The holiday season is beckoning and the first though is “where are we going this year?” Mombasa and the whole of coastal Kenya will be populated by Nairobians and that doesn’t scream relaxation. Other than the coast, here a few places that you can visit without a visa as a Kenyan, in no particular order:
Eastern Africa
Our Eastern African neighbours as listed below, allow Kenyans to visit their countries visa free. It is expected, we are neighbours after all right?
Ethiopia- apart from their really good coffee and a bunch of historical sites, a place to visit is Erta Ale. It is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar Region of north eastern Ethiopia moreover is the most active volcano in the nation.
Eritrea- while in Eritrea, pay a visit Massawa it is a port city in Eritrea, on Africa's Red Sea coast. In the old town there’s a mix of Italian, Egyptian and Ottoman architecture. A famous site is the Ruins of the Banko Italia in the center of Massawa.
Tanzania- Mt Kilimanjaro isn’t the only attraction in Tanzania, the Ngorongoro crater is an amazing site to visit.
Uganda- the land of bananas offers amazing wildlife and forestry not seen anywhere else in Africa. A key place to visit is the The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.It is home to many of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
Rwanda- the land of a thousand hills has a number of national parks. One of the prominent ones is the Volcanoes National park that acts as a reserve for gorillas and monkeys.
Burundi- A key place to visit while in Burundi is The Chutes de la Kagera (Kagera Falls or Chutes de la Karera) a spectacular series of waterfalls in south eastern Burundi.
Rest of Africa
Here are the rest of the African nations that allow Kenyans to travel visa free.The motherland will be explored:
Malawi- an place to visit while in Malawi is Chongoni Rock Art Area, is located in the Central Region of Malawi consisting of 127 sites in the forested hills of the Malawi plateau with depictions of rock art and paintings of the farmer community of the Late Stone Age and the Iron Age period
Ghana- Apart from the amazing music and food, Ghana is famous for the historical site. One of the prominent ones is the Cape Coast Castle whereby slaves were held.
Namibia- a place that should not miss in your visit to Namibia is Twyfelfontein. It is a site of ancient rock engravings consisting of a spring in a valley on the side of the slopes of a sandstone table mountain.
Lesotho- the quiet little southern Africa nation holds one of the only two ski resorts in Southern Africa. Is it called Afriski Mountain Resort located near the border of Lesotho and South Africa
Gambia- The west African country although not well known is a major historical nation. The country was part of the West African slave trade and as a result the Kunta Kinteh Island, formerly called James Island and St Andrew's Island. The ruins were renamed Kunta Kinte after the Gambia slave Kunta Kinte. The island is a UNESCO heritage site.
Mauritius- apart from the amazing beaches, Mauritius houses the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, commonly known as the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden. It the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere
Swaziland- Kings bridal ceremony aside, Swaziland is a land of many wonders. The nation has a number of wildlife sanctuaries and game reserves. One of the most famous is the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Ezulwini Valley of central Swaziland. It is home to animals such as antelopes and zebras, as well as many birds.
Zimbabwe- apart from the many parks and reserves, Zimbabwe houses Great Zimbabwe, a ruined city that was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe in the late Iron age. It is said to have housed the monarchs of that time and it is seen as a symbol of power.
Benin- a place to visit while in Benin is the UESCO Heritage site know as The Royal Palaces of Abomey. They are 12 palaces spread over an area of 100 acres. It was formerly the capital of the West African Kingdom of Dahomey.
We don’t know about you, but our bags are packed and ready for an adventure. Shall we meet at the airport?
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