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Masai Mara Game Reserve
This
reserve is Kenya’s most popular game sanctuary, most famous and visited game
reserve in Kenya. The park adjoins the Serengeti park of Tanzania. A land of
undulating hills and rolling grasslands supports a huge animal population.
During the months of July to September, millions of wildebeests and zebras
migration overflow into the Mara from the Serengeti national park in
Tanzania. The black manned lion dominated the Mara, cheetahs, elephants,
cape buffaloes, giraffe, gazelle, antelope and many other plains game are to
be found here.
Accommodation:
Game
lodges, Luxury tented camps, public and privately owned campsite.
Lake
Nakuru National Park
160 km
from Nairobi. A shallow alkaline lake on the edge of Nakuru town is worlds
famous of levels that determines the quality of algae on which the birds
feed millions of greater and lesser flamingos which depends on the water. It
is a sanctuary for the black and white rhinos and the rare Rothschild’s
giraffe.
Accommodation:
Lake Nakuru Lodge & Lion
Hill Lodge. Also available, a hostel & a guesthouse,
Makaria
Falls campsite, all located inside the park.
Lake
Baringo National Park
About 100km North of Nakuru, is this beautiful tranquil fresh water lake
host to rare 300 bird’s species seen no where else in
Africa.
Boat trips on the lakes are popular to view the hippo, crocodile and bird
life. Also a visit to the Njemps tribal villages or watch them fishing from
their frills papyrus boats is fun.
Accommodation:
Lodges & public
campsite.
Lake
Bogoria National Park
Lying
between Baringo and Nakuru, is this soda lake a favorite nesting site for
the flamingos and where hot sulfur springs abounds. There is also a small
herd of greater kudu.
Accommodation
Lodge &
public campsite
Lake
Naivasha
A very
picturesque fresh water lake. There is good fishing, boat trips or a visit
to the crescent island. Nearby is the dramatic hells gate gorge reserve over
shadowed by the mysterious Longonot. Hells gate is ideal for nature walks of
between 1 to 5 hours, amongst the wildlife.
Accommodation:
Lodges &
privately owned campsites
Amboseli National Park
This national park
covers 1260sq kilometers and lies on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. A
real gem of the park situated right at the foot of
Africa’s
highest mountain Kilimanjaro 5895m. Elephants abounds in the forest and
swamps feeding on the lush grasses. Cheetah, giraffes, impalas, leopards,
zebras, wonder on the open plains. It is definitely photography’s paradise!
Accommodation:
Luxury lodges & tented
camp, public campsites
Tsavo
National Park East & West
Tsavo National Park [over 20,000 sq. km] is the largest game sanctuary in
the world comprising of Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Chyulu Hills & the world’s
largest lava flow. It is located half way between Mombasa and Nairobi. The
outstanding features are the huge populations of red elephants, which derive
their red colorings from the rich red earth of the park. Other wildlife to
be seen includes, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, hippos, leopards, crocodiles,
kudus, gerenuks, zebras and many more plains game. The park has over [500]
species of birds].
In
Tsavo west are the Mzima springs where hippos and crocodiles can be viewed
from the underwater hides. Further south adjoining the park is the Taita
hills sanctuary.
Accommodations:
Game lodges & public
camp sites, self-catering bandas.
Samburu Game ReserveThe
highlight of this Reserve is the spectacular scenic beauty, rivers and
forest. The local people have very rich and colorful cultural heritage.
Wildlife includes, leopards, hippos, elephants, lions, reticulated giraffes,
grevy’s zebras, bongos and crocodiles in the Uaso Nyiro River.
Accommodations:
Several Game Lodges & a
public campsite located inside the park.
Mount
Kenya & Aberdare National Park
These parks and game
reserves are part of the most fascinating sanctuaries in terms of scenic
splendors and the great variety of wildlife. Mount Kenya N. Park lies at an
altitude of approximately 3,400m – 5,200m. It offers mountain attractions
and flora & fauna found at different altitudes. The wildlife includes
colobus monkeys, bushbucks, elephants, olive baboon, waterbucks, leopards,
giant forest hogs, genet cats, hyena and the elusive bongo.
