National Parks and Reserves II

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Kenya Wildlife Safaris

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Mt. Kenya National Park

Distance from Nairobi: 245km

Highlights: Mt Kenya is the only place in the world where you can find snow along the equator. This marvel is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

The mountain itself has amazing glaciers and glacial lakes, alpine moorlands and gigantic bamboo thickets. (for more information on climbing Mt Kenya take a look at Mt Climbing).

Nearby Accommodation: there is no shortage of places to stay near Mt Kenya- from the budget lodge to the world class resorts, fully equipped with golf courses, saunas, five star dining and more.

Some of your accommodation options not too far from the park include: Naru Moro River Lodge for the budget traveler, The Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari Club for a high-class rendez vous, and The Outspan Hotel for the mid-range traveler.

Nairobi National Park

Distance from Nairobi: 10km from city centre
Highlights: January-March is the best time for game viewing, as this is the dry season. Almost the entire Big Five group can be seen here- excluding elephants, as the park is too small to support these voracious eaters.

Nairobi is one of the cities with the highest numbers of birds species in the world- and the park holds a high concentration. If you’re in Nairobi on business, or if at the end of your tour you have a few extra hours on your hands then this is definitely a worthy pit stop.

A stone’s throw away is the Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage and the Nairobi Safari Walk at the Animal Orphanage. Again, both make fabulous short stops.

Samburu, Shaba Hills & Buffalo Springs National Reserves

Distance from Nairobi: 310km

Highlights: accessibility by road is definitely a plus for these reserves. The reserves are in a mostly dry area and so the game here are different from what you would see in other parks: Beisa’s Oryx, Somali Ostrich, Gerenuk, and Grevy’s Zebra.

On game drives you may be fortunate to see African Wild Dog which are making a comeback. These are the most effective hunters in the wild and also the most sociable. An amazing thing to see is how the adults always step back from a kill and allow the cubs to eat their fill first.

The Ewaso Nyiro River runs through the reserves and is home to large hippo and crocodile populations. The scenery here is stark and breathtakingly beautiful with the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro (which means muddy waters) lined with whispering Dhoum Palms and the Shaba Hills as backdrop.

Lastly, a visit to Samburu would not be complete without a stopover at the villages to see the traditional way of life of the Samburu people. You will enjoy short talks, dances and a chance to buy souvenirs and take pictures.

Shimba Hills National Reserve

Distance from Nairobi: 540km; Distance from Mombasa: 56km
Highlights: The last breeding herd of the rare and beautiful Sable Antelope in Kenya are found here. A good place to see elephants, bird, giant cycads and rare orchids.
Accommodation: The Aberdare Safari Hotels’ Shimba Hills Resort.

Sibiloi National Park

Distance from Nairobi: 960km
Highlights: really, this is the most remote park in Kenya and out of the beaten path entirely. Having said that, it holds the wonder that is ‘the Jade Sea’, where the largest and greatest concentration of crocodiles in the world are found- numbering 12,000 at last count.
Those interested in archaelogy will appreciate it as the home of the remains of Homo Erectus, dating back nearly 3million years. Many other timeless fossils have been found here and it is referred to as the ‘Cradle of Mankind’.

Tsavo East National Park:

Distance from Nairobi/Mombasa: 250km
Highlights: the landscape is spectacular- dotted with giant baobab trees and rocky volcanic outcrops. In fact, the world’s largest volcanic plateau, the Yatta Plateau is one of the outstanding features of this park. Ghost in the Darkness, starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer, tells the true story of the man-eating lions in the Tsavo that terrorized the workforce who came to build the Kenya-Uganda railway line in the late 1800s.

The Tsavo is also famous for it’s large herds of elephants, often referred to as ‘pink elephants’ because of the red dust they bathe in.

Tsavo West National Park

Distance from Nairobi/Mombasa: 250km
Highlights: Tsavo East and West combined are larger than Wales. The vast size lends itself to diversity in ecosystems.
Lake Jipe is a great place to see swamp birds, while you can see hippo in the underwater observatory in the Mzima Springs.

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‘’Our overall holiday in Kenya rating was excellent .It was a fantastic weeks in Kenya, safari was best and also nice stay in Malindi. I also suggest that the government repair the road to Masai Mara and that Kenya railways hopefully....Read More...