There are mixed emotions about Kenya these days. A few years ago, when people thought of Kenya, they imagined a safari into the heart some of the most amazing wildlife parks in the world. The Kenyan government has done a great job of marketing Kenya, with companies like McDonalds and Survivor, as the number one African safari country - almost going as far as making people think that the Serengeti and Mt. Kilimanjaro where actually in Kenya, when in fact they are in neighboring Tanzania.

Others scientific-type people know Kenya as being the "cradle of humanity," where anthropologists have found some of the oldest human remains. And, these days, a number of people think Kenya is an unstable country where supposedly Osama Bin Laden operates - and helped to destroy the American Embassy in both Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

Regardless of how you perceive Kenya, it still remains the entrance to spectacular wildlife, unexplored mountain ranges and cultures, and old thriving Swahili cities. Sadly, though, Kenya's economy has decayed, the government corruption has increased, crime has become more commonplace, and the security situation has destabilized in the north (and in a few other parts). You can - and thousands of people do - visit Kenya each year and have no problem. If you're a bit attentive, and don't mind a little bit of chaos, Kenya is an excellent place to explore.

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