The
Aberdare ranges lie at an altitude of about 2134-4268 m and is home to the
first tree hotel in Africa and harbors significant memories in world
history. In 1952, Queen Elizabeth 11 learnt of her accession to the British
throne while she was a guest at the Tree Tops Lodge following the death of
her father King George V1. It is also at the nearby town of Nyeri that lays
the remains and tomb of Lord Baden Powel, the founder of the Worldwide Boy
Scouts Movement. Mount
Kenya National Park
Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park
Mwea National Reserve
At 5,199 m. high, Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain. It offers
easy or challenging ascents with superb scenic beauty.
To the Kikuyu tribespeople it is the home of the Supreme Being: Ngai, a name
also used by the Maasai and Kamba tribes. In traditional prayers and
sacrifices, Ngai is addressed by the Kikuyu as Mwene Nyaga: the Professor of
Brightness. The name comes from Kere Nyaga, the Kikuyu name for Mount Kenya,
meaning Mountain of Brightness - Ngai's official home.
Part of the mountain's fascination is the variation in flora and fauna as
the altitude changes. The lower slopes are covered with dry upland forest,
the true montane forest begins at 2,000 m. is mainly cedar and podo. At
2,500 m. begins a dense belt of of bamboo forest which merges into the upper
forest of smaller trees, interspesed with glades. In this area the trees are
festooned with high altitude moss.
These forest belts are host to many different animals and plants with at
least 11 unique species. Game to view includes: Black and White Colobus and
Sykes monkeys, bushbuck, buffalo, elephant and lower down Olive Baboon,
waterbuck, black rhino, black fronted duiker, leopard, giant forest hog,
genet cat, bush pig and hyena. More elusive is the bongo, a rare type of
forest antelope.
A number of other rare or endangered species can be found here: Sunni Buck,
Mt Kenya Mole Shrew, skinks (lizard), and a variety of owls. Occasional
sightings have been recorded of albino zebra.
The high altitude heath at the top (3,000 - 3,500 m.) is generally open,
dotted with shrubs: African Sage, protea and helicrysum. The peak (above
3,500 m.) is moorland, with little game other than high altitude zebra and
eland common in the norhtern moorland.
There is only one lodge inside the Park, seven climbers huts and three
self-help banda sites. Just outside the Park there are three lodges and
another self-help banda site.
Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park is a fascinating day trip out of Nairobi,
only 65 kms away. The mountain rises to 8,000 ft, covering 20sq. kms.
Particularly attractive for hikers or families wanting some freedom and
exercise out of their vehicle. Visitors are recommended to approach via the
spectacular Fourteen Falls on the Chania River. The Park's attraction is its
beauty and views of Mounts Kenya and Kilimanjaro. There is game including
baboon, colobus, bushbuck, impala, duiker and abundant birdlife for
ornithologists.
The name is Maasai, meaning 'Mountain of Buffalo'. Today some 250 buffaloes
roam the slopes. Kikuyu traditionalists call it Kea-Njahe, known as the
'Mountain of the Big Rain', one of Ngai's lesser homes.
The solitary mountain rears up to 2,145m from an otherwise flat area. The
steep ascent requires a 4WD vehicle. Near the summit lies the grave of Sir
William Northrup McMillan (1872-1925) and his wife Lady Lucie. He was a huge
Scot, raised in St Louis, Missouri, USA. He arrived in Kenya in 1901 for the
big game shooting, playing host to Roosevelt during his famous 1911 safari
at their ranch Juja Farm (now a popular location for film crews). He and his
wife were great philanthropists, creating the MacMillan Library in central
Nairobi.
Also in the area is Mwea National Reserve (altitude 3,000-5,000 sq.
ft - opened January 1976, covering an area of 68 sq. kms), 180 kms from
Nairobi. Its main feature is the meeting of the Tana and Thiba Rivers within
the Reserve and the Kaburu and Masinga hydro-electric dams.
Elephant is plentiful in the Reserve. Other prevalent game includes buffalo,
impala, hippo, baboon, vervet and Sykes monkeys, warthog, bushbuck,
waterbuck, hartebeest, lesser kudu and jackal. Crocodiles are also found in
the dams and two rivers.
