Kenya’s national parks are administered by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) as total sanctuaries where human habitation, apart from the tourist lodges, is prohibited, National reserves, run by local councils; tend to be less strict on the question of human encroachment.

Most parks and reserves are not fenced in (Lake Nakuru, Aberdare and the north side of Nairobi National park being exceptions). The wildlife is free to come and go, though animals do tend to stay within the boundaries, especially in the dry season when cattle outside compete for water.

Nearly all the parks and reserves are open to private visits (though foreign-registered commercial overland vehicles are not allowed in). A few parks have been heavily developed for tourism with graded tracks, signposts and lodges, but none has any kind of transport at the gate for people without their own transport. You may be able to hitch a lift at the park gate with visitors in a private vehicle, but in general, without your own transport, youll have to go on an organized safari. An introduction to the main game parks, giving you some idea of what to expect from them is given.

Its important to bear in mind some simple facts to ensure you leave the park and the animals as you found them. Harassment of animals disturbs feeding, breeding and reproductive cycles, and too many vehicles surrounding wildlife is not only unpleasant for you, but also distresses the animals. Take only photos and leave nothing behind. If you’re camping, collecting firewood is strictly prohibited, as is picking any flora. If you smoke always use an ashtray. Cigarette butts start numerous bush fires every year.

Smart card Points of Issue and Points of Sale

Nairobi NP MAIN GATE (KWS HQ)

KWS offices Mombasa town centre

Lake Nakuru NP main gate (south of town)

Tsavo East NP main gate (Voi)

Tsavo West NP main gate (Mtito Andei)

Amboseli NP Meshanani gate

KWS Mountain parks HQ, Mweiga

Malindi Marine NP (south of town)

Entry Fees

Park and reserve entry fees, payable in UK pounds, US dollars.euros or Kenya shillings, are charged per person per 24-hour visit. Your ticket will indicate your time of arrival .For most parks and reserves, you pay at the gate where you enter, in cash only. However, entry to the six most popular national parks- Aberdare, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Nairobi, Tsavo East and Tsavo West-is by a cash-loaded smart card. You can obtain smart cards only at Point of Issue (POS), the prices sum determined by which park or parks you are visiting and for how long. If you have sufficient credit, your smart card is good for entry by any entrance to any smart card park. Unused credit is non-refundable, and the card is retained as soon as credit runs out-meaning you have to go to POI to get a new one if you want to make further visits to smartcard parks.

If you’re visiting the relevant parks in a tour group, all this is handled and paid for on your behalf. But if you’re traveling independently, it does require some planning and makes last-minute changes of itinerary problematic –in theory .Happily, there seems to be plenty of flexibility in the system, which allows for most gates to process independent visitors who turn up hoping to pay in cash. If your itinerary has gone awary, or you’re entering through a minor gate, you can also usually persuade KWS rangers to allow you to travel through the park to a gate where you can rectify your status.Likewise,if you stay another day, you can always pay the balance owing on departure.

Note that if you overstay by more than an hour or so you will very likely have to pay the full 24-hour fee. If you can foresee this possibility at the time you enter, its a good plan to alert the rangers and ask them to radio ahead, as the gate you exit through is more likely to waive the excess fee if they have been notified about your late departure. Don’t, however, expect to use this plan to do an extra game drive or stay for lunch: they do watch the clock.

There are Non-residents fees, resident’s fees, children rates apply to anyone over 3 but under 18, while students under 23 can apply for student discounts in advance direct to KWS (www.kws.go.ke) .Students need to be studying or researching in Kenya to get the reductions: leisure trips don’t count.

KWS Park fees were hiked 2009 to great opposition from tour operators and agents, but it is likely they will increase.

In the national reserves (the main ones are Masai Mara, Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba), revenue is not controlled by KWS but by rangers employed by the local county councils. Fees are comparable to national park fees, and strictly for periods of 24 hours, but transactions usually take place only at the gates. In 2009, Narok County Council began an experiment with pre-payments in Nairobi, using the tour operator Somak as their agent. At the time of writing rangers at the gates and airstrips were still happy to accept fees in cash.

