A Luxurious Wander Around Kenya: the Best Attractions and Hotels in Africa

If you’re seeking a slightly different luxury vacation, consider Kenya: an exotic locale that’s off the beaten track. Kenya is often overlooked as a luxurious destination, but it has an abundant supply of options for those of us who enjoy the finer things in life.

You’ll see some of the continent’s best wildlife, landscape, and white sand beaches. It’s definitely a “must see” for safari lovers.

We’ll take you through a few of the country’s best areas and discuss some of the best luxury hotels in Kenya so you can plan your trip.

Masai Mara Reserve:

The Masai Mara National Reserve is a huge national park in Kenya. It’s found in south-western part of the country and covers about 1530 square kilometers of grasslands.

You’ll see all of Africa’s “big five” animals at the Masai Mara Reserve: lions, African elephants, cape buffalo, leopards and black rhinos (severely endangered), which is why it’s popular among tourists! The Masai Mara Reserve is also home to hippopotami, cheetahs, gazelles, wildebeest, antelopes, zebra and more.

The Masai Mara Reserve is where the Great Annual Wildlife Migration happens every year from July to October. Millions of wildebeest, zebra and antelope trek from Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains to the Masai Mara National Reserve in search of food and water.

Luckily for tourists to the area, there are some fabulous places to stay inside the park, including a great luxury camp called “Governor’s Moran Camp”.

Governors’ Camp in the Masai Mara Reserve is really intimate with 17 en-suite tents all placed around a large watering hole in quite a remote location.

The watering hole attracts all kinds of wildlife, so stay on the lookout for creatures great and small.

Guests at Governors’ are hardly “roughing it” – each tent has its own en-suite washroom, hot running water and bidets. From here, guests can arrange excursions around the reserve to see Africa’s best wildlife in action!

Nairobi:

Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. It’s East Africa’s best city for shopping, nightlife and tourist attractions.

During your trip to Nairobi, you’ll definitely want to check out the Karen Blixen Museum. It’s the farmhouse where the famous author of Out of Africa lived between 1914 and 1931.

You might also want to spend some time at the Giraffe Centre (http://www.giraffecenter.org/) where you can feed the giraffes at their level and at the Nairobi National Park, where you can see some of the rare black rhinos that are almost extinct!

If you’re a shopaholic, you’ll want to spend a day at The Village Market. This huge mall has more than 150 stores. Fridays are a particularly good day to visit because there’s an open air Maasai market with crafts from local tourists. The Market also has a slew of restaurants, a movie theatre and a bowling alley. Very civilized!

It’s also the location of one of the best luxury hotels in Nairobi : Tribe – the Village Market Hotel, where visiting diplomats, politicians and VIPs stay. It’s one of the country’s finest hotels.

Tribe Hotel is right next to the Village Market and is located in the upscale Gigiri suburb of the city. Rooms are adorned with hand-picked Kenyan art and furnishings, and are the epitome of comfort.

Msambweni:

Sand seekers looking for an exotic beach vacation should look no further than Kenya’s Msambweni.  This stretch of beach is in the south part of the country and is much less touristy than the areas to the north.

This is where you can get away from the crowds to tan, snorkel, swim and dive.

The best hotel in the area is Msambweni Beach House and Private Villas. Surrounded by 28 acres of land, this six-room hotel gives a guest experience like no other.

The Main House features high ceilings, three luxurious rooms with private verandas and a traditional Swahili decor. Two luxurious villas are close to the main house and have their own swimming pools and Jacuzzis facing the ocean!

Lastly, for guests who want a true safari experience, this hotel has a luxury tent.