National Parks in Kenya

Amboseli, is one of the wildest Kenya national parks, is located at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro and is often considered to be among the country's finest. This park is most known for its population of giant elephants, whose tusks are a distinguishing feature. Even more so, the area is endowed with breathtaking vistas, especially at dawn and twilight. Tourists can have a blast here as they get to enjoy bird watching, game drives, hot air balloon rides and walking safaris.

Location:

Loitokitok District, Rift Valley, Entonet, Kenya

Best Time to Visit:

July-September (January and February)

How to Reach:

You may easily reach the reserve by road from Nairobi as all the paths are well marked. It is also possible to reach the airfield at Amboseli via regular flights from Nairobi and Tsavo West.

Flora:

• Argemone Mexicana weed
• Sausage tree
• Acacia Drepanolobium
• Elionurus weed

Fauna:

• Elephants
• Wild dogs
• Giraffe
• Olive baboon
• Cheetah
• nocturnal porcupine
• White rhino
• Hippo
• Birds like Purple-crested Turaco

In addition to witnessing wild animals and enjoying a trip through the park by game drives, one can get close and personal with a variety of bird species. Lake Nakuru National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the best Kenya national parks where you can find over 400 bird species. It gets very busy with flamingos and other indigenous species when the weather is good. The main highlights of the park include animal safari, bird watching, camping and game viewing.

Location:

Nakuru, Kenya

Best Time to Visit:

June to March

How to Reach:

You may reach the park by traveling north-west from Nairobi 156 kilometers. You can enter the park most quickly and easily through the main gate, which is located about four kilometers from the heart of Nakuru.

Flora:

• Acacia woodlands
• Bushy grasslands
• Euphorbia forest

Fauna:

• Baboons
• Impalas
• Hyenas
• Hippos
• Colobus monkeys
• White & black rhinoceros
• Birds like flamingos, hottentot teal, and great white pelicans.

Masai Mara, also known as "The Land of Wilderness," is one of the Kenya national parks that attracts visitors from all over the world for its exciting game drives. The world-famous Big Five can be seen in this national reserve, making it a prime location where you can witness the Great Migration. Masai Mara National Reserve is a paradise for those who love the environment and wildlife because of its varied landscapes, which include expansive grasslands and shrubs. Thrill seekers can choose from a wide variety of exciting activities in Masai Mara, such as a walking safari, Hot air balloon safari, wildlife drive, or bush camping.

Location:

Southwest of Kenya

Best Time to Visit:

July-October

How to Reach:

It takes about five hours to drive to this national park in Kenya and only about forty to forty-five minutes to fly there.

Flora:

• Creeping vines
• Tarchonanthus orchids
• Acacia
• Croton Scrub

Fauna:

• Crested Porcupine
• Bat eared fox
• Wildebeest
• Bushbucks
• Lions
• Birds like Hamerkap and Turaco

This national park in Kenya’s Rift Valley Province takes its name from the indigenous Samburu people who have lived there for centuries. Rare animals and birds such as the long-necked gerenuk, grevy's zebra, and the Beisa oryx find refuge in this park since it is virtually an open savannah with no surrounding barriers. Some of the prime things that you can enjoy in this national reserve are the horseback safaris, bush meals, hot air balloon safaris, game drives, nature hikes, walking safaris and camelback safaris.

Location:

Kenya, Samburu

Best Time to Visit:

July-October and December-March

How to Reach:

This national park in Kenya can be reached from Nairobi by way of the road that passes via the towns of Isiolo and Archer's Post, which is about 345 kilometers from the park. The Samburu National Park can be reached via chartered flights departing from Nairobi.

Flora:

• Acacia–Commiphora savanna
• Palm groves
• Thorny shrubs

Fauna:

• Reticulated giraffe
• Somali ostrich
• Gerenuk
• Wildebeest
• Oryx Beisa
• Buffalo weaver
• Antlion

Mount Kenya National Park is one of the Kenya national parks that is home to the continent's second-highest peak at an altitude of 5,199 meters, hidden away in the heart of the Kenyan wilderness. Lakes, tarns, glaciers, and mineral springs abound in this unspoiled landscape, and visitors may also spot rare animals and exotic vegetation typical of the mountainous region. Tourists planning their visit here can enjoy caving, camping, mountain climbing, bird watching and game viewing.

Location:

Near the center of Kenya about 150 km north of Nairobi

Best time to visit:

December to March

How to Reach:

This national park in Kenya is 175 kilometers from Nairobi and is accessible via the Nanyuki-Isiolo road through the Sirimon Track or the Nyeri-Nanyuki route close to Naro Moru.

Flora:

• African sage Artemisia
• Hypericum keniense
• Phillippia species
• Protea kilimandscharica

Fauna:

• African fish eagle
• Cheetah
• Common warthog
• White rhinoceros
• Birds like African Fish eagle, Kori Bustard, and Lappet-faced vulture.