National Parks and Game Reserves in Kenya

Aberdare national park geographical features Forest and montane grassland, access by 4WD only wildlife and outdoor activities hiking,elephant,buffalo,black rhino, giant forest ,hog ,rare bongo antelope accommodation Treetops and the Ark cottage and camping.

Amboseli national park it has small and busy ,dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro and wildlife Aders,Duiker,elephant ,hyena,buffalo,zebra,hippo,giraffe,cheetah,lion and activities walking safaris and accommodation lodges,KWS cottages and campsites.

Arabuko –Sokoke national park it has coastal forest, home to pioneering community conservation projects and wildlife Aders duiker ,elephant shrew, birds and butterflies and accommodation camping in the park ,hotels in Watamu.

Buffalo Springs national reserve it has smallish reserve adjacent to Samburu and the wildlife consists of lion,elephant,reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich ,gerenuk and crocodile and the Ewa Nyiro River and there are campsites ,safari lodges and tented camps for accommodation for both luxurious and budget.

Chyulu Hills national park it is rarely visited volcanic hills near Tsavo West. The activities includes, hiking ,riding and the wildlife includes cloud forest, black rhino, elephant ,buffalo, eland and for accommodation there is one tented camp and one safari lodge outside the park and with campsites.

Hells Gate national Park it is small, Scenic Park next to Lake Naivasha, the tourism activities are walking, cycling, rock-climbing and the wildlife includes zebra, giraffe, buffalo and Thomson’s gazelle and accommodation is mainly camping.

Kakamega Forest National Park It is situated in Western part of Kenya the last stand of lowland tropical forest. The wildlife expected are great blue turaco,monkeys and chameleons and the tourism outdoor activities includes walking and birdwatching safaris accommodation in KWS band as ,camping and small lodges nearby.

Lake Bogoria National Reserve situated in the Rift Valley region of Kenya a Rift Valley soda lake with limited facilities and it has the wildlife of the likes of flamingos, greater kudu and the hot springs hotel accommodation outside the reserve with campsite.

Lake Nakuru National Park situated in the provincial headquarters of Rift Valley province Nakuru town it is a soda lake accessible by taxia and the wildlife includes flamingo es,pelicans,lion ,leopard ,buffalo ,white and black rhino with Lake shore circuits accommodation includes lodges,KWS cottages and campsites.

The Masai Mara National Reserve named the “seven wonders of the world” the best park for game-watching, but very busy for wildebeest migration (July to September from Serengeti plains Tanzania to the park; huge variety of savanna wildlife. There dozens of luxury & budget safari lodges and tented camps with some budget accommodation and camping outside the gates.

Meru National Park situated in the Eastern part of Kenya has beautiful landscapes, few tourists, wildlife hard to spot. The wildlife that can be viewed includes lion, elephant, buffalo, reticulated giraffe, Grevys zebra and white rhino with accommodation in lodges and tented camps, bandas and campsites.

Mount Elgon National Park situated in western Kenya on Kenyan slopes of an extinct volcano on the Ugandan border the tourism activities are hiking, salt-lick caves, hot springs, scenery and elephants and accommodation at KWS bandas and cottages, camping rudimentary lodge.

Mount Kenya National Park situated in Central region of Kenya and the Kenya’s highest mountain, an extinct volcano and the tourism activities are hiking, climbing, and high-altitude Afro-alpine flora: and the wildlife includes buffalo and elephant. Accommodation comprises of hiking huts, hotels at the base.

Nairobi National Park situated in the city in the sun and the capital city of Kenya this park closed downtown Nairobi. There is full variety of plains game including giraffe, lion, cheetah, black rhino (no elephants) no hotels for accommodation you have to get from outskirts of the park and Nairobi.

