Interestingly enough, just a short drive from downtown Nairobi can have you in the Nairobi National Park. One of Kenya’s top national parks, the Nairobi National Park is home to a range of animals, and except for elephants, visitors can expect to spot creatures from the renowned “Big Five”, among many others. The chance to spot a rhinoceros is alone enough of a reason to justify a visit to this great Nairobi safari park. There are also hundreds of species of birds here, so bring your binoculars! No trip to Nairobi would seem complete without a visit to the Nairobi National Park, and it’s certainly an ideal compliment to other Kenya wildlife destinations.
There is quite a lot of diversity when it comes the
almost 30,000 acres that make up Nairobi National Park.
There are grassy plains, gorges, and forests here, and
the manmade dams help to attract the variety of animal
species found roaming about. In the distance, the skyscrapers
of Nairobi can be seen, which reminds you of just how
close you are to the city. There is an electrical fence
on designated boundaries of the park, which helps to keep
lions and things the like off of Nairobi’s downtown
streets. That’s not to say that locals and animals
don’t sometimes come into conflict, which is rare,
but inevitable. Lions,
leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas
are some of the large predators that are found in the
Nairobi safari park, and should you get a chance to witness
the annual zebra and wildebeest migration here, you will
be in for a most coveted experience. Occurring in July/August,
this migration is of epic proportions, and it promises
to impress.
The rhino sanctuary at Nairobi National Park is known
as one of the best of its kind, and you are guaranteed
to see a black rhino here. Black rhino numbers have gone
down on the African continent, so places like these are
integral when it comes to saving them. Though elephants
don’t roam the grassy plains of the Nairobi safari
park, you can see baby ones at the Elephant Orphanage
found here. Talk about cute. Also part of the overall
experience at Nairobi National Park is the Safari Walk,
which is found at the park’s entrance. The Safari
Walk highlights Kenya’s plants and animals in a
very approachable manner, and the whole park is really
managed and operated quite well. Scores of locals visit
the park, as do many African children on school trips.
Guided tours of the park are available, and admission
fees are really quite reasonable. Students get in for
around US$10, children $20, and adults $40. For the chance
to see signature Kenya
wildlife, that’s hardly a high price, and a
Kenya wildlife safari is truly something that all visitors
should experience.
You can get help planning your Nairobi Kenya wildlife safari at most Nairobi hotels, and it is also included in various Kenya vacation packages, so you might choose to go that route. For those interested in staying at one of the Kenya lodges, the Masai Safari Lodge near Nairobi National Park is always an option. There are no facilities inside the park’s boundaries.
