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We have outlined general details of the parks to visit
within the region.
Amboseli
National Park
Amboseli National Park, at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, 5895m
Kilimanjaro, is one of the most popular of Kenya's national parks. It
lies some 240 km south-east of Nairobi very close to the Tanzania border.
The snowcapped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro rising above a saucer of clouds
dominates every aspect of Amboseli. The Park which covers 392 km2 is mainly
open wooded grassland and swamps. The park offers 53 species of herbivores
and carnivores - the most conspicuous being its elephant population, whose
individuals are known by name, age and sex! 387 species of birds, reptiles,
amphibians etc have been recorded in the park.
Amboseli
Cultural
experience...
The
Rift Valley Lake Region
The highest of the Rift Valley lakes, Naivasha lies at about 1880 m. The
lake level varies quite considerably - in 1926 it was reported 6 m higher.
Eons ago it was a great deal higher than that and its waters gushed through
Njorowa gorge now high above the lake and the dramatic entrance to Hell's
Gate National Park.
Lake Baringo lies in the solitude of the semi-desert, a haven of peace
and beauty in harsh, rugged but majestic surroundings. Its beauty derives
as much from an overwhelming sense of repose with nature as its scenic
distinction. Until a few years ago Baringo was considered well off the
beaten track.
The Lake region is renowned worldwide for the numerous species of birds
found in the area. 400 species have been listed in the Lake Baringo area
and the Goliath Heronry on a rocky islet in the lake (known locally as
Gibraltar) is world famous. Lake Naivasha's main attraction is the prolific
bird life. Many species including fish eating birds such as pelicans,
herons, storks and kingfishers are resident throughout the year. However
if there is one bird which characterises Lake Naivasha, it would have
to be the African Fish Eagle.
The
Rift Valley Lake Region Cultural
experience...
Maasai
Mara Game Reserve
Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve is a mosaic of Africa's diverse wildlife.
The Maasai Mara is one of the few places left on earth where wildlife
still lives comparatively undisturbed. This is Africa's finest wildlife
sanctuary.
The northern tip of the Serengeti hosts a spectacular seasonal migration
across the Mara. Apart from the seasonal migration, game viewing is excellent
year round. Game includes: savanna elephant, Black Rhino, buffalo, plains
zebra, hartebeest and the big cats; the rivers are home to hippo and crocodiles,
452 bird species, 53 of which are raptors. Nowhere else in Africa is wildlife
more plentiful than in the Maasai Mara, fabled for its great concentrations
of gazelle and antelope and their natural predators - the big cats. The
Mara is also famous for its prides of black-maned lions, cheetahs and
the elusive leopard.
Maasai
Mara Cultural
experience...
Nairobi
National park
Nairobi, as a capital city, is unique
in having a wildlife park at its doorstep. Indeed, the only city in the
world which neighbors a natural game protection area, with over 100 species
of mammals. The city borders the park on all but the southern perimeter
so it is possible to photograph a rhino, browsing peacefully among the
whistling thorn with high rise office buildings in the background. Some
of the wildlife is migratory and when there is grazing and water outside
the park it moves out into Maasailand through the unfenced and untamed
southern boundary. The Park borders the traditional South Kapiti Plains
and Kitengela Migration Corridor and attracts a range of exciting game.
 Samburu
National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve lies 325 km north of Nairobi in the hot and
arid fringes of the vast northern region of Kenya. The Reserve is within
the lands of the colorful Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai,
and harbors a number of wildlife species rarely found elsewhere in any
numbers. These include Grevy's zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the
Beisa Oryx, all species found only north of the equator. The long-necked
gerenuk is a graceful antelope which spends much of its time in a bi-pedal
stance seeking succulence among the withered scrub which dots this harsh
terrain. Scenically and faunally dramatic, for most of the year Samburu
is serene under the unsympathetic equatorial sun. But relief comes from
the wide swathe of the Ewaso Ngiro River which rises some hundreds of
kilometers to the west on the foothills of the Aberdares and which vanishes
beyond Samburu in the recesses of the Lorian swamp.
Samburu
Cultural
experience...
Aberdares
National Park
The Aberdare National Park is part of the Aberdare Mountain Range, a fascinating
region of Kenya. At 15,599 feet high, Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest
mountain, dominating the fertile countryside that runs north from Nairobi.