Saiwa Swamp National Park situated in Kitale on your way to Mt Elgon the smallest park in Kenya, access on foot only and outdoor tourism activities comprises of walking and boardwalks and the wildlife includes birdlife,sitatunga and antelope. Accommodation in small tree house plus, Sirikwa safaris 11km away.

Samburu National Reserve peaceful and beautiful reserve in the arid lowlands north of Mt Kenya it has wildlife like leopard,elephant,reticulated giraffe,Grevys zebra, Somali ostrich ,gerenuk ,cheetah Beisa oryx and crocodile built on the Ewaso Nyiro River .There are several hotel chains who have safari lodges and tented camps in Samburu which are luxury and budget including campsites.

Shaba National Reserve it is close to Samburu, but better watered and less visited built on the Ewaso Nyiro River and the wildlife includes elephant, jackal, lion, Greys zebra and reticulated giraffe. There is only one safari lodge and one tented camp.

Shimba Hills National Reserve it is situated on the South Coast of Mombasa on hilly terrain near Diani Beach, with grassland and scattered jungle and views include elephant ,sable antelope, leopard and bushbabies.The accommodation in Tree-hotel KWS bandas and camping.

Tsavo East National Park it is the biggest park in Kenya, popular for short safaris from the coast and tourism outdoor activities includes,Mudanda Rock,Lugards Falls and wildlife of elephant ,black rhino, lion and zebra. There luxury and budget safari lodges and tented camps with camping safaris operated by hotel chains.

Tsavo West National Park it is busy and popular core area, surrounded by wilderness and the tourism outdoor activities includes Mzima Springs (underwater hippo-watching), lava flows and game includes elephant, zebra, giraffe, lion, buffalo, lesser kudu and black rhino.Camping safaris forms part of accommodation for budget tourists and there are luxury & budget safari lodges and tented camps operated by the major hotel chains that owns several properties around the world.

Seasons

Most of the parks get two rain seasons-brief rains in November or December, more earnest in April and May –but these can vary widely. As a general rule, you’ll see more animals during the dry season when they are concentrated near water and the grasses are low. After the rains break and fill the seasonal watering places, the game tends to disperse deep into the bush. Moreover, if your visit coincides with the rains, you may have to put up with some frustrating game drives, and with mud and stranded vehicles. The effects of climate change have led to several temporary closures over recent years, and park conditions are often unpredictable .By way of compensation, if your plans include up market accommodation, you’ll save a fortune at lodges and tented camps in the low season. Most places reduce their tariffs by anything from a third to a half between April and June.

Park Accommodation

If you're visiting the parks independently it may well be worth bringing a tent (consider renting or buying one in Nairobi. If you don’t have one, you will find the budget options fairly limited, and in some parks and reserves a campsite may be the only affordable place to stay, as well as significantly adding to the adventure. If you’re visiting the parks with deeper pockets and staying in lodges or tented camps .it would be wise to make advance reservations as there is often heavy pressure on beds, especially during the peak seasons. Note that if you book through an agent, you may get discounts on the establishment’s normal, walk-in “rack rates”.

Besides their campsites, KWS have a limited range of self-catering cottages, houses and bandas in most of the parks see (www.kws.org )for reservations or take a chance at the gate.

When visiting Kenya tourists have a variety of services and products to choose from and your budget can’t stop you from enjoying visiting the national parks and game reserves. The travel and tour operators have all sorts of packages ranging from budget and luxury which can be worked out to meet your budget. Accommodation in national parks and national reserves can be on self-catering cottage services, camping, safari lodges and tented camps and also this will depend on every tourists taste and most importantly budget. There are air safaris, road safaris and private charter flights tour packages to these tourists’ destinations.

Anthony Mmeri is the Editor and Senior Aviation Director at Wings Over Africa Safaris Limited. <br><a href='http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com’> This is a Safari Holiday Maker Company that specializes on Safari Lodges | Tented Camps| Camping Safaris Into National Parks & Game Reserves Kenya Kenya. </a> The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/safaris-east-africa/kenya-tour-packages.html</a>