Kenya has long produced the best distance runners on earth. Eliud Kipchoge alone makes the case. But elite athletics is only one layer of what this dopamine-inducing destination offers.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s a good place for travellers who don’t want to sit still,” says Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa. “Sure, you can run and hike there, but it has plenty more to offer outdoor enthusiasts across the board. What surprises most people is just how much is packed into one destination, and how accessible it all is.”

Here’s what makes Kenya a compelling destination for active South African travellers, according to Flight Centre’s team of Travel Experts.

Iten: Where the best runners train

Known as the Home of Champions, the town of Iten sits at 2,400 metres above sea level in the Rift Valley, offering the perfect elevation for endurance training. Unsurprisingly, it has produced more elite marathon runners than anywhere else on the planet. More and more serious amateur runners are heading there to train at altitude alongside Kenyan athletes, eat simply, sleep well, and come home in better shape than they left.

“Active travellers who go to Iten expecting a challenging training camp often come back talking about how peaceful it was,” Turner adds. “Morning runs on red dirt roads through highland mist. Afternoon rest. Nutritious, whole foods. No distractions.”

A testament to the earth’s raw sculpting forces, Kenya’s Great Rift Valley is flanked by sloping escarpments, lake shores, and volcanic terrain that get trail runners excited. Routes around Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate National Park offer technical, scenic running at altitudes that will test your fitness and reward your effort.

“Hell’s Gate is also one of the few parks in East Africa where you can move at nature’s pace on foot or by mountain bike without a fence between you and the local wildlife,” Turner says. For mountaineers seeking a new frontier, she nudges towards Mount Kenya, topping out at 5,199 metres.

Cycling the highlands

The road from Nairobi into the Aberdare Range delivers a high-altitude adventure through tea plantations (Kenya is the world’s largest exporter of black tea), spectacular waterfalls, and cedar forests.

According to Turner, Kenya’s highlands suit multi-day safari cycling well – there’s enough gradient to make it interesting and enough scenery to justify stopping often. “The roads here are far quieter than anything comparable in Europe, and guided cycling routes are particularly well-established,” she says.

Walking safaris in the Maasai Mara

A walking safari provides an immersive alternative to 4×4 safaris, with all senses engaged. You read animal scat and spoor and move at a slower pace, allowing you to notice things you might miss from a vehicle seat.

“Active travellers opting for walking safaris are often the ones who’ve already done a conventional safari and want something different and more intimate,” Turner says. “This experience requires your full attention combined with physical movement, which is exactly why active and adventurous travellers love it.”

Water sports and kitesurfing

Diani Beach, on Kenya’s south coast near Mombasa, is a world-class kitesurfing destination, promising reliable trade winds, protected coral reefs, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, and more. It is also, frankly, a fine place to do absolutely nothing for a few days, according to Turner.

“Downtime near the ocean delivers what most of us need to reset,” she adds. “The beach delivers on both ends of the activity spectrum: wading through the shallows or deep-sea fishing, depending on what kind of day you’re after. It’s worth the flight to Mombasa via Nairobi from Johannesburg.”

Yes, Kenya. But why now?

The country welcomed about 2.7 million international visitors and 5.2 million intra-African travellers in 2025 (including South Africans, who can enter Kenya visa-free for a period of up to 90 days), demonstrating the depth and diversity of its travel market.

The exchange rate works in South Africans’ favour, too. R1 buys approximately 8.00* Kenyan shillings, so accommodation, guides, and experiences that would stretch a budget in Europe sit comfortably within reach in Kenya.

“Kenya is not a budget destination in the rough-travel sense,” Turner says. “But South Africans get genuine purchasing power there, and that changes what kind of trip is actually possible.”

In short, when it comes to booking a trip to Kenya, don’t walk. Run.

*According to the exchange rate on 15 June 2026

The codeshare agreement means, that effective 3 November, Kenya Airways’ international passengers will be able to combine their travel experience between respective international destinations and 18 destinations that Safarilink operates within Kenya and to Tanzania.

Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz said, “As part of our strategy to continue growing the network, we have seen the need to give travel ease to our customers by connecting their destinations. This partnership with Safarilink will significantly open up Kenya’s tourist destinations to international travellers by allowing passengers to connect from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Wilson Airport and eventually to their respective safari destinations which is a great convenience to them.”

The partnership will see Kenya Airways place its codeshare flight numbers on the Safarilink flights so that when customers from international destinations book online, they are able to book with connectivity to all  Safarilink destinations.

Commenting on the codeshare agreement, Safarilink Aviation Chief Executive Officer Alex Avedi said, “We are very pleased to be entering into this significant partnership with Kenya Airways which will provide seamless connection of passengers from the airline’s network straight into Kenya and Tanzania’s world-famous parks.”

