Kenya is where “going on safari” started back in 1895 when the British Empire established the East Africa Protectorate. White hunters then popularized safari in Kenya with trophy hunters, including big names like Teddy Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. After the second world war, vast numbers of tourists started traveling to Kenya, lured by stories of plenitudes of wild animals; more than 3 million large mammals were roving East Africa’s plains at the time. Today visitors continue to flock to this East African destination each year. Although humans have made their mark, Kenya still holds onto its pristine wilderness.

Kenya lies on Africa’s east coast. Uganda borders it to the west, Tanzania to the south, South Sudan and Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast. It’s a land of astonishing diversity with extraordinary tourist attractions excellent for wilderness adventure vacations. Nairobi, the capital, is a bustling city where colonial buildings rub shoulders with modern skyscrapers, while steamy, coastal Mombasa retains its solid Arabic influence and history as it continues to be Kenya’s largest and busiest port.

Kenya is an excellent addition to gorilla trekking in the neighboring Uganda or Rwanda. But if you want to wander only around the savannah wild, the destination on its own is fulfilling. To avoid the COVID-19 bureaucracy, you don’t have to cross any borders. The coastal beaches provide a perfect getaway vacation to end your safari.