Kenya is one of Africa's most exciting countries. There are over 30 game reserves as well as large private ranches teeming with buffalo, elephant, giraffe, rhino, gazelle, wildebeest, big cats and numerous other species. There are lakes lush with flamingos and a myriad of colourful birds - an ornithological paradise.

The Great Rift Valley straddles the heart of the country with its spectacular scenery and silent volcanoes, while the east coast is fringed with the white beaches and marine parks of the Indian Ocean. There are steep mountains (Africa's highest), deep forests, arid deserts, and turquoise lagoons. The country lies astride the equator but the climate is pleasant, with temperatures ranging from 12 to 27 °C at the higher altitudes and from 22 to 35 °C at sea level.

Over 50 different tribes live in Kenya - the tall, proud and fierce Maasai and their northern cousins the Samburu with their shields, spears and exquisite headwork; the Kikuyu whose homeland is the Mt. Kenya region and who make up more than 30% of the population; the Luo who fish on Lake Victoria; the nomads of Turkana and many others. Kenya is an ethnic cocktail - a colourful rainbow of people and cultures. Kenya was formerly a British colony and English remains one of the official languages. The other is Swahili.

Nairobi, Kenya's capitol, is a mixture of African, Indian and European heritage. The city began as tents and shacks at the beginning of this century when the railway from Mombasa to Uganda was being constructed. Today it is a cosmopolitan centre with high-rise buildings, tree-lined highways, international hotels and convention facilities, restaurants, nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, casinos, museums and many good shopping areas - both western and market style.