Marsabit National Park

Marsabit National Park is located in the northern frontiers desert. I call this park a montane paradise. This park skirts the massive extinct volcano known as Mount Marsabit. The mountain’s great mass has created its own ambient ecosystem. Rising like a mirage above the surrounding burning desert, Marsabit is a cool, green forested realm often swathed in mist. We visited Marsabit National Park while on a trip to Northern Kenya courtesy of Lalibela Tours and Travel. We set off from Nairobi and spent the night at Marsabit Lodge. The park is home to diverse wild animals such as Elephants, greater/lesser kudu, buffalos, hyenas, Kirk’s dik-dik, Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, lions, leopard, peter’s gazelles. Primates to see include Olive baboons, vervet monkeys, and baboons among others. We drove into the park using Ahmed Gate after our National ID/passports were confirmed. The gate is presumably named after the famous elephant Ahmed. Ahmed lived in the park and was known as The King of Marsabit in 1970, in order to protect him from the poachers, the late President Jomo Kenyatta placed Ahmed under his protection by presidential decree. Ahmed boosted some of the biggest tusks ever recorded, died at age 55 and his body was preserved and is now on display in Nairobi National Park. We decided to head straight to Lake Paradise before offloading our luggage into our rooms. There are several theories as to why the Lakes in Marsabit Park are degenerating. After taking pictures from the viewpoint, our driver drove us back to the lodge. We were all tired and early dinner after taking a bath would do us good. Marsabit Lodge located inside the park is old but well kept. the food was really good, prepared to perfection. I will never forget how well we were welcomed here, great dancers proceeded to welcome us s they got our luggage from the cruiser, and because it was cold we were given tea prepared from got milk. The hotel is clean and the rooms are spacious with hot showers available. We later went to the restaurant for dinner and later joined the manager at the fireplace for storytelling. Our night was made, great history of the lodge and park was shared. The following morning after breakfast we were ready to live for Sibiloi National Park where we spent a night. Like most of Kenya’s parks, it is possible to visit Marsabit year-round and see wildlife, however, the best months are when it is dry season, from June to October and December to March.