Five Places President Obama Should Visit While in Kenya

Posted by The New York Times

A herd of elephants in the Masai Mara. CreditJames Hill for The New York Times

As President Barack Obama lands in Kenya on Friday, concerns about security during his two-day visit will limit his movements to the capital, Nairobi. The trip, his first there as president, is a homecoming of sorts for Mr. Obama who visited the African nation and the birthplace of his father in 1988 but hasn’t been back since. Given the constraints of presidential security, Mr. Obama won’t have much chance to visit a country that has plenty to offer, including Africa’s second-highest mountain, wildlife reserves and an elephant rescue center.

Here are five places that travelers to Kenya — including President Obama — should consider:

Masai Mara National Reserve

The “Great Migration” has just arrived in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, and there’s no better time to see the spectacle of some 1.4 million wildebeest, 250,000 Burchell’s zebras and a smattering of trailing Thomson’s gazelles making the yearlong, round-trip trek from Tanzania’s Serengeti to the Masai Mara. Marett Taylor, a travel expert at upscale trip outfitter Abercrombie & Kent who has spent half her life in Kenya, said that a hot-air balloon ride is the best way to take in its magnitude.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a Unesco World Heritage site in northern Kenya, is home to 12 percent of Kenya’s black rhinoceros population and the largest single population of Grévy’s zebras in the world. The best way to discover this is in a mobile tented camp, likely the most authentic form of safari, and a true immersion into the sights and sounds of the bush, said Ms. Taylor.

Daphne Sheldrick’s Orphanage

Daphne Sheldrick’s Orphanage just outside Nairobi is the place to go to see young elephants lovingly interact with their handlers. It is run by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a pioneering organization that looks after orphaned elephants. These elephants are usually abandoned because members of their herd have been killed by poachers. The organization has rescued more than a 150 baby elephants that might not have survived otherwise.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world and the largest in Africa. Michael King, the owner of the Kansas City-based Great Getaways Travel and a Kenya specialist, recommends visiting the Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Ngamba Island where 50 of the animals roam around freely. Ms. Taylor said that the lake is home to the Luo tribe who are experts in fishing.

Mount Kenya
Towering at 17,000 feet and Africa’s second highest mountain after Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya is an hour’s flight northeast of Nairobi. The climb up and ascent back down takes about five days. “It’s intense,” said Mr. King, “but the sights from the top are beautiful and you get far less cloud cover than Kilimanjaro.”