Geography Adventure in Kenya.
Think Outside The Classroom
Prices from £1395*
If you are looking for a geography adventure, rather than just any geography field trip, Kenya can provide. With everything from geothermal energy to wildlife conservation and the challenges and advantages tourism brings, to ecosystems including tropical rainforest, savannah, desert, cloud forest, mangroves, coral reefs and more, there is too much geography in Kenya for a single trip!
No matter the focus areas of study in geography, Kenya will provide. With stunning landscapes, a welcoming culture ("Karibu", or 'welcome', will be something you hear again and again), and of course the unique wildlife that inhabits the savannah ecosystem, a trip to Kenya will create lifelong memories for all of your learners.
Destinations in Africa
Kenya
Some of the highlights we would strongly suggest including on your trip to Kenya include:
For ecosystems, visits to the savannah of the Maasai Mara, the relatively accessible Mambrui Desert, the mangroves of Mida Creek, the corals of Turtle Bay, the cloud forest of the Taita Hills or the tropical Kakamega rainforest offer immersion amongst the inhabitants of these biomes.
For tourism, a look at the positive and negative impact of tourism in national parks and coastal regions, plus cultural tourism.
For population and settlement, contrasting the urban development of Nairobi and rural villages in the Maasai Mara or coastal towns.
For energy, Hell's Gate National Park and the surrounding geothermal activity used for everything from natural saunas to drinking water to electricity, or hydropower projects in other parts of Kenya.
What they will learn
Subjects available: Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography, Environmental Geography, Fieldstudies, Cultural, Farming, Conservation
From a geographical perspective, Kenya offers the chance to witness geothermal energy in action, while exploring how the volcanic activity in the Great Rift Valley shapes water supply, agriculture, and human settlement. We can also dive into conservation challenges, highlighting the stark contrasts between Kenyan national parks and those in the UK, from illegal poaching and the impact of overtourism, to the difficulties monitoring the vast size of these protected areas. Cultural tourism raises its own ethical dilemmas, and along the coast, students will encounter different tourism models that are sure to spark debate. The trip can offer a look into population and settlement dynamics, particularly the struggles faced by informal settlements in Nairobi. Students will gain insight into how local communities are coping with these challenges and explore a variety of solutions, some more successful than others.
Kenya is a land filled with geography - almost everything in a geography course can be found here in one form or another. Take a trip of geographical highlights, including contrasting ecosystems, geothermal energy and agriculture, or narrow the focus of the trip to specific areas to create your own case studies or collect data for coursework.
What's included
With more Geography in Kenya than most trips can handle we suggest our 10 day highlights of Kenya intinerary including the below, which is especially recommended for first-time visitors to Kenya. Of course, we can customise this to meet your needs or add/remove activities depending on your budget.
Cycle with zebra and giraffes on an exciting mountain bike tour of Hell's Gate National Park. Enjoy a campfire and see hippos wandering by on the other side of the fence.
Visit Olkaria Geothermal Plant and hot springs to see how the natural geothermal energy can be harnessed to generate electricity, before relaxing in the natural hot water.
See another very practical use of geothermal activity when you visit a local village harnessing steam vents to condense into a water supply.
Full day game drive in the Maasai Mara, the best place to see the 'Big Five' when in Kenya.
Learn about wildlife conservation from a park ranger.
Visit a Maasai village to learn how the Maasai manage tourism and their cultural heritage in a sustainable community-based way, with the opportunity to volunteer to help with local projects.
Depending on your interests, visit selected projects underway in Nairobi, such as small scale recycling projects, or small-scale agriculture in Africa's largest informal settlement. It is also interesting to visit Toi market to see where clothes donated to charity in countries such as the UK actually end up.
Ride camels across the spectacular dunes of Mambrui Desert and see how wildlife has adapted to live in this environment.
Take a boat tour to explore the mangroves of Mida Creek and learn about their importance in protecting the coral reefs in the Indian Ocean.
Visit the UNESCO-listed remnants of Gede, a medieval Swahili settlement on the coast.
Enjoy the white sands and turquoise waters of the most famous beach in Kenya at Watamu. Snorkel in the waters of Turtle Bay (part of the Watamu-Malindi Marine Reserve) to see the coral reef and its inhabitants. If you are lucky you may even see dolphins...
Opportunity to try a kitesurfing lesson if weather conditions allow.
Transport
If you are coming from London, there are daily direct flights to Nairobi but these can be priced steeply for their convenience. If you are open to connecting flights with layovers of around 3 hours the flight price can sometimes be significantly less. Within Kenya, depending on the group size we will organise an overland vehicle or smaller 4x4 vehicles to travel to most destinations. All vehicles are maintained to a high standard and are fitted with seatbelts, though roads can be bumpy at times. Our recommended highlights of Kenya itinerary includes the Indian Ocean coast as part of the trip, which is best accessed with domestic flights lasting around 1 hour. For a more budget-friendly trip, it is possible to replace these in either or both directions with travel by rail or road.
Accommodation
Our recommended itinerary showcasing some of the highlights of Kenya uses a mix of accommodation options, ranging from basic hotels to resort hotels complete with swimming pools to basic huts to camping in tents. This ensures students have a rich experience and we offer the best value for money on the trip. It is possible of course to change the accommodation options if you prefer, although lodge accommodation in the Maasai Mara region specifically can be pricey. Students of the same gender will share rooms and tents, whereas accompanying staff members will be given private rooms or tents.
Teacher checklist
Risk Assessments, Free Places, Education Packs, ATOL
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Guide prices are per person, based on 30 students and 3 free teachers in low season. This price includes entrance fees to national parks. International flights are extra. Subject to availability and may vary by departure date, group size and itinerary. Please ask for details.
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Geography Adventure in Kenya
If you are looking for a geography adventure, rather than just any geography field trip, Kenya can provide. With everything from geothermal energy to wildlife conservation and the challenges and advantages tourism brings, to ecosystems including tropical rainforest, savannah, desert, cloud forest, mangroves, coral reefs and more, there is too much geography in Kenya for a single trip! No matter
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