According to traditional Kikuyu folklore they are one of the homes of
Ngai (God). Nyeri town lies at the base of the Aberdare Mountains and
is the gateway to the Aberdares.
The total area of the park is 767 km2. The topography is diverse, Mountain
ranges and peaks soar to around 14,000ft., giving way to canyon like V-shaped
valleys that give way to gentler valleys separated by steep hills and
rocky outcrops. Streams and rivers cascade down through spectacular waterfalls.
On a clear day you will see the majestic face of Mt. Kenya in the distance.
Animal life is most abundant in the Aberdare forest zone. Large mammals
include mountain elephants, buffalo, bongo and black rhino among others.
Carnivores include lion, hyena and leopard, whereas playful primates are
represented by baboon, black and white Colobus and Sykes monkeys. The
park is rich in bird life with over 250 species recorded. The Jackson's
Francolin is endemic. Brightly coloured birds include sparrow hawk, African
goshawk, eagles, francolins, sunbirds and plovers. The clear cool pure
rivers have plenty of fresh water fish including the introduced rainbow
and brown trout.
Aberdares
Cultural Experience.....
The
Coast region
Marine parks and reserves, the white sandy beaches, historical monuments,
contemporary culture and the warm climate give the Kenya Coast a unique
tourist product. Almost 47% of Kenya's tourism occurs here. Nationally
about 52% of the total hotel beds are at the coast, and 95% of the visitors
to Kenya use the coast as a base for inland safaris.
You can swim in the warm, clear water of the Indian Ocean or visit one
of the seven marine parks that are host to a wonderful under-world. A
pair of fins, snorkel and mask are all you need to see superb coral reefs
and exotically tinted tropical fish that come so close you can almost
touch them.
Shimba Hills the 320 km2 reserve is located 56 km south of Mombasa and
is within easy reach of coast resorts. It offers beautiful, lush scenery,
good for those wishing to take a break from the beach to view terrestrial
wildlife. The reserve comprises a unique and botanically rich coastal
rain forest and open glades. Two of Kenya's most beautiful orchids flourish
in Shimba Hills. Besides the locally endemic sable antelope, are buffalo,
elephant, giraffe, lion, leopard and several species of primates. The
reserve also hosts Palaearctic birds during late March - early April.
The reserve has 19 tree species, 13 forest birds and 7 mammalian species
under threat.
The
Coast Cultural experience...
Arusha
National Park.
Arusha National Park is located 25km from Arusha town and 35 kilometers
from Kilimanjaro International Airport. The British Administrators established
the park in 1960, and in 1967 its boundaries were extended to include
Mount Meru. It is one of the small national parks in Tanzania with 137
square kilometers. Nevertheless, the park has diverse topography that
can catch your eyes and heart. The notable features are Ngurdoto Crater,
Momela Lakes, and Mount Meru, which is among the best places to get a
great view of Mount Kilimanjaro rising above the clouds.
Geological formation of the park is associated with tectonic forces that
were also the cause of the formation of the Great Rift Valley, which took
place more than 200,000 million years ago. The topography of the park
has a large influence to a wide range of vegetations. The slopes of Ngurdoto
Crater are covered by the rainforest, swamps and lush savannah at the
crater floor, as well as alpine moorland in the slopes of Meru Mountain.
The vegetation harbor more than 300 species of birds, some are migratory
and others permanently live in the forests. Birds mostly seen are waterfowls,
which are supported by presence of algae in the surrounding lakes. Huge
flocks of Flamingoes can also be seen at Momela Lakes. Arusha National
Park is considered to have the largest concentration of the giraffes in
the World; other animals include hippo, buffalo, colobus monkey, bushbuck,
reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog, Leopards and hyenas.
Serengeti
National Park.
Is undoubtedly the best wildlife santuary in the world. It is one of the
most important areas in the world, where 90% of the film series produced
on African animals take place in this Savannah ecosystem.
Its fame has been due to its unique natural beauty and its scientific
value. The name 'Serengeti' comes from the Maasai language "Siringet"
meaning 'extended place'. The national park is Tanzanian's oldest, second
largest, and the most famous. It covers an area of 14,763 square kilometers,
lying between the shores of Lake Victoria in the west, Lake Eyasi in the
south, and the Great Rift Valley to the east.
