Safari Packages

NATIONAL PARKS IN KENYA

1)THE ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK

The Aberdare National Park is a 492 sq Km fairytale paradise of dense highland forest and misty spaces of Afro-alpine moorland, deep gorges and ravines where icy rivers plunge in glorious cascades and waterfalls such as the Gura (791ft) or Karura Falls (894ft). The Kikuyu name for the mountains is Nyandarua (drying hide), due to its distinctive outline. The Salient, stretching out towards the nearby town of Nyeri, was once an elephant migration route. These great animals remain within the park together with buffalo, a wide variety of antelope, giant forest hog, the elusive bongo antelope, black rhino, lions, leopards and hyenas. Encountering a group of elephants at a narrow bend in the road, in the middle of this thick luxuriant vegetation is a completely new sensation.

At 2000m, forest gives way to dense clusters of bamboo. At 3500m, the vegetation is already scarce and is mostly composed of tracts of heather. Here, Giant Lobelias and Giant Senecio, which grow to heights of 5m, flourish. The highest point is Ol Doinyo Lesatima, at 3999m.  A visit to either of these areas provides an opportunity for bird-watching in three distinctive vegetation zones. These are thick highland forest, bamboo forest and Afro-alpine moorland and no less than 13 species of sunbirds; including the northern double-collared, golden-winged, tacazze, green-headed, variable and scarlet-tufted malachite, along with the larger birds of prey such as the Mountain Buzzard and African Goshawk.

2) LAKE NAIVASHA

This beautiful and expansive lake, set in the Rift Valley, gets its name from the Maa word for “tempestuous”, or moody. Located close to the now extinct volcano Mt. Longonot, the several vents and underwater caves that connect the two make it impossible to guess the exact depth of the lake, and the resulting currents and temperatures mean that the lake could be calm and serene in the morning, and choppy, cold and grey by the same afternoon! Naivasha was considered the heart of the opulent ‘Happy Valley’ settler population during the colonial era in the early 20th century, a trendy set equally renowned for their tempestuousness!  Lake Naivasha is extremely popular with visitors who would like to enjoy a lazy boat ride to admire the proliferation of over 350 species of birds which include fish eagles and ospreys, herons and egrets, purple gallinules, lily-trotters, red-knobbed coots and black crakes, or to admire the families of hippos that inhabit the lake. Those who prefer a faster pace could hire a speedboat and cruise the lake in spectacular style!

Crescent Island, which can be accessed by road at times, depending on the water levels, is a unique wildlife sanctuary found on Lake  Naivasha. An abundance of plains game inhabits the sanctuary, which is visited on foot; one of the main attractions on the island is an albino python, an amazing sight to behold, if it is in the mood to expose itself!

 MAASAI MARA SAFARI 3 DAYS

3) MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE- 

The Masai Mara Game Reserve - the northern extension of the Serengeti, is without question the world’s prime game viewing area. With one of the highest diversity of species, and concentrations of animals, the acacia- dotted plains of the Mara offer wonderful scenery and a spectacular abundance of wildlife. Elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, topi, giraffes, hartebeest, serval cats, bat eared foxes; regal black- maned lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and jackals; monkeys and baboons, vultures, secretary birds, saddle bill storks, hundreds of migratory birds; countless pods of hippos around every bend of the Mara River, carefully watched by the other denizens of the rivers in the Masai Mara - the crocodiles, infamous for their spectacular role in the “Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth”- the annual wildebeest migration between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara, in which millions of wildebeest, zebra and topis brave the river, and the predators encountered daily, in their continuous annual treks in search of water and grazing, coming up to the Mara from the southern Serengeti plains.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) covers some 1,510 km2 (583 sq mi) in south-western Kenya. It is the northern-most section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, which covers some 25,000 km2 (9,700 sq mi) in Tanzania and Kenya. It is bounded by the Serengeti Park to the south, the Siria escarpment to the west, and Maasai pastoral ranches to the north, east and west. Rainfall in the ecosystem increases markedly along a southeast–northwest gradient, varies in space and time, and is markedly bimodal. The Sand, Talek River and Mara River are the major rivers draining the reserve. Shrubs and trees fringe most drainage lines and cover hillslopes and hilltops.

The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland with seasonal riverlets. In the south-east region are clumps of the distinctive acacia tree. The western border is the Esoit (Siria) Escarpment of the East African Rift.

Altitude: 1500-2180m; Rainfall: 83mm/month; Temperature range: 12-30℃

The Mara Triangle

The Mara Triangle lies in the western sector of Masai Mara where the Mara River forms a natural boundary line that embraces one-third of the Mara Reserve. Most of the Mara Triangle is part of the main reserve and is not a private conservancy. In addition to the dividing river, the area of the Mara Triangle is also defined by the Oloololo Escarpment (aka as Siria). The area covers 510-square kilometers (126,023 acres) and is managed by a non-profit organization – Mara Conservancy. Mara Triangle has a history of facing wildlife management challenges initially. After its establishment in 1994, the wilderness fell in disarray due to improper management. In 2000, local leaders stepped in and improved the state of the western Mara expanse. To ensure the future success of the triangle, the Mara Conservancy was introduced in 2001 to manage the Mara Triangle under the guardianship of the Trans-Mara County Council. Due to its superb location, animals freely wander between the neighboring wildernesses; however, the river acts a natural fence that keeps most of the wildlife in the triangle. This outback also boasts an incredible, diverse landscape that includes rivers, streams, swamps, plains, volcanic features and much more. The region sees fewer visitors than the other river-divided side of the reserve, so AfricanMecca lodgers enjoy discerning and intimate experiences during game drives. Mara Triangle is also the entrance and exit point of the wildebeest migration that arrive from the Serengeti; therefore, one of the most strategic locations to game drive in Masai Mara especially during the migration season.