KENYA NORTHERN CIRCUIT

Kenya National Parks - North of the Equator 

ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK

The park is named after the mountain range that it protects. The Aberdare range is the third-highest massif in the country. You will see dramatic peaks, deep valleys, spectacular water falls (some 300m high), lush tropical rainforests, wild moorlands, volcanic outcrops and experience cool mountain breezes while visiting the park. Nowadays the mountains are home to bongo (an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest), buffalos, elephants, giant forest hogs, red duikers and Sykes’- and colobus monkeys. Buffalo and elephant are common and at night there is a chance to see a black rhino at one of the three hotel waterholes. Leopards tends to stay at higher altitudes in the park and are difficult to spot. In comparison to other national parks in Kenya, the game is relatively scarce but the spectacular views make up for it. 

Optimise your visit to the park by going on a mountain hike if you’re looking for a hands-on experience of the rainforests, bamboo groves and the high alpine vegetation.
  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

    The park is considered to be a year-round safari destination. Aberdare is mountainous with mist and rain throughout the year. The drier months of January and February and June to September offer the most rewarding game viewing opportunities. The rainy season starts in March and ends in May.

  • ACTIVITIES IN ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK

    HIKING

    With its beautiful forests and moorlands, cool climate, sparkling streams and abundant wildlife, Aberdare was made for leisurely walks and serious trekking.


    WATERFALLS

    The park hosts a collection of renowned waterfalls. The Gura waterfall is 300m high - the steepest fall in Kenya. Other spectacular falls are the Karura-, Chania- and Maraqua falls.


    CLIMBING

    The viewpoints of Twin Hills, Elephant Hills and Table Mountain offer vibrant vistas and though challenging, are attainable by the average hiker.


    TROUT FISHING

    Anglers will delight in the rewarding mountain stream fishing opportunities. The park is known for its bountiful stock of brown and rainbow trout.

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

 Samburu is a combination of three reserves: Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba. These reserves are remote and isolated to the north of Mount Kenya and represents a large portion of the vital conservation area. Bare granite inselbergs rise from the semi-desert like marooned tombstones in endless seas of bush and scrub. Volcanic mountains add drama to the skyline, and through the heart of it all runs the Ewaso Nyiro (River of Brown Waters), a ribbon of life graced by tall doum palms and shade-giving acacias. Here, in addition to the more formidable predators, you will find the beautiful dry-country animals of Northern Kenya known as the Samburu "Special 5” (gerenuk, oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, endangered Grevy's zebra).

Samburu ('butterfly' in the local Maa language) is a mostly semi-arid savannah with rough highlands, luggas (or dry washes) and riparian forests. It doesn’t disappoint as a wildlife reserve. Sightings of the Big Five are prodigious and you might have a chance of seeing packs of wild dogs and the critically endangered pancake tortoise - two rare species besides the Grevy's. Cheetah sightings are particularly good. Above all, though, Samburu is known as elephant country.

Buffalo Springs national reserve lies south of the Uaso Nyiro and forms a 22km long northern boundary. This reserve is a gently rolling lowland plain, with the main topographical feature being the ancient lava-terrace, which forms Champagne Ride in the south-east. Much of the Reserve is dominated by old lava flows and volcanic soils of olivine basalt. Unlike Samburu, Buffalo Springs is populated by the common zebra as well as the Grevy's zebra. It is an unexplained phenomenon why the common zebra is not found on the north side of the river.

Although it is part of the Samburu ecosystem, Shaba has several springs and swampland areas. Its topography is distinctive with its starkly beautiful landscape dotted with rocky kopjes, dominated by Shaba hill and a massive volcanic rock cone that rises above a rugged landscape with steep ravines.
  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

    The arid and semi-arid landscape of Samburu National Reserve offers our guests an amazing African wildlife vacation, any time of year. December to March and July to October are the dry months and popular among tourists as wildlife viewing is at its prime.


  • ACTIVITIES IN SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

    GAME DRIVES

    The lush vegetation along the Ewaso Nyiro River attracts plenty of wildlife. There are several weird and wonderful wildlife species endemic to this area such as the gerenuk, oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, and the endangered Grevy's zebra.

     

    BIRDING

    The park has over 450 bird species. The lesser kestrel and the Taita falcon are species of international conservation concern and they are both found in the reserve. Other endangered species found here are the African darter, great egret, white-headed vulture, martial eagle and the yellow-billed ox-pecker.

     

    CULTURAL TOURS

    Visit the local Samburu villages where you can get a chance to interact with the colorful Samburu people in their traditional setting and experience their culture. This is an excellent opportunity to purchase traditional Samburu souvenirs, art and collectables. 


