Kenya National Parks
Kenya National Parks
Kenya National Parks: Kenya is part of the East African countries which is also a famous destination for safaris. There are a variety of activities which are carried out around Kenya and a number of attractions and national parks in the country.
The Kenya wildlife services (KWS) is an authority which manages the national parks of Kenya and is also responsible for promoting conservation and managing wildlife of Kenya. Kenya national parks and other wildlife viewing destinations include the following;
Amboseli national park
Amboseli national park is located in the southern part of Kenya and it covers about 392 square kilometers. This national park is known for being home to many elephants which can be seen during a safari at the destination.
Mount Kilimanjaro can also be seen from Amboseli national park during a safari. The national park is made up of scenic beauty and consists of open plains, acacia woodland as well as swamp and marshland which act as habitat for the various wildlife species.
Wildlife species of Amboseli national park include elephants, zebras, lions, leopards, buffalos, giraffes, rhinos, hippos and various bird species. A number of activities are also carried out during a safari in Amboseli national park and they include game drives, guided walks, and bird watching experiences among others.
Aberdare national park
Aberdare national park is another national park in Kenya which is located in the central highlands of Kenya. The national park consists of mountain ranges and is found in the East African rift valley.
Game drives which are carried out in Aberdare national park include mountain hiking, game viewing and also bird watching. Wildlife species which can be seen during a safari at Aberdare national park include elephants, buffalos, lions, antelopes, waterbucks, duikers, bushbucks among others.
The treetops lodge is also found in Aberdare national park and during her stay at this lodge, Queen Elizabeth found out about the passing of her father. There is also a water point at the lodge where guests can enjoy seeing wildlife species from the comfort of the lodge.
Chyulu hills national park
Chyulu hills national park is located between Amboseli national park and Tsavo west national park. The Chyulu hills have beautiful green scenery and the ranges are also home to wildlife species and a number of bird species.
The Chyulu hills are at an altitude of 1500 meters to 2160 meters above sea level and the national park can be visited all through the year. Wildlife species such as elands, bushbucks, elephants, reedbucks among others can be seen in Chyulu hills national park.
Lake Nakuru national park
Lake Nakuru national park is located in the rift valley in the north western direction from Nairobi. The national park is famous for flamingos as well as the endangered black rhinos which can be seen during a safari.
Wildlife species which can be seen during a safari around the savannah plains in Lake Nakuru national park include waterbucks, hyenas, buffalos, antelopes, elands, impalas, lions, leopards among others.
Activities which take place in Lake Nakuru national park include game drives, bird watching as well as hiking.
Tsavo national park
Tsavo national park is located in the south western part of Kenya and it consists of Tsavo west national park and Tsavo east national park. This national park is one of the oldest national parks and is the largest national park of Kenya covering about 22,000 square kilometers.
The national park is made up of acacia trees as well as baobab trees and is drained by Tsavo river and River Galana. The different wildlife species which can be seen during a safari around Tsavo national park include elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalos, hippos, hartebeests, antelopes among others.
The man eating lions are also among the attractions which Tsavo national park is known for. Other attractions in the national park include Mzima springs.
Samburu national reserve
Samburu national reserve in the rift valley province of Kenya and is a wildlife viewing destination where wildlife species such as lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes and over 900 elephants with over 450 bird species.
The Samburu national reserve is located along the Ewaso Nyiro river and is made up of sandy plains as well as acacia trees.
Masai Mara national reserve
Masai Mara national reserve is a game viewing destination which is located in the south western part of Kenya. This reserve is famous for safaris and is home to the big 5 such as elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalos.
The wildebeest migration also takes place in Masai Mara national reserve and over 1.5 wildebeests can be seen as they move around the savannah plains in their herds. This migration which takes place annually can also be seen in Serengeti national park in the northern part of Tanzania.
Other activities which tourists engage in during their safaris to Masai Mara national reserve include game drives, guided nature walks, community visits to Maasai villages, bird watching and hot air balloon safaris.
Wildlife species at this destination include lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, hippos, buffalos, wildebeests, antelopes, gazelles, hyenas and many others. There are also a number of bird species in Masai Mara national reserve which is made up of conservancies such as the Mara north conservancy, Mara Naboisho conservancy, Ol Kinyei conservancy, Enonkisu conservancy among others.
Masai Mara national reserve can be accessed by flying to the destination as well as through driving.
Nairobi national park
Nairobi national park is another wildlife viewing destination of Kenya. This national park is located a short drive from Nairobi city and it consists of open grassy plains and it covers about 117 square kilometers.
There are various wildlife species which can be seen during a safari to Nairobi national park and they include zebras, lions, giraffes, gazelles, waterbucks, hartebeests, hippos, buffalos, olive baboons among others.
Nairobi national park also has over 400 bird species and activities which are carried out in this national park include game viewing, nature walks, camping as well as bird watching.
Mount Kenya national park
Mount Kenya national park is a world heritage site where the second highest mountain of Africa can be seen. The national park is located in the eastern part of the rift valley and is a hub for activities such as mountain climbing, trekking as well as game viewing.
There are about 7 routes which are used during climbing of Mount Kenya and they include Naro Moru, Chogoria, Sirimon, Batian and Nelion and the Traverse route where hikers ascend via Naro Moru and descend from Chogoria.
Apart from the above listed destinations, Kenya also has beautiful coastal towns, unique cultures, Lakes and Forests and amazing and hospitable people.