There is no hotel-type accommodation in these Reserves or Parks. Ol Donyo
Sabuk National Park has one campsite. Mwea National Reserve has two picnic
sites: Gichuki Island and Hippo Point.
MERU NATIONAL PARK
recommended Tours and Safaris
The park is situated approximately 360km northeast of Nairobi and covers an
area of 870 sq kms. This park was the setting for Joy Adamson's book "Born
Free" and it remains one of Kenya's most unspoilt parks. The scenery is
varied, wild and beautiful, from woodlands at 3,000 ft on the slope of
Nyambeni Mountain Range to wide open plaints with many rivers running
through. Game found here includes; lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant,
antelopes, and buffalo. In the many rivers hippo and crocodile are found in
abundance. You may be lucky to spot Kenya only colony of the rare white
rhino.
There are several other parks which can be visited from here within a day,
they include Bisandi National Reserve, Kora National Park, Rahole National
Reserve and Mwingi National Reserve.
Accommodation:
Meru National Park has a number of Lodges and campsites that need to be
pre-booked and one public campsite.
MARSABIT NATIONAL PARK
The Marsabit National Reserve lies in northern Kenya in a densely forested
mountain park, being home two beautiful crater lakes. The park was once
famous for it's large tusker elephants but that was before the poachers
slaughtered most the large ones. Elephants are still in abundance along with
large herbs of kudu and many birds of prey.
SHABA GAME RESERVE
Situated 314 km from Nairobi in Central Kenya, off the Uaso Nyiro River,
being a semi-desert. It is the natural habitat for the Grevy Zebra,
Reticulated Giraffe, and Gerenuk, only found in this part of Kenva. There
are also herds of Elephants, plenty of Lions, Cheetah, Crocodile, hundreds
of species of birds and other game
SIBILOI NATIONAL PARK
This is Kenya's most remote national park, lying right in the north of the
country bordering with Lake Turkana. The region is hot, dry and windswept,
but surprising has a large variety of wildlife and birds. These include
Grevy's zebra, ostrich, gerenuk, oryx, tiang and a large population of Nile
crocodile in the lake. The park's petrified forest is proof that this region
was once lush and densely forested.
Due to the remoteness and inhospitable terrain most people visit this area
in organised groups.
Accommodation:
Lodges, self-catering
bandas, public campsite.1. Central
Kenya Highlands & Great Rift Valley
2. Nairobi National Park
3. Hell's Gate National Park
4. Mt Longonot National Park
5. Lake Nakuru National Park
6. Lake Bogaria National Reserve
7. Lake Kamnarok National Reserve
8. Masai Mara National Reserve
9. Aberdare National Park
10. Mt Kenya National Park
11. Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park
12. Mwea National Reserve
Western Kenya
13. Mt Elgon National Park
14. Kerio Valley National Reserve
15. Saiwa Swamp National Park
16. Kakamega Forest National Reserve
17. Ruma National Park
18. Ndere Island National Park
19. Kisumu Impala Sanctuary
Northern Kenya
20. Meru National Park
21. Bisanadi National Reserve
22. Kora National Reserve
23. Rahole National Reserve
24. Mwingi National Reserve
25. Samburu National Reserve
26. Buffalo Springs National Reserve
27. Shaba National Reserve
28. Maralal Game Sanctuary
29. Laikipia Game Sanctuary
30. Marsabit National Reserve
31. Losai National Reserve
32. South Turkana National Reserve
33. Nasalot National Reserve
34. Sibiloi National Park
35. Central Island National Park
36. South Island National Park
37. Malkamari National Park
Southern Kenya
38. Tsavo East National Park
39. South Kitui National Reserve
40. Tsavo West National Park
41. Chyulu Hills National Park
42. Amboseli National Park
Kenya Coast
43. Mombasa National Park and Reserve
44. Shimba Hills National Reserve
45. Kisite Marine National Park
46. Mpunguti Marine National Park and Reserve
47. Diani/Chale Marine National Park and Reserve
48. Malindi Marine Park and Reserve
49. Watamu Marine Park and Reserve
50. Kiunga Marine National Reserve
51. Dodori National Reserve
52. Boni National Reserve
53. Tana River Primate Reserve
54. Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve
55. Arewale National Reserve |
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