Kenya National Parks and Game Reserves, Conservancies, Lakes, and Beaches define brilliant natural beauty that will leave you relaxed more than ever before. They offer unmatched opportunities to relax in the best African way and taste some elegant Kenyan culture.
Kenya National Parks and Games Reserves are top tourist destinations for superb African wildlife safaris. Kenya tourism includes; eco-tourism, beach tourism, cultural tourism, and sports tourism. It is one of the major sources of foreign exchange and, hence, tourism is well-developed and prioritized. You will get excellent service in this well-run industry.
Wildlife safaris and tours to the Kenya National Parks and Game Reserves with cultural visits to the communities neighbouring the parks especially the Maasai people dominates Kenya tourism. Kenya National parks offer excellent wildlife viewing, a variety of habitat and stunning sceneries, beautiful beaches, and unadulterated indigenous cultures.
Top Kenya National Parks
Kenya National Parks: Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park is one of the best Kenya National Parks. It is a park in the city and it is a fascinating place to be.
It is located approximately 7 kilometres south of the Nairobi Central Business District, Kenya’s capital city.
Nairobi National Park boasts a large and varied wildlife population, including the endangered black rhino, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes
The park has abundant birdlife with over 400 species recorded.
Visitors can enjoy the park’s picnic sites, three campsites, and the walking trails for hikers.
Kenya National Parks: Aberdare National Park
The Aberdare National Park covers the higher areas of the Aberdare Mountain Range of central Kenya and the Aberdare Salient to their east.
This critical habitat is under the devoted protection of Rhino Ark.
The park contains a wide range of landscapes which include mountain peaks and deep, V-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers, and waterfalls.
Animals easily observed include the leopard, elephant, East African wild dog, giant forest hog, bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, waterbuck, Cape buffalo, Suni, side-striped jackal, eland, duiker, olive baboon, black and white colobus monkey, and Sykes monkey.
The Aberdare National Park also contains a large eastern black rhinoceros population.
Visitors can also indulge in walking, picnics, in the rivers, and camping in the moorlands.
Kenya National Parks: Amboseli National Park
The Amboseli National Park is famous for being the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants.
Here, you meet Maasai people and an opportunity to visit a Maasai village.
The park also has views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world.
This protected area is also home to African bush elephant, Cape buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, Masai giraffe, Grant’s zebra, and blue wildebeest. A host of large and small birds occur too.
Kenya National Parks: Mount Kenya National Park
Mt. Kenya is Africa’s second-highest peak. This mountain is an awe-inspiring sight. Its ragged series of peaks are crowned with snow, and its slopes are thick with forest. It is best seen at dawn.
Mt Kenya National Park wildlife includes elephant, tree hyrax, white-tailed mongoose, suni, black-fronted duiker, mole rat, bushbucks, waterbuck, and Elands.
Animals rarely seen include leopard, bongo, and giant forest hog.
Kenya National Parks: Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley soda lakes. Lake Nakuru National Park is close to Nakuru town.
The lake is abundant in algae that attract a vast quantity of flamingos that line the shore. It has also other famous birds including the African fish eagle, Goliath heron, hamerkop, pied kingfisher, and Verreaux’s eagle among others.
Wildlife includes warthogs, baboons, waterbuck, zebra, buffalo, the endangered Rothschild Giraffe, and more.
More importantly, Eastern black rhinos and Southern white rhinos have also been introduced.
Kenya National Parks: Masai Mara National Reserve
Masai Mara National Reserve is globally famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration.
All members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceros) are found here. Also, hippopotami and crocodiles are found in large groups in the Mara and Talek rivers.
Kenya National Parks: Tsavo East National Park
Tsavo East National Park is located near the town of Voi in the Taita-Taveta County of the former Coast Province.
Here, the major attraction includes Mudanda Rock, Yatta Plateau, Lugard Falls, Aruba Dam, and a wide variety of mammals.
Famous animals include the Tsavo lions, a population whose adult males often lack manes entirely, black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, and hippo.
Kenya National Parks: Watamu Marine National Park
The park’s coral reefs form the physical and biological backbone of the area.
The main Watamu Marine National Park has many species of fish. There are also whale sharks, manta rays, octopus and barracuda as some of the larger species in the park.
Watamu Marine National Park also has different species of turtles and a turtle watch program.
Kenya National Parks: Malindi Marine National Park
And finally but not least, we have Malindi Marine National Park. This is a place where you can enjoy marine wildlife.
The Malindi Marine National Park is located in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Kenya. It is enclosed by the Malindi Marine National Reserve.
The park is endowed with magnificent resources such as fringing reefs, coral, seagrass, mangroves, mudflats, high fish diversity, marine mammals, turtles, and shorebirds.
Top Conservancies in Kenya
- Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Top Forests in Kenya
- Karura Forest
- Ngong Hills Forest
- Kakamega National Reserve
Top Lake in Kenya
- Lake Magadi
- Lake Elementaita
- Lake Logipi
- Lake Nakuru
- Lake Turkana
- Lake Bogoria
- Lake Baringo
- Lake Victoria
- Lake Naivasha
Other Top Tourist Destinations in Kenya
- Menengai Crater
Kenya Animals/Wildlife
Kenya has international fame for having a variety of wildlife. Kenya animals include; the big five (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Cape buffalo and the Rhinoceros), Cheetah, Giraffe, Zebra, Hippopotamus, Wildebeest, Eland, Impala, Warthog, Waterbuck, Lesser kudu, Gazelle, Oribi, Duiker, Suni, wild dog, Hyena, Serval, Genet, Jackal, Crocodile, and many others.
Birdlife is abundant here with over 1100 species of birds on record. They are either indigenous or introduced with some being endemic or uncertain. They include; the Ostrich, Flamingo, Guineafowl, Duck, Pigeon, Sandgrouse, Bustard, Turaco, Cuckoo, Crane, Swift, Plover, Oystercatcher, Jacana, Owl, Bee-eater, Trogon, Stork, Frigatebird, Falcon, Parrot, Honeyguide, Bulbul, Starling and many others.
Kenya Weather and Climate
Kenya’s climate varies by location. Kenya is located at the equator and, hence, no extreme climatic conditions.
To simplify rather a complex analysis, it can be generalized that Kenya has two rainy seasons. The long rains start from mid-March to early June with a peak in April. June to October is cool with less rainfall. The short rains begin from late October to early December with a peak in November. December to March is hot and dry with no or less rainfall.
The average annual temperatures also vary by location. Nairobi’s annual average temperature is 19°C with slight variations and while Mombasa’s average annual temperature is 31°C.
Best Time to Visit Kenya
You can visit Kenya all year round.
Dry seasons are best for wildlife viewing as animals gather around the remaining waterholes. Bush is also thin allowing animal visibility.
Wet seasons offer an opportunity to witness a new generation as animals give birth and stunning green scenery as plants sprout. You will also enjoy low rates during these periods as there are low numbers of tourists.
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