With more than two million wildebeest, half a million Thomson's gazelle,
and a quarter of a million zebra, it has the greatest concentration of
plains game in the world. Its unique combination of diverse habitants
enables it to support more than 30 species of large Herbivores and nearly
500 species of birds. As such, it offers the most complex and least disturbed
ecosystem on earth. Its landscape, originally formed by volcanic activity,
has been sculptured by the concerted action of wind, rain, and sun and
to form kopjes. In 1981, the park was Internationally recognized as part
of Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve (with the adjoining Maswa Game
Reserve) under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program. The park has also
been inscribed as a world heritage site.
Uwanda
Game Reserve.
Uwanda/Rukwa Game Reserve is located in Sumbawanga district in Rukwa Region,
about 90 kilometers south of Katavi National Park. It covers an area of
4100 square kilometers, extending from the eastern escarpment on Lake
Tanganyika to the hilly central plateau that include almost half of Lake
Rukwa. The name Rukwa Game Reserve was derived from lake Rukwa, of which
half lies within the reserve. This game reserve, together with the national
parks of Katavi , Mahale , Gombe , and Ugala form the western circuit.
The main feature of Uwanda is the presence of alkaline Lake Rukwa with
its flood plain, which attracts and harbours large herds of herbivores
during dry season
Vegetation Regular floods, have created floodplain habitations of woodland
and grassland
Wildlife: This is the place to see rare specie of puku "kobus vardoni",
It is also the place where you can see albino giraffes, unusually-stripped
zebra, and spiral-horned antelopes related to Uganda kobs. Other animals
include topi, eland, reedbuck, impala, roan antelopes, greater kudu, normal
giraffes, elephants and hippopotamus. Lake Rukwa has highest density of
crocodiles in Tanzania.
Birding: The Alkaline Lake attracts many birds. Over 400 species have
been recorded here; the famous ones are grey parrots, red shark, and woodpeckers.
Uwanda is considered to be the breeding place for red locust (insects),
which attract many birds.
Hunting
The game reserve is considered among the best in Africa for big game hunting.
Best visited after March and Before Octobe
Wilderness
Of Selous game Reserve.
Selous Game Reserve was gazetted in 1905 by the German colonial administration.
Seventeen years later, four reserves were combined to establish what is
today "The Selous Game Reserve". It was named after Captain Frederic
Courtney Selous, who during WWI, was killed buried within the Game Reserve.
The game sanctuary is one of the largest protected areas in the world and
runs in almost five regions of Tanzania, Coastal region, Lindi, Mtwara,
Morogoro, and Ruvuma [see the Map]. The area covers nearly 50, 000 square
kilometers (5% of Tanzanian land). It is located in the southeast of Tanzania
at 7°17'-10°15'S and 36°04'-38°46'E. Selous is larger than
Denmark or Switzerland.
Today Selous game Reserve is the single largest game reserve of Africa;
it is twice as much as Kruger National Park of South Africa.
The park is part of the Selous ecosystem that includes Mikumi National Park
and the Kilombero Game Controlled Area, large part of it is drained by Rufiji
River, Great Ruaha River and Kilombero River with their tributaries.
Climate
and Ecology
It is quite different from northern Tanzania where the temperature and
rainfall are modified by the altitude. Selous' temperature ranges from
13°C to 41°C. The annual rainfall ranges from 750mm in the east
to 1250mm in the west, falling from December to March.
The climate has influenced the types of vegetations in Selous Game Reserve.
Savannah wooded grassland and deciduous miombo woodland dominate. Dense
thorn bushes and ground water forests as well as rocky outcrops also cover
the area.
Attractions
Selous Game Reserve contains the world's largest concentrations of elephants,
buffalo, crocodiles, and hippopotamuses. Others animals include leopard
and wild dogs, possibly the largest in Africa, as well as lions. The muddy
Rufiji River is full of hippo and Massive crocodiles, variety of bird
life: fish eagle, African Skimmer, waders, herons, kingfisher and weavers.
Antelopes, white bearded wildebeest and giraffes are commonly seen north
side of the river.
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Game Reserves 
