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Best Tourist Places to Visit in Masai Mara, Narok, Kenya, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Masai Mara, Narok, Kenya, Africa

Masai Mara is a paramount game reserve coming under the Narok County in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. It is on the Kenya-Tanzania borderline, spread up in higher proportion in Tanzania, where it is called the Serengeti National Park and Maswa Game Reserve. The park got its name from the Maasai people, who were the indigenous people of the area. This park is internationally recognized for the affluent wildlife population, especially for lions, leopards and cheetahs as well as for zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and wildebeest migrating from Serengeti National Park.

The Masai Mara Game Reserve was established in 1961 and sprawls over an area of 1,510 square kilometers. Game parks are the important sources for Kenya’s economy, of which Masai Mara is the leading one and the entrance fee is US$80 for non-East African citizens (adults) and $30 for children. The geographical coordinates of the park are 1°29′24″ S 35°8′38″ E.

How to reach Masai Mara?

Masai Mara is served by the three airstrips Keekorok, Olkiombo and Musiara and generally one of which receives scheduled daily flights from either Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Generally flights take around 45 minutes.

Directly from Nairobi by bus takes around five hours. Also visitors can travel Masai Mara through safari trips conducted by travel agencies in Nairobi city.

Shopping and Food in Masai Mara:

Necklaces and other pieces of jewelry can be purchased at the shops at the entrance of the park.

Restaurants are dozens in number, both in inside and outside and Isokon Restaurant is one of the recommended options in the area.

Things to do in Masai Mara:

Game viewing
Hot Air Balloon rides
Bird Watching

Places of interest in Masai Mara:

Game viewing:

Game viewing is the most famous activity in Masai Mara, in which visitors can have a memorable experience of seeing all types of resident animals like leopard, elephant, zebra, giraffe, hyena, rhino, hippo as well as migrating wildebeest. Tours are conducted in the morning, afternoon and night as well.

Great Migration:

Great Migration is an animal migration event taking place in the months of July and August annually. It features the migration of the millions of zebra, wildebeest and other wild animals between the Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve. It shouldn’t be missed.

Maasai village:

The Maasai village is a native village to Maasai Mara National Reserve, located in the vicinity of the Oloolaimutiek gate of the park. To experience local culture and tradition and the locals relation with animals, visitors can visit the village.

Hot Air Balloon rides:

Hot Air Balloon rides at Masai Mara are preferred for adventure enthusiastic people. This embark ride last around one and half hour and while flying visitors can have the striking view of the entire park, including animals and birds.

Bird Watching:

As like the rest of the national parks in Kenya, Masai Mara is also famous for bird watching, which includes around 400 bird species of different colors and sizes including Bird of prey.

List of other places of interest in Masai Mara includes:

Ol Kinyei Conservancy
Mara Naboisho Conservancy
Mara Triangle
Mara River
Musiara Swamp
Olypunyata Swamp
Eluai Plain

Best time to visit Masai Mara:

From July to October is the best and most popular time to visit Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya while the weather in condition and supportive for outdoor activities.

Accommodation options in Masai Mara:

Being one of the top tourist destinations of Kenya, the Masai Mara Game Reserve is served by dozens of accommodation centres such hotels, BB and inns and special lodges and the number of latter crosses more than 100 with all basic and upgraded facilities. Some leading hotels in Masai Mara are listed below:

Fairmont Mara Safari Club
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Porini Mara Camp
Mara Siria Camp
Keekorok Lodge-Sun Africa Hotels
Mara West
Muthaiga Black Leopard Safari Camp
Mara Leisure Camp
Mara Bushtops
Mara Explorer Camp
Leganishu Maasai Cultural Homestay
Enkutoto Ecotourism Village
Kicheche Bush Camp
Enkerende Tented Camp
Porini Lion Camp

Tourist Places to Visit in Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru, Africa

The Lake Nakuru National Park is situated in the proximity of Nakuru Town, at 0°22′ S 36°05′ E. It was established in 1961 around Lake Nakuru with an area of 188 km². The park is famous among visitors for the loads of flamingos nesting along the Lake Nakuru shores. The park is also popular as a sanctuary for the black rhinos and other animal species live in the park include black rhinoceros, Rothschild’s giraffes, lions, cheetahs and leopards, pythons and waterbucks.

