WORTH KNOWING ABOUT KENYA AND DIANI BEACH

THE COUNTRY

The Republic of Kenya is named after Mount Kenya and has a total area of 582.646 km². Its population was estimated at 37.9 million in 2008. Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. The Indian Ocean runs along the southeast border. Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya and has more than 3 million inhabitants. Kenya comprises eight provinces each headed by a Provincial Commissioner. These provinces are Rift Valley, Eastern, North Eastern, Coast, Central, Nyanza, Western and Nairobi. From the Indian Ocean the low plains rise up to the central highlands. The highlands are bisected by the Great Rift Valley - a fertile plateau in the east. Mount Kenya stands in the highlands and is a very significant landmark which measures 5.199 metres. The highest mountain in Africa however, is Mount Kilimanjaro which measures 5895 m. Mount Kilimanjaro is approximately 250 km² away from Diani Beach. Beautiful coastal areas, a long coral reef, wide savannahs with big games, snow-capped crests, a desert and a jungle are all to be found in Kenya.

 

Source map: CIA World Factbook  

Kenya is a country of great ethnic diversity. It has 52 tribes and these tribes speak more than 30 ethnic languages. The vast majority of Kenyans are Christians with 39 % being protestant and 33 % roman catholic.
7 % of the population are Muslims and 25 % practice traditional religions. The official languages are English and Swahili. The people in Kenya are friendly and helpful. Kenya has a good infrastructure for tourism.

 

THE CLIMATE
Kenya's different topographical regions have distinct climates. In the low-lying districts of Kenya, particularly along the coast, the climate is tropical. On the plateau and in the highlands the climate is more temperate. In the north and northeast parts of the country the climate is very dry. The Lake Victoria basin in western Kenya is generally the wettest region in the country. Although Kenya lies across the equator, annual rainfall over most of the country is surprisingly low and variable.
Only the coastal lowlands experience the constant high temperatures and humidity associated with equatorial latitudes. The average annual temperature for the coastal area is 30°C maximum and 22°C minimum. The rainy season lasts from April to June. Some night rain or early morning showers occur throughout the year. The driest months are January and February. January to May and October to December are the hottest months. The temperature of the ocean averages 26 °C which makes swimming, snorkelling and diving a pleasure. The regular and strong onshore winds in the daytime and the average of seven to eight hours of sunshine a day make for very pleasant weather.
In Nairobi there are normally two periods of rain: the long rains last from April to June and the short rains approximately from October to December. The highlands receive much larger amounts of rainfall. The nights are relatively cool. One can travel to Kenya all year round, as each season there is very beautiful.

 

NATIONAL PARKS
Kenya's main attraction is it's unique wildlife and the fascinating landscape. There are many national parks and reserves in Kenya. Kenya's largest game-viewing area is Tsavo National Park which is divided into Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park. Far less crowded than Kenya's more popular parks, they are home to lions, hippos, elephants, zebras and a great variety of antelopes and gazelles. Tsavo National Parks are located approximately 200 km inland from Mombasa.
Kenya's most famous national park is the Masai Mara National Reserve which forms part of the Serengeti. The whole range of African animals can be seen on the plains. The Masai Mara's most spectacular attraction is the annual migration of nearly two million wildebeest, zebra, antelopes, buffalos and impalas from July to early October. Other important national parks are: the Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Meru. Also worth seeing is the Nairobi National Park, where over 100 species of mammals and 400 species of birds have been recorded.

 

THE SOUTH COAST
The coastline south of Mombasa is a tropical paradise of palm-fringed white sand beaches, which offers optimum conditions for snorkelling, diving, swimming, angling, surfing and peaceful walks. The protective reefs have created ideal beaches with calm, inviting waters where swimming is safe. The tide provides a permanent change of panorama. The offshore reefs are filled with a multitude of fishes, invertebrates, turtles, dolphins and corals.

 

NAIROBI
Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya and the region's commercial centre. Nairobi is located 500 km from the coast and is the largest city in East Africa. It is regarded as the industrial and political heart of Kenya. Many embassies are represented in Nairobi and two UN agencies have their head office there: UNEP and Habitat. Nairobi is the region's youngest, most modern city and is enjoying a enormous growth boom.

 

MOMBASA
Mombasa, Kenya's principal port and the country's second largest city with 800.000 inhabitants, is a colourful town with a picturesque blend of ancient and modern buildings. Located on Mombasa Island in the Indian Ocean, Mombasa is an internationally significant port which not only supplies Kenya but also landlocked countries, e.g. Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the East Congo and South Sudan. Tanzania and Uganda use the port for their import-export businesses. Mombasa has steel and cement works, an oil refinery and also trades in coffee, foodstuffs and chemical goods. Mombasa is connected by rail to Nairobi and Uganda and it has an international airport (Moi International Airport).

 

DIANI BEACH
Diani Beach is situated 30 km south Mombasa. The beach is the area's major attraction - palm-fringed, long, soft, white and lovely. It comes close to the tropical dream. Diani Beach is a well-developed tourist area. There are three main shopping centres in Diani Beach and a number of boutiques, greengrocers, bakeries, supermarkets, drugstores, souvenir shops as well as modern surgery, pharmacy, mail office, petrol station and a car rental agency. Diani Beach has a growing assortment of hotels, discotheques and restaurants - some of them are luxurious by local standards.
The offshore coral reef can be swum to or can be reached by boat in ten minutes. The reef offers rewarding snorkelling and scuba-diving. It also keeps waves at bay, making paddling, and swimming close to shore a pleasure and also provides perfect conditions for windsurfing. One is likely to see turtles, mantas and barracuda amongst many other marine species on the reef. The small national park Shimba Hills is located
30 km inland from Diani Beach. Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks can be reached within a few hours by car.
Alternatively, one can travel north through Mombasa to the beaches and marine parks of Malindi and Watamu, or immerse oneself in Swahili culture on the island of Lamu. Other beautiful beaches and islands close-by include: Galu beach, Tiwi Beach, Chale Island, Funzi Island and Wasini Island.

Diani Beach is the perfect tropical holiday destination. Being one of the best places to get eye to eye with the richly diverse marine life of the southern Kenyan coast, Diani Beach is deservedly popular.

 

NEWS – OBAMA AND KENYA
Kenya is experiencing a boom phase since Barack Obama became the president of the United States. The father of the president is Kenyan and most of the president's family lives in Kenya. According to experts the "Obama-boom" will boost the Kenya's economy, particularly the real-estate sector and real estate prices. At this time we are experiencing a buyer's market in Kenya.

 

VISA
For German citizens a visa is required prior to entry into Kenya. A single-entry visa currently costs 40 EUR. A Kenyan Tourist Visa is usually valid for three months from the date of issue. Please make sure that you are well informed as to the prevailing visa conditions.