The Tana Delta on the remote shores of Kenya’s far Northern coast, the mighty waters of the Tana River meet the sea in a massive River Delta. This isolated region is a truly unique location, where the great inland wilderness of the North meets the beauty of the coast. The Tana delta an important Bird and Biodiversity Area and Ramsar Site is a place of spectacular panoramic views, encompassing a scrubland teeming with game and birds and the endless rolling sands of deserted beaches.
The Tana Delta is fed by Kenya's longest mighty river - the Tana River 440 miles long whose source is the Aberdares Mountains and the craggy snow covered peaks of Mount Kenya, it is where the river meets the Indian Ocean. The delta is home to an array of interesting birdlife as well buffalo, elephant, hippo and crocodile and smaller, shyer antelope and primates.
Having travelled over 1,000km the Tana River spreads out across a massive floodplain creating The Tana Delta. As it does so it creates a maze of tidal creeks and mangrove swamps, salt marshes and dhoum palm islands. There are bush-covered dunes and grassland. The Tana Delta is the second most important estuarine and deltaic ecosystem in Eastern Africa.
This is the Tana Delta, a conservation area of 50,000 hectares. The main river is clad in stretches of thick riverine forest with fig and palm trees. Explorable by boat trips these forests are teaming with interesting birdlife and often shelter buffalo, elephant, hippo and crocodile as well as a host of smaller, shyer antelope, primates (eg. The Tana River Red Colobus and White-collared Monkey), coastal and marine prawns, shrimps, bivalves and fish and lastly five species of threatened marine turtles.
The Pokomo and Orma are the two main tribes in the area. They have very different backgrounds and cultures and both are very hospitable, welcoming prior arranged visits to their villages.
The Pokomo tribe
The Pokomo are the majority tribe and their lives revolve around the river and its flooding cycles which irrigate their fields and nurture the mango trees that shade their villages.
The Orma tribe
The Orma are Ethiopian by origin and are traditionally pastoralists moving their beehive shaped dwellings across the floodplains wherever the grass for grazing takes them. The beach is a long curve of sand, flanked by dunes on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. Water birds and crabs scuttle across the sand. The sea is warm and the surf roles across a gently sloping beach so you can choose the size of wave you wish to tackle.
Here you can experience the best of both worlds, spending the morning exploring a river filled with hippo and crocodile by canoe, and swimming in the blue waters of the Indian Ocean in the afternoon.
This is the perfect destination for those looking for a safari with a difference.
Why Visit The Tana Delta, Kenya's Coastline.
- Experience some of Kenya's lesser known unique tribes the Pokomo and Orma at The Tana Delta.
- See Kenya's Longest the Tana River at The Tana Delta.
- Explore the Tana Delta floodplains.
- See the wildlife found in the Tana Delta conservation area.
- For the interesting birdlife found in The Tana Delta area.
Featured The Tana Delta, Safari Holiday Vacation Trips