MERU NATIONAL PARK

This small, endearing park is found at the foothill of the Nyambene Mountain range. Well off the standard tourist circuit, Meru is a breath of fresh air if you are trying to avoid the crowds that fill up many of Kenya's more mainstream areas. However, it should not be regarded as a big game area. The Park is most famous as the setting for Joy Adamson’s book “Born Free”, the story of the Adamson’s life and his research amongst lions and cheetahs. “Elsa” the lioness was the most well-known and her grave is marked here.
  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

    January to March and September to October are the optimum times as the shorter grass allows better visibility and easier game viewing. Outside these months it is still worth visiting Meru for the rhinos and memorable landscape.


  • ACTIVITIES IN MERU NATIONAL PARK

    GAME DRIVES

    You will discover the arid country, punctuated by iconic baobab and doum palm trees and frequented by a large pride of lion, herds of elephants and a good-sized population of rhino. 

     

    BIRDING

    Over 300 recorded species have made the park their home. Meru has one of the eight species of Kenya Mountain’s endemic bird area and fifty-nine of the 94 Somali-Masai biome species that occur in Kenya. Regionally threatened species recorded here include the martial eagle, African finfoot (an Intra-African migrant), Pel’s fishing-owl, Grant’s woodhoopoe and the saddle-billed stork, known to breed in this area.


OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY

It is the closest place to Nairobi to see "The Big Five" (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo). Ol Pejeta is home to the last three northern white rhinos left in the world (namely Najin, Fatu and Sudan), southern white rhino and is a sanctuary for 105 critically endangered black rhinos. Other wildlife includes giraffes, zebras, eland, oryx, waterbucks, Grant's gazelles, Thompson's gazelles, cheetahs, silver-backed jackals, hartebeests and baboons. The Conservancy also boasts several hundred bird species. A trip to Ol Pejeta Conservancy would not be complete without a visit to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only place in Kenya to see these endangered, highly intelligent animals. Owing to the ongoing destruction of the west and central African rainforest and continued demand for bushmeat, Ol Pejeta Conservancy is compelled to provide a safe, secure and permanent refuge to 42 orphaned and abused chimpanzees from this region.

  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

    Ol Pejeta Conservancy has excellent game viewing opportunities all year round. Wildlife is easier to track during the dry months of June to September and December to February. The park is lusher during the wet season of October to May.

  • ACTIVITIES IN OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY

    GAME DRIVES

    These outings promise excellent game viewing and superb photographic opportunities. Spending some time at the Research and Education centres in the conservancy (Rhino and chimps centres) will enhance your knowledge of the local area and its wildlife.

     

    BUSH WALKS

    Learn more about game trails and spoor identification as well as the insects, birds and smaller mammals of Ol Pejeta. The walks are not designed to be strenuous but a reasonable level of fitness is required as you can expect to be walking for around two hours. 

     

    VISIT TO JANE GOODALL CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY

    A unique opportunity to learn more about the day-to-day care of the chimpanzees in our care. You see how “feeding time” and enrichment activities are conducted within their enclosures. Chimpanzees are not indigenous to Kenya. 

     

    NIGHT GAME DRIVE

    Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers night game drives, an activity not available in most national parks and reserves in Kenya. A night game drive offers visitors an opportunity to discover sightings of nocturnal animals including aardvark, white-tailed mongoose, caracal cat and perhaps even the bat-eared fox.  

LAKE TURKANA

This is the biggest permanent desert lake in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also known as the Jade Sea and is famous for its greenish-blue colours. Found at the very northern end of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, Lake Turkana shimmers in the heart of an otherworldly landscape that would look more at home on the moon than planet earth. The lake is the world's largest alkaline lake and the world's fourth-largest salt-lake. It is home to some 22 000 Nile crocodiles, hippos and more than 40 different species of fish. The rocky shore has large water turtles and mammals. To protect the breeding grounds of birds and crocs, two islands, Southern Island and Central Island, have been declared national parks. The dry grasslands support Grevy's zebra, topi, Grant's gazelles, reticulated giraffes and camels. You'll also find predators like lions and cheetahs. Fishing around the lake is a major thanks to the algae growing on the Lake that feeds fishes like the Nile perch, tiger fish, bichir, elephant fish and tilapia species. This is a truly off-the-beaten-track destination which can be reached by private charter and is home to fascinating nomadic tribes and exceptional archaeological sites.
  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

    The lake lies in the arid, inhospitable north of Kenya. This is the hottest area of the country with daytime temperatures reaching up to 37°C/99°F. The Lake can be visited at any time, but the scenery is most stunning after the rains, which peaks in April to November.

