Kenya National Parks

Nairobi National Park is the only major wildlife park within a capital city, where lions, rhino and giraffe roam against a backdrop of skyscrapers. It makes a superb half-day on arrival or departure. The city-and-wildlife contrast is unique.

Amboseli is famous for its big-tusked elephants set against the snows of Kilimanjaro, with open plains, swamps and superb photography. It is one of the best places in Africa to see elephants up close. The mountain backdrop is unmatched.

Tsavo East is one of Kenya’s largest parks, a vast, open wilderness famous for its red-dust elephants and big skies. It offers space, solitude and a true sense of the wild. The scale is the appeal.

Tsavo West is more varied than its eastern neighbour, with volcanic hills, the crystal-clear Mzima Springs and a rhino refuge among rugged scenery. It pairs naturally with Tsavo East and the coast. The springs and lava country are highlights.

Lake Nakuru, a Rift Valley soda lake, is known for its flamingos when conditions suit and for being a stronghold for both black and white rhino. Its compact size makes for easy, rewarding game viewing. The birdlife is superb.

The Aberdare highlands are a world of forest, moorland, waterfalls and deep valleys, home to elephant, buffalo and rare forest species, with famous tree lodges for watching wildlife at night. The cool, green scenery is a contrast to the plains.

Mount Kenya National Park protects Africa’s second-highest mountain, with the walking summit of Point Lenana reached over several days and the technical rock peaks for mountaineers. The forested slopes hold elephant and rare species. The trek is one of Africa’s finest.

Meru, the setting of the Born Free story, is a remote, green park of rivers, woodland and savanna, with a rhino refuge and a real wilderness feel away from the crowds. It rewards those who seek it out. The river country is beautiful.

Hell’s Gate, in the Rift Valley near Lake Naivasha, is one of very few parks where you can walk and cycle among wildlife, with dramatic gorges and cliffs and no big predators. It is a rare, active day out. The rock scenery is striking.

Marsabit, a forested mountain rising from the northern deserts, is a green oasis of crater lakes and big-tusked elephants, deep in Kenya’s wild frontier. It is remote and rarely visited. The forest-and-desert contrast is striking.