Three Things You Didn’t Know About Kenya’s Flora and Fauna

1. Kenya is Known as the Flower Garden of Europe

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Let’s put it this way, there would be no Valentine’s Day without Kenya. Well, not quite. But if you received a stunning, deep-red, fragrant bouquet of roses this past Valentine’s Day, chances are that they made it to your doorstep via a direct flight from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.  How’s that for your carbon footprint count? That’s because Kenya is the third largest producer of roses in the entire world!

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These roses are also compressed into an oil that is used in famous perfumes such as Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris and Hermes’ Rose Ikebana. Roses, also widely known for their medicinal value for their high concentrations of vitamin C, can be made into a deliciously delicate nigh cap that aides in regulating sleep patterns for sweet dreams.

2. Kenya Is A Paradise of a Thousand Birds

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Kenya is home to 1,132 species of birds. In less than 24 hours, 342 of those can be seen in one park, an official world record that Kenya set for the greatest number of bird species spotted in a day. What’s more, over half of these bird species can be found in the capital city’s Nairobi National Park, conveniently located next to the country’s international airport.

Image result for kenyan birdsThis simply means that if you were transiting through Nairobi and had a few hours to spend waiting for your next flight, you could exit the airport (visas on arrival available for most passport holders) and take an exhilarating bush safari through the park- a 70 square miles of wildlife sanctuary, where 4 of the Big 5 wild animals can also be spotted. Nairobi National Park is also unique.  It is the only national park in a capital city of any country in the world.  It is home to the brilliantly colored lilac breasted roller, Kenya’s national bird. Interestingly, this bird is known to be notoriously monogamous.

3. Coffee is Produced by Kenyans who Only Drink Tea

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It is a bit of an oxymoron but while the largest economic contribution to Kenya is coffee production, most Kenyans do not drink coffee. Instead, they drink tea. Lots of tea. Coffee is produced and exported worldwide and in fact, Kenya is ranked as the world’s third largest producer of coffee with popular cafe chains such as Starbucks proudly displaying Kenya-grown coffee beans. But back in the country, most Kenyans stick to the colonial beverage known locally as chai. Thus when you order for a ‘chai tea latte’, a Kenyan would interpret that as ‘tea, tea latte’. Iced tea is also a foreign concept to most of the older generations of Kenyans. Tea is boiled with a generous helping of creamy milk and sugar.

 

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