Kenya
National Parks and Game Reserves
MAASAI
MARA - Kenya’s finest
Game Reserve and a great opportunity to view the big five
(lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and cheetah). The annual
migration of wild beast and zebras from the Serengeti National
Park in Northern Tanzania provide the highlight between June
and August. In the remainder of the year the Park is still
rich in wildlife having the greatest density of wildlife per
square kilometer in Kenya.
SAMBURU
AND SHABA NATIONAL RESERVE - These National Game Reserves
are situated in the northern part of Kenya, on the fringes
of the hot and sparsely populated dry region. The attract
a different range of wildlife species unique to the area,
among which are the gerenuk, the beisa's oryx, the reticulated
giraffe, the blue legged ostrich and the grevy's zebra.
ABERDARE
NATIONAL PARK - Center for Kenya’s forest lodges
(tree hotels) including the world famous Tree Tops. Night
game viewing is available for those whose interests include
the nocturnal wildlife and the many mountain animals are seen
from the comfort of the balcony as the come to drink from
the nearby salt lick.
GREAT RIFT
VALLEY (LAKES NAKURU, BARINGO, BOGORIA, NAIVASHA, MAGADI AND
CHERENGANI HILLS, HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK)
Thousands of flamingos visit the lakes seasonally. Excellent
for those in search of bird-life (An Ornithologists’
paradise). Lakes also attract a large variety of wildlife,
water birds and predators.
AMBOSELI
NATIONAL PARK - The Might Kilimanjaro forms a beautiful
backdrop. Amboseli Game Sanctuary is famous for elephants,
buffalos and birds.
TSAVO NATIONAL
PARK - One of the largest game parks in the world surrounded
by the beautiful Chyulu hills and the Pare mountains. Mzima
springs, a natural and clear watering point is great for game
viewing. Tsavo is also famous for its large number of elephants
among other species of the animal kingdom.
KAKAMEGA
FOREST: An Ornithologist’s paradise - here you
can find about three hundred species of birds, some of which
are unique to this part of the country. A natural and ancient
forest excellent for game or botanical walks.
MOUNT ELGON
NATIONAL PARK: This unspoiled national park is famous
for caves, game viewing and hiking. Situated on Kenya /Uganda
border, the highest peak on Kenyan side (Koitobos) is about
4,200 meters high. Kitum cave (place of ceremonies) extents
200 meters into the mountain. At night animals go in to feed
on the rich salt deposits. An unforgettable sight is of the
elephants licking away at the salt walls in these caves.
NDERE ISLAND
NATIONAL PARK (Meeting Place): This place is where
Mikaye (the mother of Luo) rested after her long journey,
before she found shelter on this island close to the rock
that goes by her name. Ndere Island is also home to a large
population of crocodiles, swamp antelopes and birds. Fishing
can also be done nearby. Situated in northern part of Lake
Victoria near Kisumu, Ndere Island National Park can only
be accessed by boat.
RUMA NATIONAL
PARK: This rarely visited national park is home to
a number of Kenyan animals and birds. Famous for Roan antelopes
(hippopotamus equines ) which are an endangered species of
antelopes.
MOUNT KENYA
NATIONAL PARK: Surrounded by 130,000 acres of forest
reserve. Visible from the mountain top on a clear day are
Mount Kilimanjaro to the south, Mount Elgon to the west, Marissa
Mountain to the north and the Indian ocean to the east. Hiking,
climbing and game viewing for rare mountain wildlife can be
done here.
LAKE TURKANA
NATIONAL PARK: Situated on Ethiopia /Kenya border.
Africa’s longest Rift Valley lake. The Great Rift Valley
is a symbolic relic of the massive upheavals in the earth’s
crust some 10 million years ago which opened the world’s
largest geological divide stretching over 3,500 miles from
Danilil depression at Ethiopia’s northern Red Sea coast
line to Mozambique. Turkana has the largest number of crocodiles
in the world - more then 10,000. A number of pre-historic
human fossils have been found here including the Australopithecus.
