Places & Areas

1. Nairobi

   Nairobi (capital of Kenya)

   Usage

   Used to name Nairobi as a destination or starting point; it is the usual gateway to Maasai country

   Grammar Note

   The name comes from Maa for "that which is cold"; the original name Enkare Nairobi means "cold water" and refers to the river. Put te before it for "in Nairobi"; after a verb of going the place follows with no preposition

2. Maasai Mara

   Maasai Mara National Reserve

   Usage

   Used to say you want to go to the Maasai Mara, famous for safaris. It lies in Narok County, with the town of Narok as its gateway

   Grammar Note

   Mara means "spotted". The name is also spelled Masai Mara

3. Kilimanjaro

   Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest peak)

   Usage

   Used to name the great mountain on the Kenya–Tanzania border, which looms over the Amboseli side

   Grammar Note

   In speech people often say Mount Kilimanjaro with the English name. The traditional Maa name is given as Oldoinyo Oibor, "the white mountain"; native review recommended

4. Mombasa

   Mombasa (port city on the Kenyan coast)

   Usage

   Used for the main city of the Indian Ocean coast, reached from Nairobi by rail or road

   Grammar Note

   A place name from outside Maa, said as is. Put te before it for "in Mombasa"; after a verb of going the place follows with no preposition

5. Amboseli

   Amboseli National Park

   Usage

   Used to say you want to visit the park where elephants can be seen against Kilimanjaro. It lies in Kajiado County

   Grammar Note

   In speech the park is usually called Amboseli National Park in English; the name alone is understood

6. Nakuru

   Nakuru (town in the Rift Valley)

   Usage

   Used for the town that serves as the base for Lake Nakuru National Park

   Grammar Note

   The name comes from the Maa Nakurro; Nakuru is the anglicised form

7. Kisumu

   Kisumu (town on Lake Victoria)

   Usage

   Used for the town on Lake Victoria in western Kenya

   Grammar Note

   A place name from outside Maa, said as is. Put te before it for "in Kisumu"; after a verb of going the place follows with no preposition

8. Narok

   Narok (gateway town to the Maasai Mara)

   Usage

   Used for the large town on the way to the Maasai Mara, handy for changing transport or shopping

   Grammar Note

   In Maa narok means "black" and it also appears in the river name Enkare Narok, "black water"

9. Kajiado

   Kajiado (town south of Nairobi)

   Usage

   Used for the town on the way from Nairobi towards the Tanzanian border

   Grammar Note

   The name is an anglicised form of Olkejuado, the Maa name of the river that runs near the town

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