In Kenya, Nairobi is seen as the hub of culture with an array of cultural destinations present within its confines and surrounding environs. But beyond the capital city as well, Kenya has destinations which, similar to Nairobi, draw a spectrum of tourists, scholars, and creatives to visit and attend events held there. Here are five of those cultural destinations outside Nairobi worth visiting.
Thimlich Ohinga Historic Site
Located North-West of Migori, the second most viable urban center in Luo Nyanza after Kisumu City, the Thimlich Ohinga Historic Site is a destination of stone-built ruins from undressed blocks, stones and also rocks set in place without mortar which are said to act as a testimony of 16th to mid-20th century settlement traditions in the Lake Victoria Basin. The name Thimlich means “frightening dense forest” and Ohinga means “a large fortress” in Dholuo. This Historical site has in recent times become a Kenyan pop- Culture destination with one of the most acclaimed Kenyan films released in 2023 Where The River Divides having been filmed here.
Fort Jesus
Mombasa’s most visited tourist attraction, the Fort Jesus is a fortification designed and built by Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati between 1593 and 1596 by order of King Felipe I of Portugal to guard the port of Mombasa. Fort Jesus in modern times has become a popular destination for foreign and local tourists interested in a showcase of Middle-Age Portuguese renaissance architecture. Fort Jesus Entry Fees are Ksh 1200 for adult tourists, 600 for child tourists, 400 for East African adults, 200 for East African children, 200 for Kenyan citizen adults and Ksh 100 for Kenyan children. Fort Jesus is located off Mombasa’s Nkrumah Road.
Hyrax Hill Museum
Hyrax Hill which is located only 4 Kilometres away from the Nakuru Town CBD, is a location where discoveries of prehistoric relics, courtesy of archaeological excavations by British paleoanthropologist Mary Douglas Leakey, were made in 1938. It was proclaimed as a Prehistoric Site and national monument in 1945 and later opened to the public in 1965. The charged admission fee into Hyrax Hill for local tourists is Ksh 500 for adults and Ksh 100 for children, with Non-Kenyan tourists charged Ksh 1200 for adults and Ksh 600 for children.
Hell’s Gate National Park
It would be remiss not to include Hell’s Gate in our list of top cultural destinations outside Nairobi worth visiting. Hell’s Gate National Park houses an array of attractions for visitors such as the Maasai Cultural Centre which showcases the Maasai tribe’s culture and traditions and the Olkaria Geothermal Station, a first of its kind geothermal power generation facility whose energy is derived from underneath the park’s hot springs and geysers. The park also provides several elevated camping grounds where campers can experience beautiful scenery of the park’s vegetation and wildlife.
Located south of Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate National Park is named after a tributary of a prehistoric lake that fed early humans which was named Hell’s Gate by explorers Gustav Fischer and Joseph Thomson in 1883. For pop-culture enthusiasts, Hell’s Gate inspired the main setting of the popular animated film The Lion King (1994) and the 2003 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, making it a must visit destination.
Olorgesailie Village
Olorgesailie Village along Magadi road in Kajiado has in the past been declared the best tourism village in the world by The World Tourism Organization. An Acheulian site, Olorgesailie Village became known after prehistoric artefacts were discovered by British geologist John Walter Gregory in 1919. For over 100 years since then, more and more discoveries have been made at Olorgesailie.
The village offers visitors activities such as mountain climbing, bird watching and the occasional visit to a unique Baboon camp located within it.