In a statement to the airline said: “We are pleased to have received this approval. Kigali is one of the routes we have been pursuing in our expansion plan. Once we have everything in place, we will begin operations.”

Jambojet CEO Allan Kilavuka said the airline is expanding its fleet as it plans to fly to more destinations in Africa.

The low-cost airline currently flies from Kenya’s capital Nairobi to Entebbe in Uganda, and to five Kenyan destinations – Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa and Ukunda.

The 171-room City Lodge Hotel at Two Rivers Mall, Nairobi, opened on 15 January 2018 and is the group’s biggest development outside of South Africa. It is conveniently located adjacent to the Two Rivers Mall in Runda, East Africa’s largest shopping mall and mixed-use precinct. Key features include Wi-Fi, two 20-seater boardrooms, two eight-seater meeting rooms, fitness room, #Café restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and light evening meals, outdoor swimming pool and sundowner bar. Miriam Obegi, a Kenyan, is general manager and heads up a team of local staff members. 

The City Lodge Hotel Group now has three hotels in Nairobi, part of its East Africa expansion programme, including the four-star 127-room Fairview Hotel and two-star 84-room Town Lodge Upper Hill, both sharing extensive grounds with landscaped gardens in the heart of Nairobi. All three hotels are in important growth nodes and meet the needs of business and leisure travellers visiting Kenya. 

Andrew Widegger, CEO of CLHG, says, “We are very proud of our team at City Lodge Hotel at Two Rivers Mall, Nairobi, for their hard work in ensuring our guests enjoy an exceptional hospitality experience. The hotel’s four-star classification is important because it reassures business and leisure travellers that their expectations of quality standards and exceptional service will be met.” 

The additional service will commence from 27 October 2019 on a Boeing 737-800. “We are extremely excited by this announcement which shows that the new routes the partnership is helping to secure are sustainable,” said Tim Harris, Wesgro CEO. 

This expansion is in addition to flights already operating via Livingstone (four times a week), and Victoria Falls (three times a week), bringing the total to 12 weekly flights added to the Cape Town network since 2018.

The addition of two direct flights on the Nairobi route will result in five non-stop flights a week.

Western Cape Minister for Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, welcomed the announcement and said that direct connectivity has contributed to significant growth in travel between Kenya and the Western Cape. “In 2018, 53 300 two-way passengers travelled between Kenya and Cape Town, a 7% increase when compared to 2017. During January – May 2019, 23 970 two-way passengers travelled between Kenya and Cape Town, showing a significant increase of 25% when compared to the same period in 2018.”

“Through collaborations like these, we ensure that Cape Town stays the go-to-city in Africa. With our strategic placement we are able to connect businesses to opportunities across the African continent,” added Alderman James Vos, mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management in the City of Cape Town.

“Accessing tourism, trade and investment opportunities emerging in growing African economies is a key priority for the City of Cape Town. According to Wesgro’s research, over half of companies surveyed on their Africa strategy found that Cape Town was the best or one of the best cities for doing business on the continent. Greater connectivity will make our City even more attractive. We therefore warmly welcome this announcement, and wish Kenya Airways great success.”

Since its inception in 2015, Cape Town Air Access has assisted landing 15 new routes and 21 routes expansions. During this period, more than 750,000 inbound seats were added to its international network.

“Our focus is on delivering a quality passenger experience, time and time again. We never take for granted when an airline makes a commitment to our destination. This is why the airport team continues to play its role in the region by delivering a quality service, a role we take seriously,” ” said Deon Cloete, general manager of Cape Town International Airport.

Visitors to national parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas will not be allowed to carry disposable plates, cups, straws, spoons, forks and water bottles, which are considered major environmental pollutants.

The ban, announced in Canada where the President addressed the opening plenary of Day 3 of the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, will take effect on June 5, 2020.

Plastics have become a major nuisance for the environment with many littering the oceans, forests and even blocking drainages.

“Sustainable environment is a guarantee to a healthy, better and productive society. And that is why women and girls who are key victims of unsustainable practices must own this campaign as part of the gender equality campaign,” President Kenyatta said.

The conference focus is on gender equality, the health rights and wellbeing of girls and women across the globe under the theme: ‘Power, Progress, Change’, through which it seeks to inspire women to take up their position in bringing positive change in their societies.

The President’s order comes just days after the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) raised a red flag over the possible return on the use of plastic bags.

Kenya outlawed the use of plastics carrier bags in 2016 and has been considering extending the ban to other single-use products.

It is not clear why the President singled out the protected areas in the Wednesday ban.

But, a source at the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife told the Nation that the enforcement in protected areas has not been effective with visitors carrying in the polluting agents and dumping them.

About eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the Indian Ocean yearly, according to the UN Environment Department.

Tonnes of water bottles and other plastic waste is collected from oceans, especially during coastal clean-up days.

Plastics have also been found in marine animals’ stomachs,

In 2017, Kenya joined 40 other countries in the fight against ocean and sea pollution as part of interventions to roll back the consequences of an increasingly polluted planet.

The country signed to take part in the United Nations Environment #CleanSeas campaign that aims at countering the torrents of plastic trash degrading oceans and seas and endangering the life they sustain.

The 40 countries within coastal lines, from Kenya to Indonesia and Canada to Brazil, account for more than half of the world’s coastline.

They also committed to fight against marine litter and ocean pollution, and announced measures including drives to increase recycling in their respective countries.

Once the Conservancy has secured the relevant permits from the Government of Kenya, it will again be able to offer the walking safaris.

The Conservancy will continue to offer guided walking safaris at Elewana Elephant Pepper Masai Mara, Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli,  Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp and Elewana Loisaba Starbeds.

The arrangement is an opportunity for travelers to connect from New York, using the direct flight from Nairobi, to other cities within the US and Canada opening many more opportunities at more competitive fares.

Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Sebastian Mikosz said, “As part of our commitment to the New York route, we are proud to be a part of this partnership that will open up opportunities for our customers to access more destinations in North America through the John F. Kennedy Airport.”

The CEO said the New York route continues to be a strategic route for Kenya Airways and as an Airline are firmly committed to it as we gear up for Summer 2019 season which is a high flying season. Beginning June, Kenya Airways will increase its frequency to New York from 5 days a week to 7 days a week. This is expected to open more opportunities for travelers to take advantage of this route during this high season.

The codeshare agreement is also in line with Kenya Airways’ broader strategy to assert its presence and expand connectivity across Africa while opening opportunities for tourism, trade and investment.

In October 2018, Kenya Airways launched direct flight from Nairobi to New York, a route which has opened opportunities for both business and leisure travelers, a first of its kind in the region.

The partnership is bound to boost business travel and tourism between Italy and Kenya, giving tourists and business travellers more travel options and better flight schedules also when travelling to central and southern Africa and to Europe through the two airlines’ hubs in Rome and Nairobi.

The new codeshare flights are available for sale through the airlines’ reservation systems and in travel agencies from 14 March 2019, for travels from 12 June 2019 when Kenya Airways will inaugurate its four-weekly service between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, Rome.

Alitalia will apply its ‘AZ’ code on many services operated by Kenya Airways beyond Nairobi to Mombasa and Kisumu in Kenya, as well as to a further 19 African destinations, such as: Abidjan (Ivory Coast); Accra (Ghana); Addis Ababa (Ethiopia); Antananarivo (Madagascar); Brazzaville (Congo); Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar (Tanzania); Douala (Cameroon); Johannesburg (South Africa); Kigali (Rwanda); Khartoum (Sudan); Kinshasa and Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo); Lagos (Nigeria); Maputo and Nampula (Mozambique); Moroni-Hahaya (Comoros); Seychelles.

Alitalia is also widening its network in Africa, where the Italian airline now operates direct services to Johannesburg, Casablanca, Algeri, Tunis and Cairo, by placing its “AZ” flight code on Kenya Airways’ new service between Rome and Nairobi.

Kenya Airways will expand its offer to Italy and Europe by placing its ‘KQ’ flight code on Alitalia’s services from Rome to 16 Italian domestic destinations (Brindisi, Bologna, Bari, Catania, Florence, Genoa, Lamezia Terme, Milan Malpensa, Naples, Palermo, Pisa, Reggio Calabria, Turin, Trieste, Venice and Verona) and to 9 international destinations (Athens, Barcelona, Casablanca, Geneva, Larnaca, Madrid, Malaga, Malta and Valencia).

The increased flights between Charles de Gaulle Airport and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are part of the airline’s strategy to expand its African network.

“We will be increasing our flights on the Paris-Nairobi route to five flights a week and we are confident that we will continue this growth in the coming years,” said Arthur Dieffenthaler, Air France General Manager for Eastern Africa region.

He was speaking during an event that brought together French companies in Kenya, organized by the French Chamber of Commerce ahead of the state visit to Kenya by the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

He added that following the resumption of flights to Nairobi, the airline has seen increased demand attributable to growing trade between Kenya and France.

“Immediately we resumed flights on the Paris-Nairobi route, we recorded higher bookings with our partner Kenya Airways. Our return to this market signifies the confidence we have in strengthened ties between Kenya and France,” explained Dieffenthaler.

Air France will operate the latest generation aircraft on the route Boeing 787- 9 equipped with the state-of-the-art cabin features to ensure a superior customer experience