1. Maasai Mara National Reserve
Established in 1961 and it’s one of Africa’s greatest wildlife reserves. It is located in Narok County, Kenya. It provides one of the best wildlife viewing destinations in Kenya due to its amazing landscape which is characterized by dotted trees, savannah plains, scrubs, acacia trees, and rolling hills.
All these make it possible to spot the (big five) lions, buffalos, leopards, rhinos, elephants in their natural habitat, and other wildlife such as the wild beast, zebras, hyenas, gazelles, giraffes, and cheetahs. You will be able to witness the great wild beast migration which occurs during the months of July- October.
In September the wild beast migrates from Tanzania (Serengeti national park) to Maasai Mara for greener pastures and water. For a closer view, the eastern banks of the Mara River are recommended. To enter the park, you will need a vehicle. A guided safari tour is the best for the best experience.
The best time to visit is during the dry season for easier spotting of the wildlife since they will gather around water sources.
2. Nairobi National Park
It’s the first national park in Kenya established in 1946 and it’s also the oldest park in the country and closest to the country’s capital city. It’s one of the top sights you can’t miss .it contains large variety of wild animals like lions, elephants, cheetah, African leopard, Eastern black rhino, zebra, cape buffalo, bamboo, hippopotamus and giraffe. You will be able to see beautiful sceneries including Nairobi city skyscrapers backdrop. It’s very suitable for animal lovers and first time visitors. You will enjoy the picnic sites, three camping sites and walking trails for hikers and game viewing. This park is a major place for rhino breeding and restocking other parks and also has an ivory burning site monument. You will need a vehicle to enter the park, a guided tour being the best way to visit. The time to visit is during the dry season(July-September) for easier spotting of animals in the park. During heavy rains in April through June spotting of the animals become difficult.
3. Chyulu Hills National Park
Being a prehistoric volcanic mountain in south eastern Kenya in Makueni County, it was established in 1983.it has rivers that are seasonally flood and feed surrounding plains helping the growth of indigenous mountainous forest and nutritious grassland. If you love exploring caves then this is the place to visit.it has kisula cave which is one of the longest caves in Kenya and Africa with length of about 11km.its also part of the Tsavo conservation area and it consists various type of wildlife animals such as elephants, eastern black rhinos, leopards, wildebeest, lions, masai girave, cheetahs on the plains of the hills and also homes different species of birds. You will be able to see the poisonous snakes which reside on the hills while on your guided tour and you will also see the wild khat which grows on the hills (chuylu). The best time to visit is during the sunny seasons January- march, June- September.
It was established in 1900 as Maasai Ambos Eli game reserve but later in 1974 established as a national park. It is located in Kajiando south constituency in Kajiando County. Ever wanted to get close to free ranging elephants? Amboseli is the best place. When visiting, you will have the best opportunity to see wild animals such as African bush elephants, lions, cheetah, Cape buffalo, impala, spotted hyena, Maasai giraffe, and grants zebras especially in September due to sparse vegetation as a result of long dry months. It also offers best world viewing with 400 species of birds including water birds such as pelicans, crackers, kingfisher and 47 raptor species. You will also be able to enjoy the view of Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest mountain in the world. To access the park, you will need a vehicle or tour vehicles.
5. Tsavo East National Park
It’s among the oldest and largest parks in Kenya. It was started in April 1948 and it is located near Voi town in Taita Taveta County. This park provides homes for a wide number of wildlife. You will be able to see major attractions such as mudand rock which acts as a water catchment area for the dam below and also offers a good stand point for hundreds of elephants and other animals that come to drink water during the dry season. You will also be able to appreciate the view of many wild animals such as cape buffalo, bush buck, Tsavo lions, African wild dog, African hedgehog among others and also birds which are approximately 500 birds’ species including weaverbirds, ostriches, herons and horn bills.
6. Aberdare national park
Formed in 1950 in central Kenya and it’s among the oldest protected areas in kenya.it has abundant water sources which give life to bamboo forest and rainforest in the lowlands due to its steep terrain. It’s a habitat for black rhinos, elephants, leopards, spotted hyenas, black and white colobus monkeys. You will be able to enjoy the rarer sightings of giant forest hog, golden cat, African wild cat and server cat. You can also do fishing in the rivers, picnics, camping and the rewarding birdwatching with over 250 species of birds including sparrow hawks, eagles, Jacksons francolin and plovers. You will enjoy the attractive sceneries of Aberdare like the splendid waterfalls that is; karuru waterfall and Chania waterfall and also the mountain scenery photography. You can also see the 400km electric fence which protects the ecosystem and also prevent human wildlife dispute.
7.Tsavo West National Park
It’s located in Taita Taveta county and it is separated from Tsavo east by a railway and the Nairobi to Mombasa road. Its popularity is due to the various wildlife it homes such as eastern black rhino, hippopotamus, elephants, Cape buffalo, lions and small animals like bush baby, maasai giraffe. During your visit you will be able to see the Mzima springs which is a sequence of natural springs and pools which are famous for its hippos and crocodile population. You will also be able to go for rock climbing and guided walks along the Tsavo River.
8. Lake Nakuru National Park
This is a fresh water lake which is located south of Nakuru. It was established in 1961 with only Lake Nakuru and surrounding mountainous vicinity but has extended to cover larger parts of the savannah. Although the area is often dry, for an excellent view of the pink flamingoes its best visiting during the dry season since rainy season results into plenty of water in the lake which drives the flamingoes away to Lake Bogoria. Apart from its famous flamingoes it contains other birds’ species like goliath heron, hamerkop, pied king fisher and also has the highest number of eastern black rhinos, southern white rhino, giraffe, water bucks, lions, cheetahs and leopards which you will be able to spot during your visit. You will also be able to see large size pythons that live in the dense woodlands either crossing or swinging on trees. Bird watching, hiking and picnic in Lake Nakuru are really amazing.
9. Hells Gate National Park
It’s located south of Lake Naivasha in Naivasha County. There’s a lot to do and in this park and it’s one of the best rock climbing destinations in Kenya. During your visit you will be able to explore the gorges by going for a hike to the gorge which is located at the far end the park, you will be able to go for rock climbing, enjoy nature walk as you watch the cliffs and the beautiful scenery and also get close view point to animals like zebras, buffalos, gazelles, hartebeests. You will also be able to go for cycling; bikes are usually available to rent outside the park. Hells gate is a great place to visit with friends, families or colleagues as part of team building and the best time to visit is during the dry season; July-September. Remember to wear a sunscreen.
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