  • ACTIVITIES IN LAKE TURKANA

    VISIT CENTRAL ISLAND NATIONAL PARK 

    Central Island, also known as Crocodile Island, is a volcanic island located in the middle of Lake Turkana. The island has three crater lakes. One is home to tilapia fish, the other contains thousands of flamingos and the third lake has an abundance of crocodiles. Central Island is an important breeding place for crocodiles and has a diverse fauna. You can explore the island on foot. It takes only about one hour to climb to the highest point and enjoy unrivalled views over Lake Turkana. This is the ultimate location for bird lovers and it offers vast landscapes and serenity.

     

    TURKANA CULTURAL FESTIVAL 

    Thousands of people from Turkana flock to the annual Turkana Tourist and Cultural Festival, which is held at Ekaleez Centre on the fringes of Lodwar. The festival program is diverse and comprises of the display of traditional Turkana houses, a market with traditional products such as beadworks and woven baskets and most important, a popular stage program. Dance troupes from all over Turkana display their artistry and various famous Kenyan singers boil up the crowd.

     

    BIRDING

    The area around the lake is rich in birdlife. There are more than 350 species of resident and migratory birds dependant on water from the Jade Sea. Examples of birds found here include little stint, wood snipper, sand pipper, African skimmer, white-necked cormorant and Heuglin’s Bustard that nests east of the Lake. 


    CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

    Lake Turkana is a source of life for some of Kenya's most remote tribes. The Turkana tribe live a semi-nomadic existence around the Lake. The country's smallest tribe, the El Molo, live a hunter-gatherer existence on the shores and their villages consist of distinctive rounded reed huts. Each of the tribes found in this area has adapted to the harsh environment, adopting critical skills such as deep lake fishing, wild fruit and honey gathering, cattle and camel herding. 

LEWA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY

The conservancy originates from a cattle ranch. The Craig/Douglas families designated the land as a black rhino sanctuary and the conservancy is a non-profit organization. Today, Lewa is one of Africa's greatest conservation success stories with a game density second only to the Masai Mara and the highest population of black and white rhino in East Africa.  

The Conservancy covers 65 000 acres and is a vast wilderness. To the south Lewa offer dramatic views of the snow-capped Mount Kenya and to the north you will see the arid lands of Tassia and Il Ngwesi. It has many diverse habitats from the pristine forest, fertile grasslands, extensive springs to the acacia woodland.

Registered as a rhino conservancy in 1983, the conservancy is famous for its successful rhino and Grevy zebra breeding programmes. It is also home to two endangered species: Lewa contains 10% of Kenya’s rhino and 20% of the world’s population of Grevy zebras. The whole conservancy is fenced. There are plenty of elephants that roam through the migration corridors with frequent sightings of big cats like lions and leopards

  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

    January to March and September to October are the optimum times as the shorter grass allows better visibility and easier game viewing. Outside these months it is still worth visiting Lewa for the rhinos and memorable landscape.


  • ACTIVITIES IN LEWA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY

    GAME DRIVES

    With strict limits on tourism numbers within the Conservancy, guests can enjoy an almost private game viewing experience. Although a vast area, the conservancy is fenced, specifically to protect the rhinos. Game drives are outstanding and you can expect to see plentiful rhinos, elephants, buffalos, the rare Grevy Zebra and resident predators, all to a backdrop of the beautiful snow-capped Mount Kenya.

     

    GUIDED WALKS

    Explore the African bush on foot with your experienced guide and tracker. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience a different perspective, away from the noise of a safari vehicle.

     

    HORSE OR CAMEL RIDING

    With horse riding, you can get very close to plains game as they see you as one of their own. Horse riding is for experienced riders only. Although it is a gentle walk on very well-behaved horses, you are in the wild and your riding skill will be tested if you come in a situation where the horses are spooked. Lewa also offers camel rides. It is a good alternative to horse riding because it doesn’t require riding skills. Camels are led by Samburu handlers and it is a picturesque experience.

     

    CULTURAL VILLAGE VISITS

    Visit one of the local Samburu homesteads. The Samburu live in semi-permanent huts known as Manyattas and it is the role of the wife to construct the hut from cattle dung and grass. Families will show you around their homes and you will have the opportunity to buy traditional handicrafts from them.

SOLIO GAME RESERVE

The Park is a fenced and a privately-owned wildlife conservancy geared towards rhino conservation. The Solio Game Reserve was founded in 1970 when the owner of the Solio cattle ranch fenced off a large section of land and dedicated it to conservation. The Park plays a significant part in the protection and breeding of black rhinos in Kenya. Breeding has been so successful that rhinos from Solio has stocked game reserves all over Africa. In addition to the world's largest population of white rhinos and the near hundred black rhino, the Solio Reserve is inhabited by different other wildlife such as buffalos, zebras, giraffes, oryx, antelope, Thompson's gazelles, impalas, waterbucks and warthogs. The Park offers some of the best leopard viewings in the country. Sightings of lions and cheetahs are also rather frequent.
  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

     Solio has excellent game viewing opportunities all year round. Wildlife is easier to track during the dry months of June to September and December to February. The park is very lush during the wet season of October to May. 

