photography, but before the light has gone completely you stand and cast the net. Old Coke bottles will keep it afloat overnight. It’s like a coin toss, and tomorrow you’ll return early. No matter what you find—something, or nothing—you’ll cast again. Is this faith? You shrugged and said Everyone has their work. Then you turned and poled home. It was one of those rare evenings: empty of expectation. You were steady at twilight, last man on the water. Heading back happy to the same old beach. This is our final dispatch from Kenya’s Lake Turkana. Thank you all for joining us! In the next few days we’ll follow up with a couple of behind-the-scenes shots, and we hope to be back soon with more stories—if we can convince our bosses @natgeo to keep this concept alive. You can find the entire series archived at #NGwatershedstories, and please follow us @randyolson and @neilshea13 for more. #2014 #africa #kenya #laketurkana #lake #jadesea #illeret #daasanach #tribe #man #fish #work #labor #sunset #culture #portrait #documentary #everydayafrica #truestory @thephotosociety @geneticislands

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