Kenya has two major cities, the high-altitude, colonial-built capital, Nairobi and the ancient Swahili trading port of Mombasa. But what really draws the tourists is the great outdoors. Kenya is the heart of African safari country, boasting the most diverse collection of wild animals on the continent. And no matter how many Tarzan movies you've seen, nothing will prepare you for the annual mass migration of wildebeests.

The Mara (as the old hands like to call it) is the most popular game park in Kenya. Abounding with wildlife and taking in a vast slab of the Serengeti, this 320-sq-km reserve is anything but plain. Few visitors miss roaming at least part of its vast open grasslands - or leaping out of the way of the yearly wildebeest stampede. A reserve rather than a national park (the Maasai people are allowed to graze and hunt animals here), the Mara includes a Maasai village that's open to tourists.

Kakamega is a superb slab of virgin tropical rainforest in the heart of an intensively cultivated agricultural area of Western Kenya. It's home to a huge variety of birds and animals and is well worth the minimal effort required to get to it. The forest area of the reserve is where you'll find a number of primate species including the red-tailed monkey, black & white colobus monkey and the blue monkey.

Budget travelers get by on about US$15-20 a day. Tipping is expected with the usual tip being 5-10% of the bill. Employees on tours rely on tips to get by; around US$3 per day per employee is the right amount. Foreign exchange bureaus are the best places to change money. Their rates are competitive and they don't charge commission. Banks will change money, but their commission can be steep. There are over 140 ATMs. Barclays has the largest network, with more than 65 ATMs located in Nairobi and Mombasa and all other major towns.

Warning: Nairobi isn't referred to as 'Nairobbery' for nothing. The areas around River Rd and Uhuru Park are particularly notorious for muggings, day or night, as are Mombasa's beaches.