1. Mombasa:

Founded in the sixteenth century, this is Kenya's second largest and oldest city. It borders the Indian Ocean and has a rich coastal culture that is a mixture of Arabic and African culture. Even the cuisine and architectural designs are reflective of this culture. Mombasa's attractions include the Old Town; Fort Jesus (a monumental piece of architecture that was built in the 16th century by the Portuguese); Mamba Village (a sanctuary for crocodiles and other reptiles); Bamburi Nature Trail (the largest animal sanctuary in Mombasa); Bombolulu Workshops (cultural centre with eight traditional homesteads) and Gedi Ruins (pre-historic ruins built entirely with rocks and stones).

2. Lamu:

The town of Lamu began life as a 14th century Swahili settlement, but the island has seen many visitors and influences, including Portuguese explorers, Turkish traders and the Omani Arabs. All left their mark, but Lamu developed its own particular culture, which has ultimately endured. The island itself is a beautiful place of rolling dunes and endless beaches, where tiny villages nestle among coconut and mango plantations and dhows sail the ocean. There are no vehicles on this island, and the donkey and the dhow remain the dominant form of transport. The people of Lamu are great believers in their tradition, which they still uphold.

3. Nairobi:

Nairobi was born in 1899, when railway construction workers set camp there and simply called it camp ‘Mile 327.' Nairobi comes from the Maasai word, Enkare Nyrobi meaning the "place of cool water". The camp became a rustic village, and then a shantytown, then a young city and eventually the full-fledged modern city that it is today. It now has the unique distinction of being the only capital city in the world with a national park next to it. Apart from Nairobi National Park, Nairobi also offers a wide variety of attractions. They include the national museum (which contains diverse cultural information and paintings); Bomas of Kenya (a haven of traditional African dances and homesteads); National Archives (contains photographs, exhibitions of handicrafts, paintings and journals of Kenya's history.) Nairobi is only 45 kilometres (30 miles) south of the equator.

4. Lakes:

Kenya is home to numerous lakes, many of them lying in the Rift Valley. These lakes are Lake Victoria, Lake Bogoria, Lake Naivasha, Lake Baringo and Lake Elmentaita. These lakes present interesting tour options from water sports to fishing. Lake Victoria also contains islands that are quite scenic and full of culture.

5. Rift Valley:

The Rift Valley is the dominant geological feature of Kenya. It runs from Ethiopia, through Lake Turkana, the Cherangani Hills, and down past the plains of the Masai Mara, into Tanzania. The Rift Valley is famous for its soda lakes, such as Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria. The Rift Valley is also home to dozens of Kenyan communities.

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