Nairobi is known as the only city that has a National Park right within the capital. However, quite a few other National Parks exist about a few hours’ drive from the city. In this blog, I highlight the various National Parks that are accessible from Nairobi and no longer than 5 hours drive from the capital. A game drive is one of my favorite things to do over the weekend and how lucky am I to live in a city where I can do this and be home by 8pm! The Kenya Wildlife Service has done an outstanding job in the environmental conservation of the habitats of the game. The Kenyan government has also played a huge role in promoting domestic tourism by subsidizing entry fees to the National Parks.
1.NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK.
Home to a wide variety of Kenya’s rich selection of wild animals, the Nairobi National Park should be on your must-visit list on your next trip to Nairobi. The park hosts a variety of animal species including lions, leopards, gazelles, wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, ostriches, hippos, and hyenas among others.
A game drive through Nairobi National Park would give you nothing short of an experience out of National Geographic documentary. Most importantly, it is one of Kenya’s most successful rhinoceros sanctuaries, housing the critically endangered Black Rhino.
2.OLOOLUA NATURE TRAIL
Oloolua Nature Trail is located in the dry indigenous tropical Oloolua forest in the suburbs of Karen Neighborhood, Nairobi. The nature trail encompasses quite a number of activities such as hiking, dog walking, jogging and is also famous for its beautiful landscape thus a common picnic site.
The place has a man cave previously used by Mau Mau fighters that now houses different bat species, Bamboo rest points with benches to just relax and take in the beautiful scenery, a papyrus swamp further down the Mbagathi River, and a beautiful waterfall that adds to the existing tranquility of the environment.
3.KARURA FOREST RESERVE
Karura Forest Reserve, located in Parklands is one of the places in Nairobi that offers a vast eco-friendly area with fresh air and countryside feeling amidst the hustle of Nairobi city. The Karura experience is budget-friendly there the perfect place to take a break if you want a quick getaway within city limits.
Besides providing beautiful picnics sites Karura Forest Reserve gives a chance to do so many outdoor activities such as hiking where you actually get to see a15 meter waterfall present in the forest during the hike, bike riding, bird watching of species like the African Crowned Eagle, Owls, doves, and weavers, running and forest walks to see bushbabies, bush pigs, porcupines, bushbucks, Syke’s monkeys among others. You can also get a chance to do butterfly watching since Karura Forest Reserve is known to house the African Queen and Desmond’s Green Banded snow tail species.
4.LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
Surrounded by escarpments of the Rift Valley beautiful ridges, wooded and bushy grassland lies Lake Nakuru National Park. The park is a 3- hour drive from Nairobi and is ideal for game drives, bird watching, and hiking. It is one of the most popular national parks in Kenya. Its most popular features are the large shallow waters of Lake Nakuru home to birds like the Pelican and Flamingos.
The park also hosts elephants, the rare endangered Rothschild Giraffes, the African buffalo, hippos, and if lucky lions can also be seen roaming around the park. Zebras, gazelles, and different monkeys are also found in abundance here. The surrounding rift valley has escarpments, different tree species and the Lake Nakuru shores give a naturally breathtaking scenery.
5.MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK & RESERVE
Mt Kenya National Park is a 2hr drive from Nairobi city being only about 138km from the city center. The park is home to over 150 bird species and hosts a variety of wildlife species including the leopard, the African Buffalo, the bush and waterbucks, elephants, tree hyrax, and white-tailed mongoose. The lake, minerals springs, view of the peaks of Mt Kenya and pristine wilderness add to the whole park experience.
6.AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
Often referred to as the Land of Giants since it is endowed with a large number of elephants, Amboseli National Park is located 3hrs and a half from the city of Nairobi. Amboseli National Park faces the great Mt Kilimanjaro lying just northwest of it, therefore, making the view of the animals more breathtaking and amazing with the mountain as magnificent background.
Great photos are therefore best taken in the morning or late evenings with the beautiful sunsets. The western region of the national park is dominated by Lake Amboseli which is usually seen mostly only during the rainy season. Besides elephants, the park hosts an abundance of wildebeests, hippos, zebras, giraffes and buffalos.
7.MWEA NATIONAL RESERVE
Mwea National Reserve is an undiscovered reserve located only 200km from Nairobi. The journey to the reserve gives you a chance to appreciate the famous Mwea irrigation scheme filled with endless plantations of rice. This reserve’s ecosystem comprises different acacia and baobab species and most importantly the meeting points of the rivers Tana, Thiba, Masinga, and Kamburu that serve as hydroelectric dams. Mwea Tebere National Reserve is home to the Burchell’s zebra, the leopard, black-backed jackal, waterbuck, hippo, bushbuck, buffalo, and sykes monkey. Crocodiles can also be seen in the dams present in the reserve. This yet-to-be-known gem is definitely a place to try out!
Click the following links to get more insightful tips and tricks;
10 BEST SAFARI TOURS IN KENYA.
TOP 10 HISTORICAL SITES AND MONUMENTS IN NAIROBI, KENYA.
TOP 10 BEST PLACES TO EAT IN MOMBASA
TOP 10 SAFARI LODGES IN KENYA.
TOP 10 THINGS KENYA IS FAMOUS FOR.
TOP TEN GLAMPING SITES IN KENYA.
I am a bubbly extroverted 25 year old currently living and studying in Nairobi. I enjoy travelling and trying out new places to eat. My favourite place to be is anywhere by the beach, with a beer. You will most likely find me with my nose in a book or dining alone, like most extroverts do, of course.
I am a bubbly extroverted 25 year old currently living and studying in Nairobi. I enjoy travelling and trying out new places to eat. My favourite place to be is anywhere by the beach, with a beer. You will most likely find me with my nose in a book or dining alone, like most extroverts do, of course.
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