Nairobi National Park and Sheldrick Elephant OrphanageNairobi National Park was established in 1945 and is
Kenya's first national park. Uniquely situated on the capital's
doorstep it is a well-kept, compact and beautiful area of plains
and wild bush containing a large number of Africa's best-known
animals. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and giraffe roam
the plains and black rhino, ostrich, baboons, cheetah and lions are
some of the other photogenic inhabitants. In the park is the Animal
Orphanage where sick, wounded and abandoned animals are cared for
and rehabilitated into the park, as well as an Educational Centre
featuring a Safari Walk. Close by is the Sheldrick Elephant
Orphanage, where infant elephant and rhino (orphaned because of
poaching activities) are cared for and eventually returned to the
wild in Tsavo National Park. The centre is open every morning and
visitors can watch the calves bathing in the mud hole and being
bottle fed by their human surrogate mothers.Amboseli National ParkAmboseli is a park of giants, renowned for its herds
of mighty tusked elephants presided over by the magnificent
backdrop of Africa's highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro. One of
Africa's most unforgettable images is the picture of these large
creatures standing in silent tribute before the gigantic
snow-covered mountain just over the border in neighbouring
Tanzania. It is a relatively small park with wide plains merging
with the distant skyline, affording good visibility in all
directions. Observation Hill rises from the centre for breathtaking
views over the park and towards Mt Kilimanjaro, especially in the
pink light of dawn. Meaning 'Place of Water' in the Masai language,
it has a continuous supply from Kilimanjaro's snowmelt, forming
underground springs that feed the marshy patches and swamps home to
hippos and a great variety of bird life. Predators are relatively
scarce apart from jackal and hyena, but there are large numbers of
grazers such as wildebeest, zebra and gazelles on the grassy plains
and giraffe among the thorn trees. A popular way to take in the
scenery is by way of a noiseless microlight flight, either from
Nairobi or the Amboseli airstrip. There is a wide range of
accommodation in and around the outskirts of the park for those
wanting to extend the experience.Mount Kenya National ParkThis national park encompasses Africa's second highest
mountain, Mt Kenya, an extinct volcano with a series of jagged
snow-covered peaks. The local Kikuyu people revere the mountain
they call Kirinvaga or 'Place of Light' as the home of their
Supreme Being, Ngai, and traditionally Kikuyu homes are built to
face the sacred summit. Part of the mountain's attraction is the
incredible variation in flora and fauna due to the changes in
altitude and its position on the equator. The slopes are covered in
thick forest, home to a variety of animals including the black
leopard. Bamboo, moorland and alpine vegetation give way to rock,
ice and one of the world's rarest sights - equatorial snow. The
summit is a technical climb, but Point Lenana is a popular
trekkers' objective, the third highest peak that can be reached by
a number of different scenic routes, lasting from three to five
days. For those not wishing to climb the mountain the park offers a
pristine wilderness, lakes and glaciers and is good for game
viewing and hiking.Masai Mara National ReserveKenya's most visited park, commonly known as the Mara,
is a wildly beautiful place with rolling savannah grasslands and is
an extension of the Serengeti Plains in neighbouring Tanzania. Much
of the film 'Out of Africa' was filmed here and it offers wonderful
views and an extraordinary concentration of wildlife, including the
'Big Five'. It has the largest population of lion, and large herds
of grazers also attract many other predators such as cheetah and
hyena. The annual highlight is the Great Wildebeest Migration,
creating one of the world's supreme natural spectacles, when an
estimated two million animals form one large herd and leave the dry
plains of Tanzania to seek greener pastures in the north, arriving
in the Mara from late June onwards and returning again in
September. Their entrance into the Mara makes a breathtaking
spectacle, as they cross the crocodile infested waters of the Mara
River. A once in a lifetime way to experience the magic of an
African dawn over such a wilderness is by hot air balloon, drifting
silently over the herds below. These can be booked through any
safari company and operate daily from several of the lodges in the
reserve. Also within the reserve is a Masai village that holds
demonstrations of traditional dances and music as a source of
tourist income for the local communities of the Masai Mara National
Reserve. Traditionally the lands were used by the Masai for their
herds of cattle and the settlement programs set up to compensate
for their displacement have only recently been accepted, albeit
reluctantly. The proud warriors have become a symbol of tribal
Kenya with their beadwork, feathers, spears, decorated gourds and
red blankets. Today the Masai communities are allowed to hunt and
graze their animals in the reserve, and the occasional flash of red
glimpsed between the thorn trees and bush on the fringes of the
Mara has become a natural part of the Mara's
character.
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