This park, which has been dubbed the "world's animal capital," is located only a short drive from Nairobi's downtown. A unique fusion of the park's natural surroundings and the skyscrapers that line the metropolitan skyline. This is one of the Kenya national parks that is home to a wide variety of birds in addition to a wide selection of endangered creatures such black rhinos, hyenas, and lions. If you are planning your visit here, make your mind to enjoy a picnic, camping and walking trails at hippo pools.

Location:

EDUCATION CENTRE, Karen KWS SAFARI WALK, Animal Orphanage Road, Nairobi, Kenya

Best Time to Visit:

June-September

How to Reach:

Ten kilometers separate the national park's location from Nairobi's downtown. The national park is convenient to reach from both Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport.

Flora:

• Euphorbia candelabrum
• Acacia
• Rhus natalensis
• Common cattails

Fauna:

• Hyena
• Black rhino
• Lion
• Leopard
• Gazelles
• Buffaloes
• Cheetah
• Giraffe
• Zebra
• Wildebeest
• Olive baboon

Aberdare is one of the national parks in Kenya, which is perched at the base of the Aberdare mountain range and was established to save the mountain's moorlands and slopes. This region is foggy and subject to regular rain because of its high height. The second-largest herds of the critically endangered Black Rhinos are housed at this park, despite its elevation. In addition, a variety of Kenyan wildlife, including African elephants, black leopards, and bongo antelope, can be seen here. It is famous for bird watching, trout fishing , Lesatima and Kinangop peaks and hiking to the elephant hills and twin hills.

Location:

Southwestern part of Central Kenya in Aberdare Mountain Range

Best Time to Visit:

June-September, also January and February

How to Reach:

Nairobi city is 160 kilometers away from the Aberdare National Park from where you can take a taxi. However, Nyahururu and Naivasha are the closest towns from which to enter the park.

Flora:

• Nuxia congesta
• Juniperus procera
• Montane rainforest

Fauna:

• Warthogs
• Leopards
• Black rhinos
• Olive baboons
• Spotted hyenas
• Black and white colobus monkeys
• Buffalos
• Reedbucks
• Dik-dik
• Rhinos

Excellent chances of seeing wild animals can be found in this national park due to its varied terrain, which includes dense jungle, rivers, swamps, and grasslands. The natural beauty of Meru National Park has not been compromised by human intervention. This is one of the national parks in Kenya which is a tropical wonderland because of the equator running right through the middle of it and the various rivers and streams that run through it. Visitors can enjoy bush walks, camping, bird watching, wild safaris, game drives and cultural safaris.

Location:

Maua, Kenya

Best Time to Visit:

July to October

How to Reach:

It is simple to visit Meru National Park, either by flying in or driving there. Both options are quite practical, and they will drop you to the park's gate or entry. Meru National Park is about 70 kilometers away along the Makutano route.

Flora:

• Commiphora
• Doum palms
• Acacia bushland

Fauna:

• Bohor reedbuck
• Grevy's zebras
• Puff adders
• Elephants
• Hartebeests
• Pythons
• Cobras
• Buffalos
• Birds namely wattled starling, somali ostrich, and long tailed fiscal

The park's unique name is a reference to the geothermal activity that takes place there. This park is one of the most atmospheric regions in Kenya's national parks, thanks to its high towering cliffs, water-gouged gorges, an unexplored volcano, and geothermal streams. It is located in the Great Rift Valley. The highlights of this national park for which it is famous worldwide are nature trails, raptor nesting in cliffs, wildlife viewing, hot springs ​and cycling amidst the lush greenery.

Location:

The southern part of Kenya just northwest of Nairobi.

Best Time to Visit:

June - March

How to Reach:

Tarmac road connects the park to Nairobi via Naivasha town, making it convenient for visitors. Naivasha airport provides another convenient means of getting to the area.

Flora:

• Acacia
• Leleshwa

Fauna:

• Defassa waterbuck
• Coke's hartebeest
• Olive Baboons
• Burchell's zebra
• Thomson's
• Grant's gazelle and impala
• Birds like reedbuck, hooded vultures, ruppell's griffon, and verreaux's eagle.

Located less than an hour's drive from Mombasa, the Shimba Hills National Reserve is one of the Kenya National Parks and perfect destinations for a day trip. It is home to one of the greatest coastal forests in all of East Africa and hosts a wide variety of flora, including several species that are critically endangered. In addition to being the only area in Kenya where visitors can observe the elusive Sable Antelope, the Shimba Hills National Reserve is also home to a sizable population of Elephants. You can see the sable antelopes and go for guided forest walks and night tours while enjoying the scenic viewpoints.

Location:

Kasemeni sinango rd Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya

Best Time to Visit:

June to August

How to Reach:

Just 56 kilometers from Mombasa, the national reserve is reachable by road from the town of Diani.

Flora:

• Orchids
• Cycad

Fauna:

• Fruit bats
• Mongoose
• Elephant shrew
• Sable antelope
• Warthog
• Reedbuck
• Waterbuck
• Hyena
• Giraffe
• Leopard
• Lion