Kenya
Game Parks and National 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.
