16 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Kenya

Mombasa is a multicultural tourist magnet. It's also Kenya's second largest city and biggest port.

North of Mombasa on the Kenyan coast, Malindi has a split personality. This popular beach town is part historic old town, part modern tourist hub. Thanks to its rich trading history, it is also a melting pot of cultures and cuisines.

Located near the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Nursery, the Giraffe Center is a must-visit attraction near Nairobi National Park.

Who can resist a baby elephant? At the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, you can mingle with impossibly cute baby pachyderms and feel good about supporting an important conservation organization at the same time.

Who says you need to go far from Nairobi to enjoy a safari? A mere 15-minute drive from the clamor of Kenya's capital, you can gaze at a snoozing pride of lions or a graceful giraffe strutting through the golden grass at Nairobi National Park.

If you're looking for things to do in Kenya other than a safari, you'll have plenty of choices in the country's capital and largest city.

A haven for birders, Lake Naivasha lies at the highest point of the Great Rift Valley. More than 400 species of birds have been spotted here, including African fish eagles, jacanas, white-fronted bee-eaters, and several species of kingfishers.

The small island of Lamu, northeast of Mombasa, oozes old-world charm. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lamu Old Town is Kenya's oldest continually inhabited settlement, with origins dating back to the 12th century.

Lake Nakuru National Park, in Central Kenya, is famous for its huge flocks of pink flamingos.

On the banks of the palm-lined Ewaso Nyiro River, Samburu, Buffalo Springs, and Shaba Reserves lie in an arid region in the remote north of Kenya.

Kenya's largest park, Tsavo, is sliced in two: Tsavo West and Tsavo East. Together these parks comprise four percent of the country's total area and encompass rivers, waterfalls, savannah, volcanic hills, a massive lava-rock plateau, and an impressive diversity of wildlife.

Crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, Amboseli National Reserve is one of Kenya's most popular tourist parks.