Welcome to Kenya, land of light and infinite variety.

National Geographic will be your guide in Nairobi, and into the bush beyond. Kenya's busy capital bustles with crowds, traffic and markets selling produce from the heartlands.

Out in the bush, a myriad of tribal peoples, including the Maasai, live more traditional lives.

Your African odyssey will take you to the soaring Mount Kilimanjaro.

A climb to its snow-capped peak will lead you through five different ecosystems.

Such diversity is common to Kenya's landscapes and is also reflected in the country's stunning array of wildlife.

Lions, zebras, and wildebeest roam the land, while the great rivers teem with hippopotami and crocodiles.

The human history of Kenya is no less diverse. From the first footprints of humans, to the colonial rule of the British and the Germans, major change has been a constant in the progress towards independence in the 1950s and prosperity in the 1960s.

The book concludes with a look at the modern-day challenges facing Kenya.