Except flamingos, the park is also home to a large number of birds, including goliath heron, hamerkop, pied kingfisher and African fish eagles. The park is situated around 160 km northwest of the national capital, Nairobi. The climate of the park varies from dry sub-humid to semi-arid, which generally features a wet and mild climate.

Getting Lake Nakuru National Park:

The Lake Nakuru National Park is served by Naishi airstrip, where some chartered light aircrafts land during high season. It generally takes around 25 minutes.

Another way to reach Lake Nakuru National Park is taking flight to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi first and afterwards, visitors can choose minibus or rental car or taxi at the airport to the park. All of which are convenient but using a rental car is recommended.

Shopping and Food in Lake Nakuru National Park:

Shops and food corners within the park are less in number and for more options, visitors can head towards the nearby Nakuru town, where you can get everything ranging traditional products and food to modern.

Things to do in Lake Nakuru National Park:

Camping
Photography
Game Driving
Bird Watching

Tourist Attractions in Lake Nakuru National Park:

Lake Nakuru:

The Lake Nakuru is thoroughly enclosed by the Lake Nakuru National Park, lying at an elevation of 1754 meters. The lake is famous as a nestling point for flamingos, which visit to the lake mainly for Algae. Warthogs and baboons are the other birds and Black and white rhinos are the animals found in the area.

Baboon Cliff:

Baboon Cliff is one of the noted points in Lake Nakuru National Park, especially for bird watching, from here visitors can enjoy outstanding view over the lake, where the millions pink flamingoes can be seen that surely will be a unforgettable experience for visitors.

Makalia Falls:

A nice treat for of nature lovers eye, the Makalia Falls is small but attractive waterfall, situated within the Lake Nakuru National Park. It can be enjoyed best through a guided tour.

Game viewing:

Game viewing at Lake Nakuru National Park offers visitors to see many endangered white rhinos and also one can be spotted many wild animals like waterbucks, warthogs, hippos, impalas, buffalo and Rothschild giraffes.

Other attractive places in and around Lake Nakuru National Park include:

Lion Hill
Out of Africa
Lion Ridge
Enasoit
Baboons & Vervits
Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site
Masai Mara National Reserve
Mara Naboisho Conservancy
Amboseli National Park
Selenkay Conservancy
Shaba National Reserve
Lake Oloidien
Ol Kinyei Conservancy
Olare Orok Conservancy

Ideal time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park:

The areas in and around Lake Nakuru National Park generally receives 965 millimeters of rainfall annually and except its rainy months March to May and October to December, the rest of the year, especially January and February are ideal to visit Lake Nakuru National Park.

Where to stay in Lake Nakuru National Park?

The park itself houses different types of accommodation options like special campsites, public campsites, backpackers’ hostels, hotels and lodges, of which the most can be booked through online. Here are some nice accommodation options in and around Lake Nakuru National Park includes:

Hotel Waterbuck Nakuru
Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge
Peniel Guest House
Nakuru Golden Palace Resort
Maili Saba Camp
Flamingo Hill Tented Camp
Lake Nakuru Lodge
Lakira Camp
Mbweha Camp
Kivu Resort
Midland Hotel Nakuru
Lake Elementaita Lodge
Enashipai Resort & Spa
Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge
Lake Naivasha Country Club

Tourist Places to Visit in Aberdare National Park, Kenya, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Aberdare National Park, Kenya, Africa

The Aberdare National Park is located in the central province of Kenya, occupying around 766 km² higher areas of the Aberdare Mountain Range. Operated by the Kenya Wildlife Service, the park was established in 1950. It is geographically positioned between 0°22′48″ S latitude and 36°41′57″ E longitude, around 100 km north of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The Aberdare National Park is rich in flora and fauna, home to around 250 species of birds, including goshawks, sunbirds, aberdare cisticola and jackson’s francolin. The park also houses a wide range of animals like African hunting dog, mountain reedbuck, cape buffalo, duikers olive baboon, white Colobus monkey, the golden cat and the bongo.

The facilities of the park are upgraded to provide a memorable experience to all types of travelers coming from the different regions of the world. Accommodations include campsites, Treetops tree-house lodge and public campsite. The park is generally open from 6.00 am to 7.00 pm. Smart card is must to visit park, which can be obtained at the main gate. Entrance fee varies between East African citizens and overseas visitors.

How to reach Aberdare National Park?

