| 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.
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