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Most of the Natural landmarks in Kenya date back to the ancient period. Some historic landmarks are natural while others are man-made. The following are some of the important natural historic landmarks in Kenya.
1. The Menengai Crater located in the Great Rift Valley is so impressive to visit. This crater, which is about 12 kilometers wide and 500m high is an incredible site for mountain hikers. The local people believe the crater hosts evil spirits. A part from this, the crater was a battle field for the Masai and the Ilaikipiak communities. The crater was a grave site for those men defeated in battle.
2. The Mau Mau caves in the Abedare National Park were the hiding place for the freedom fighters during the colonial rule. Mau Mau refers to the Kikuyu warriors who rebelled harsh rules from the white people. They spent most of their time in the forest to avoid from killed by armed white soldiers. Many Mau Mau fighters lost their lives in a rebellion war in 1959. Some of the Mau Mau leaders were the late Fred Kubai, Dedan Kimathi and many others.
3. Mount Kenya (5,199m) is the second highest peak in Africa and Kenya's highest peak. The free-standing mountain is situated in the Central province just near the equator. This mountain has three peaks namely, Batian, Nelion and Lenana. The highest peak is only reached by technical climbers. The other two peaks are easy for any mountain climber. Mount Kenya snow-capped on its peak all the year-round. This mountain was a sacred place for Kikuyu community who strongly believed that their God (Ngai) lived on the mountain. A part from climbing the mountain, this is an ideal place for game viewing and bird watching.
4. The old Fort Jesus in Mombasa was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century. This building was a port and slavery trading center. The rule over the Indian Ocean coast line was from different nationality such as the Arabs, Portuguese and the British. Today, this building is used as a museum where historic artifacts, crafts and pictures are displayed.
5. Kenya is known as the "Cradle of Mankind". Over 200 fossils of the early man were discovered by the Leakey's on the Olduvai Gorge in Turkana region. This is the home to the Turkana and the Masai community who are famous for maintaining their cultures.
6. Lake Victoria in East Africa is the second largest fresh water lake in the world and the largest in Africa. Shared between the three East African countries, this lake is ideal for fishing. Lake Victoria is the source of river Nile.
7. Mombasa is the second largest town in Kenya. It is a beautiful and busy shopping center, especially for visitors travelling to the coastal sand beaches along the Indian Ocean coastline. Swahili is the most commonly used language and English is also widely spoken by the local people. Mombasa has a mixture of foreign and local culture and majority of the people are Muslims.
8. Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. It is a business center with government buildings such as the Parliament, State House and the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC). The Uhuru Park, Nairobi University and the Nairobi Museum are all situated in Nairobi.
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Source by Jackline Mwathe