  • ACTIVITIES IN SOLIO GAME RESERVE

    GAME DRIVES

    You will have every chance to view black and white rhinos, leopards, lions, cheetahs, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, warthogs and many other endemic species.

     

    BIRDING

    The Solio reserve is an ideal place for bird watching. The acacia forest in the middle of the reserve turns into a swamp-like area at times. This habitat is a paradise for birds. Among the more than 300 species found here are European rollers, flycatchers and birds of prey like vultures, eagle owls, Montagu's harriers, long-crested eagles and buzzards.

     

    NIGHT GAME DRIVES

    Despite a concerning decline of lions in Africa, the lion population in the Solio Reserve has managed to stabilise itself in the last few years. Night game safaris into the Solio Reserve gives you the chance to observe these big cats and other animals. Cheetahs, lions, hyenas and leopards are mainly nocturnal hunters, which can make night observations an exhilarating experience.


MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK

Mount Kenya is an ancient extinct volcano and Africa's second-highest mountain (5 199m). With its rugged ice-capped summits and cloud-forested middle slopes, it is one of the most impressive of East African landscapes, arguably more spectacular than the higher Mount Kilimanjaro. Spectacular scenery is an important aspect of the park and it offers lovely lakes, pools, glaciers, peaks and natural mineral springs in the area. The vegetation naturally varies according to the height. Dry upland forests are found in the lower slopes, which change to a montane forest from 2 000m upwards. This forest generally consists of cedar and podo. The vegetation changes to a thick bamboo forest at about 2 500m, which in turn changes to the upper forest of smaller trees and high-altitude moss. Visitors can observe a variety of plants and animals, including the black and white Colobus, Sykes monkeys, bushbucks, buffalos and elephants. Animals like the olive baboons, waterbucks, black rhinos, black-fronted duikers, leopards, giant forest hogs, genet cats, bush pigs and hyenas are found in lower altitudes. A rare sighting is the elusive bongo, a forest antelope. Other endangered species found in the forests include the Sunni buck, Mount Kenya mole shrew, skins (lizard) and different types of owls. The forests give way to high altitude heath and shrubs between 3 000m and 3 500m. Above 3 500m there is open moorland, where animals like the high-altitude zebra and eland can be found.
  • BEST TIME TO VISIT

    The best time to climb Mt Kenya is during the warmest and driest months – January, February and from June to September. Temperature and weather are quite unpredictable and can change drastically according to the time of day and altitude. It is best to avoid the long rainy season, from the end of March to early June and the short rainy season, from November through the beginning of December.

  • ACTIVITIES IN MOUNT KENYA NATIONAL PARK

    THE THREE PRINCIPAL TREKKING ROUTES ON MOUNT KENYA:

    • Naro Moru route (4 days) - 40km:  This is the fastest route, but it is not as scenic as the others. The Naro Moru route's steepness and direct approach to the peak make it more challenging to acclimatise on than others. However, the itinerary offers plenty of time for a safe and successful ascent and descent. The Naro Moru route features the legendary "Vertical bog", a steep quagmire of wet moorland that is extremely taxing and unpleasant after rains.
    • Chogoria route (5 days) - 92km:  The route passes the enchanting Hall Tarns and looks down on sheer cliffs into the spectacular Gorges valley and the beautiful Lake Michaelson. The Chogoria route is the most scenic route and provides access to the beautiful Point Lenana. The rainforest zone found above the habitable altitude has abundant tree species and wildlife. Further up is open moorland and beyond is the snow line where vegetation is scarce.
    • Sirimon route (4 days) – 53km:  A more gradual trek to the summit, traversing areas of rich forest cover before emerging into the sprawling moorlands. The trail climbs up through an astonishing Yellowwood forest that gradually turns into moorland covered with giant heather. At Old Moses Hut, the main track becomes a path that gently leads uphill before splitting into two routes. The vegetation becomes less dense and you will see giant lobelia and amazing groundsels.

    POPULAR ROUTE COMBINATIONS:

    • Chogoria / Naro Moru route (5 days) – 92km: This is a beautiful route that ascends on the dry side of the mountain before climbing up through the forest with a ridge approach to the summit area. The route starts on the north-west side of the mountain near Nanyuki.
    • Sirimon / Chogoria route (5 days) – 90km: On this route, you ascend via the drier Sirimon route and descend on the scenic Chogoria route. You will find a rainforest zone with abundant tree species and wildlife above the habitable altitude. Further up you will find open moorland and the less vegetated snow line below.