Northern Kenya, Kenya

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The northern half of Kenya is a vast, sparsely populated desert. The dry shrub lands and rocky wasteland is home to some of Kenya?s most interesting people, such as the Turkana, Samburu, Marakwet, Pokot, and El Molo tribes. These tribes have been influenced very little by the west, and unlike the Maasai, have had very little contact with tourists as well. They live as they did years ago by herding livestock and fishing. The people as well as the awesome scenery make Northern Kenya a nice place to visit.

The current atmosphere between the tribes of Northern Kenya is very touchy, and tribal violence has become quite common. Livestock raids between Marakwet, Pokot, and Turkana have turned violent due to use of automatic weapons, and a vicious cycle of revenge killings has emerged. This is mainly a problem with tribes west of Lake Turkana, but violence is also common east of lake, where bandits roam. The danger of bandits is so real that no one goes north of Samburu National Reserve without an armed escort.

Don?t let this prevent you from seeing some of the most spectacular parts of Kenya, however. Dispite the isolated tribal violence, the area west of the lake is still quite safe for tourists, although you may pass a few goat herders with AK-47s. From this side you can visit the town of Lodwar and camp on the shores of Lake Turkana. The only way to get east of the lake is with a tourist company, which travels with an armed escort. The companies offer safe 8-day trips, which include visits to several national parks and some of the most extraordinary desert scenery in the country. More info on: www.world66.com

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