Over the Easter weekend, I was reading a copy of Lonely Planet Kenya book. It's an excellent guide, but with a somewhat skewed view of Kenya. e.g. it begins with an abbreviated history of Kenya, which has several paragraphs on Richard Leakey, as politician, but no mention of Kenneth Matiba, and also shows that Chief Lenana's transfer of Masai Land was an okay thing to do.
But it is a revealing insight into Kenya, a country with so much diversity for tourists. There are so many place I have never been to - Lake Baringo, Magadi, Tana river, Marsabit, Gede, Baragoi (learnt that one from AfroM recent travels) and others.
I feel ashamed that whenever I want a holiday, it’s always Mombasa that I want visit again and again. I need to explore my horizons and check out other new places which foreign tourists travel thousands of miles to see and write about, besides shags. Starting with the official Kenya Tourism website.
13 comments:
Tell me about it. Kenya is so vast with so many places to go to but local tourism is usually just to the coast...thats about it. We need to go to all the other lush places that our country has. Just found out there are white water rafting tours along the tana river which looks like so much fun! There's a world of adventure out there.
I have some jungu friends who went off to Naivasha for Easter to spend the weekend in a treehouse. As in a house in a tree. A two story loft in a tree.
Have you ever heard of that one?
Methinks yes, Kenyans are too narrow minded about their local holiday destinations BUT the fact is that some of these more exotic, unexplored destinations are simply too expensive for the average Kenyan.
I think the local industry also must follow the example set by hotels in Coast to make it more affordable for Kenyans to visit these places.
Altho i also think they deliberately want to maintain the 'exclusivity' element.
Banks, I need a holiday and missed out on Easter cos of jobbo. Wanna explore Magical Kenya with me?
Hands off I promise!
kipepeo: Tana rafting sounds interesting. One of teh places I had wanted to visit (even before last week) was Marsabit to see teh mountains, elephants etc.
Ms K: Looking forward to a hands off holiday, starting at Buffet of course. The Baks has given us another holiday (Friday is national prayer day). I agree some places price themsleves high, to maintain that 'exclusive' identity and keep out us locals
Hi Banks, i went to Malindi for the holiday and thinks Mombasa is half it. I have heard of Lamu and Watamu too so if you think Coast just dont think Mombasa.
Nway i have gone to Naivasha twice but the baridi daddy, it is too much!
The best way to go for holiday is get a package coz like the guy who was hosting us also threw a good deal of pints and some other many freebies.
You can check it out at www.kenya-travel.com tho he only deals with Malindi
I hear there is also fun at Sagana (the water rafting at all and the jumping) most corporates go for team building.
I will give you more info about it but as you said it there are more than 100 places to go.
And also some places are expensive. Try Funzi Island..just google and see how much it costs. I also hear the Mara is ok.
I am officially doing a holiday account for just traveling when i want to bana
wow bankelele, very useful information. I am a culprit, not knowing my own country well and the beauty of it but so quick to go on Safari's elsewhere! I must admit when in Kenya, I only go shags. I think it's a combination of ignorance and also the fact that local tourism was never marketed to Kenyans! Is it different now? Thanks, will keep that link.
The title for your post is getting me. I think i cracked a rib laughing (I get amused so easily!)
There is a spot in the middle of Kakamega forest called Rondo Retreat Centre (rondoretreat.com) it is peaceful and beautiful. No pints allowed though. It is not too far from shags, so a detour wouldnt be too out of the way.
If there is one thing I like about Lonely Planets is that they really take on board the views of other travellers. So maybe once you have completed your tour of Kenya you could write to them with an update list? It may even be worth a try to inform of them of some of those 'skewed' views you mentioned.
True true. I think I also fall in that category of Mombasa being THE vacation destination. Travelling to Thompson Falls in Nyahururu was a treat for me (that's if you don't mind getting muddy)
Shiroh: have not been to malindi since i was a kid (and then airport only), but I still feel drawn to mombasa. will check out www.kenya-travel.com
AK: I must say that there's a small campgain usualy in the low season to create domestic tourism packages
AfroM; It seems there are so many hidden gems in KK - I have only been to Savona Isle which is a 'island-like' resort there
Mama J: The Lonely Planet book is very good, I must say. As for my tour of Kenya, that will take a few more years
Kabinti: Quite a bit of (non-wildlife) tourism activity is going on in the Mt. Kenya area and are worth checking out - hiking, mountain running & biking, corporate team buildings, fishing etc.
allow me to say that i have done not so badly from kisumu to isibania across to tz to tarime back kisii then to naivasha(fisherman's, crater lake the ideal clande joint) back to nai down to voi, kibwezi, all the way down. The mara, sagana, samburu, tsavo next project central province oh did i say Loki(too hot). Kemya has so much more to see...
I read an interesting CNN Article on Lamu this morning: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/04/19/east.africa.islands.ap/index.html True... we are an amazing tourist destination.
Bankmeister!
Asante for this wake-up call! I agree we simply just want to run to our little holiday comfort zones, as myopic as it may be - especially when we are all affirmatively headnodding strongly when someone suggests "Let's do Coasto"
2 Things:
- Agree with Ms K. Kenyans have too much on their budget plates to start considering some of the exorbitant charges for holidays in some of this creative vacation hotspots
- Kenya Tourism Board might want to put together a local tourism drive / packages (affordable to the average holiday-wishing Kenyan) as a strategy to allow Kenyans to explore more of their country more affordably, allow Kenyans to gain more knowledge/confidence in what Kenya has to offer as a tourism destination and give us more options as to where we can go (and eventually recommend to potential tourists we might know as we have ACTUALLY been to some of those places)
End of the day? We get to see more of Kenya, and tourism thrives :-)
- Kenya Tourism Board might want to put together a local tourism drive / packages (affordable to the average holiday-wishing Kenyan) as a strategy to allow Kenyans to explore more of their country more affordably, allow Kenyans to gain more knowledge/confidence in what Kenya has to offer as a tourism destination and give us more options as to where we can go (and eventually recommend to potential tourists we might know
By the way there are a lot of packages around if you are really willing. Just talk to the persons who penda travelling like Gishungwa.
you can also check out www.kenyabeautifulhomes.com courtesy of Kipepeo
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