Best Safari Parks to Explore in Kenya
The quality of Kenya’s parks and reserves that make Kenya the most popular safari destination in Africa enabling you to enjoy an exclusive experience yet cheaper than anywhere else.
The Maasai Mara Reserve is the most popular wildlife park in Kenya. From July – October you can witness the incredible migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra. The Maasai tribesmen also offer cultural tours which really add to the experience. The Mara showcases big families of elephants, buffaloes, lions, and hippos among many more.
The Mara is known as one of the finest wildlife destinations in the World. There is an excellent chance of seeing the Big 5, cheetah, serval, hyena, bat-eared foxes, black-backed and side-striped jackals, hippo, crocodile, baboons, warthog, topi, eland, Thompson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, impala, water buck, oribi, reed-buck, zebra.
Lake Nakuru National Park is famous for its huge flocks of flamingos that enjoy the alkaline waters of this shallow soda lake. Other than a million flamingos and many more species of birds, the park is also home to white rhino, warthog, giraffe, hippo, ostrich, and lion.
Visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for bird watching, hiking, picnic and game drives.
Mountain Kenya National Park
Mount Kenya is Africa’s second highest peak and provided the inspiration for Kenya’s modern name. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and the seat of the Kikuyu God, Ngai. The Reserve is home to rare species of animals as well as spectacular lakes, mineral springs, and forests.
The mountain is an incredibly important watershed, providing water for about 50% of Kenya’s population and producing 70% of Kenya’s hydroelectric power.
Amboseli National Park is a popular park with breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania). The park is centered around Observation Hill, which offers great views of the plains below. The Maasai live around the park and other than their cattle, Amboseli is home to more than 50 species of mammal and over 400 species of bird. You can see elephant, hippo, cheetah, leopard and more.
It is one of the best places in Africa to view large herds of elephants up close. Nature lovers can explore five different habitats here ranging from the dried-up bed of Lake Amboseli, wetlands with Sulphur springs, the Savannah and woodlands.
Tsavo National Park is split into Tsavo East and Tsavo West. The Tsavo parks are vast and the landscape is wild. Tsavo East is less developed than Tsavo West but more accessible. In Tsavo West, you can watch elephants bathe among the hippos and the crocs from a unique vantage point of an under-water glass tank. The “Big Five” do live here, but you have to look carefully to spot them.
Lewa is a private reserve set up primarily to protect black rhino, sitatunga, and the endangered Grevy’s zebra. The park is excellently maintained, there are over 60 species of mammals and over 200 species of bird. You can even enjoy your game viewing on foot, on the back of a camel, or in a traditional safari vehicle.
Nairobi National Park is one of Kenya’s most successful black rhino sanctuaries, it also enjoys its own wildebeest migration as well as hosting over 400 species of bird. This is all within a stone’s throw of Kenya’s bustling capital city, Nairobi. Walking trails offer visitors a chance to experience the African bush at its best.
Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs are 3 Reserves bordering one another in the dry landscape of North Central Kenya. The wildlife congregates around the Ewaso Ngiro River which runs through the Reserves. Besides the wildlife (elephant, giraffe, leopard, zebra, blue-legged ostriches), a highlight of any visit is to meet the Samburu people. Camel safaris are on offer at most of the lodges and if you’re in the area, visit the Laikipia Plateau.
Kisite is a marine reserve situated in the shallow Indian Ocean coastal waters of Southern Kenya. Traditional Dhows sail you back and forth to the underwater park where you can enjoy snorkeling or diving among its colorful coral reefs. Dolphins, turtles, manta rays, angelfish, and parrot fish are regularly sighted.
