Nairobi national park
Nairobi national park is a wildlife viewing destination which is found in the outskirts of Nairobi which is the capital city of Kenya. The national park is located south of Nairobi city and is the first national park which was gazetted in Kenya around 1964. Nairobi national park is in the proximity of the city which provides a backdrop and it acts as a perfect stop over for a day tour around the city of Kenya.
Many tourists visit the park to see its various attractions which include the different wildlife species such as black rhinos, zebras, giraffes, lions, buffalos, leopards, hippos and many others.
Nairobi national park is also among the smallest national parks of Africa and it covers about 117 square kilometers. The park consists of grass plains as well as diverse habitats for the various wildlife species found at the destination.
Tourists while on their Kenya safaris can have a short visit to Nairobi national park which is easy to get to for a wildlife viewing experience and you can still get to the airport in time for your flight after the safari which is an added advantage over other national parks.
The endangered black rhinos are among the highlights of a visit to the park which is also home to the some of the big five. A variety of birds can also be spotted during a safari around the national park in Kenya’s capital city.
A safari to Nairobi national park can also be combined with a city tour around Nairobi to destinations like the giraffes center, the Karen Blixen museum and also to the elephant orphanage.
There are boundaries around different area of Nairobi national park while part of the national park has a natural barrier which is at the southern boundary which allows wildlife to move to the neighboring plains.
Nairobi national park is also managed by Kenya wildlife services whose role is to promote conservation and also to take care of the wildlife in the different wildlife viewing destinations Kenya.
The best time to visit the park would be during June to October and also around January and February. The national park can however be visited at any time of the year during safaris around Kenya.
Park entrance fees for Nairobi national park
Different tourists engage in safaris to the park and this includes foreign tourists and also domestic tourists. To be able to engage in a safari around the national park, park entrance fees are required to be paid by the visitors.
Park entrance fee for a safari around Nairobi national park is 35 USD for adult nonresidents and 20 USD for non-resident children. Citizens or residents of Kenya pay park entrance fee of 800 KSHS for adults and 200 KSHS for children.
How to get to Nairobi national park
The different ways to get to the park include driving and also flights to the different airports such as Wilson airport and Jomo Kenyatta international airport.
Nairobi national park safaris also offer amazing photography because of the beautiful landscape and the wildlife which can be seen with a backdrop of the busy city of Nairobi and this makes a perfect mix of an experience in wild and also the life in Nairobi city.
The main entrance gate of the park is about 7 kilometers from Nairobi city center and there are other gates which can be used to access the national park during safaris to the destination and they include the Langata gate.
Attractions of Nairobi national park
Apart from the wildlife and bird species of the park, other attractions around the destination include the bomas, the park also has a sanctuary which acts as a breeding ground for rhinos, and the ivory burning site memorial is also an attraction in the park.
The park also has walking trails which lead to the hippo pools and also different picnic sites. The attractions of Nairobi national park in detail include the following;
- Wildlife and bird species
Nairobi national park is also a wildlife viewing destination which can be visited during a safari in Kenya. Some of the wildlife species found at the destination include the rare black rhinos, buffalos, baboon, gazelle, zebras, cheetah, hartebeest, hippos, elands, impala, giraffes, waterbucks.
There are also over 400 bird species found in the park and they include crowned cranes, black headed heron, ostrich, blacksmith lapwing, common moorhen, long tailed fiscal, secretary bird, martial eagle, pallid harrier and many others.
- Nairobi Animal orphanage
Nairobi animal orphanage is another attraction to visit during a tour to the park and at this orphanage different wildlife species are treated and taken care of. Apart from the wildlife which is rehabilitated and treated at the orphanage, the community around also benefit from the animal orphanage which acts as an educational center.
Birds are also taken care of and can be seen at the Nairobi animal orphanage during a visit to Nairobi national park.
- Impala observation point
The impala observation point is a picnic area which is found not far from the main gate of the park. This observation point offers panoramic views of the surrounding area. Other picnic areas include the kingfisher picnic site and also the Mokoiyet picnic site.
The Mokoiyet picnic site is a picnic site which has shaded tables and other amenities. This picnic site is found close to the leopards’ cliff observation point. The leopards cliff observation point looks down on the Mbagathi river gorge south of the park.
- Ivory burning site monument
The ivory burning site monument is another landmark to visit which promotes conservation around Kenya.
The monument is a historic site where the former president of Kenya, President Daniel Arap Moi set fire to over tonnes of ivory as a way of sending a message to poachers to stop their acts. Many people also visit this monument during their safaris in Kenya.
Other attractions which can be visited during a tour around the park include the David and Daphne Sheldrick Elephant orphanage center where rescued elephants and other wildlife species are taken care of before introducing them to the wild again.
Visit the park and enjoy a wildlife safari in close proximity of Kenya’s capital city.