There is no public airport in Aberdare National Park, but visitors can board charter flights at Mweiga Airstrip. The nearest major airport to Aberdare National Park is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and this airport handles flights from all around the world, including Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Johannesburg, Amsterdam and London.

From Nairobi, the way A2 leads to Aberdare National Park and buses ply in this route in regular intervals. To move within the park, 4WD vehicles are recommended.

Shopping and Food in Aberdare National Park:

Aberdare National Park houses many food corners and shops, although the most of them are traditional options. So it is advised for visitors to bring some necessaries from the city prior to leaving.

Things to do in Aberdare National Park:

Bird watching
Trout fishing
Mountain hiking
Day tours

Places of interest in and around Aberdare National Park:

Waterfalls in Aberdare National Park:

The Aberdare National Park is the site of many spectacular waterfalls such as Chania, Magura, Karuru and Gura, of which all are equally famous among visitors, falling with full of water that surely be a great treat for visitors’ eyes.

Bird watching in park:

Housing around 250 species of different colorful birds, the Aberdare National Park is a paradise of bird lovers. This activity can be enjoyed better trough a guided tour.

Trout fishing in Aberdare National Park:

Trout fishing is one of the famous activities in the park, for which visitors generally reach the ice-cold Guru Karuru and Chania Rivers.

Lake Naivasha:

Situated around 50 km west of the Aberdare National Park, the Lake Naivasha is spread over an area of 139 km², home to around 400 different species of birds. Also there are three other natural attractions surrounding the park such as Crater Lake Game Sanctuary, Lake Oloiden and Lake Sonachi.

List of other places of interest around Aberdare National Park includes:

Thomson’s Falls
Mount Kenya
Subukia Shrine
Evergreen Park
Fourteen Falls
Rapids Camp
Kiambethu Farm

Best time to visit Aberdare National Park:

Probably the best time to visit Aberdare National Park is from January to February and June to September. The park gets heavy rain between March and May, so this should be avoided.

Accommodation options in Aberdare National Park:

There are different types of accommodation options in the park, including a tree-house lodge and campsites. Wooden made Ark lodge is the most famous one among visitors for its familiar hospitality services and the views of surrounding sceneries. Other prominent accommodation options in and around Aberdare National Park include:

The Ark
Aberdare Country Club
Westwood Hotel
Outspan Hotel
Kichakani Paradise
Treetops Lodge
Aberdares Country Club
Green HIlls Hotel
Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge
Lake Elementaita Lodge
Enashipai Resort & Spa
Eland Safari Hotel

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kericho, Kenyan Rift Valley, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kericho, Kenyan Rift Valley, Africa

Kericho is a tourist favor town situated to the west of the Kenyan Rift Valley, coming under the Kericho County. The surrounding areas of Kericho are widely noted for the production of tea that is famous for gorgeous color, fragrance, brightness and taste and the higher proportion Kericho’s tea is exported to UK. Kericho houses the largest tea industry of Kenya and the largest water catchment area of the country, the Mau Forest. Kericho is geographically positioned between 0°22′ S latitude and 35°18′ E longitude, around 250 km northwest of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The Kabianga University is the most important and famous educational institution in Kericho.

History of Kericho:

There is no certain theory about the origin of the name Kericho, although the two different theories states its origin and one theory claims that Kericho is the modified form of the word Kerichek, which was used by the local Kipsigis people to call medicine and another theory states, the name Kericho got its name from a person, KipKerich, who was specialized in producing medicine in the local area.

How to reach Kericho?

Kericho has an airport but flights are infrequent, so it is advised for visitors to reach Kisumu International Airport first and then take airport taxi or bus from there to get Kericho. The Kisumu International Airport is served by Kenya Airways, Fly540 and East African Safari Air from scheduled flights from the national capital, Nairobi.

By bus, Kericho is linked to many important cities of the country like Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nairobi.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Kericho:

Indigenous Kipsigis people forms the greater percentage of the Kericho’s population and their unique dialect, Kipsigis language is also a widely spoken language in the town. Kericho houses both traditional shopping options and restaurants that spread up all around the town.

Things to do in Kericho:

Visiting tea plantations
Shopping
Walking

Tourist Attractions in Kericho:

Mau Forest:

Being the East Africa’s largest native montane forest, the Mau Forest is one of the identities of Kericho, covering an area of 273,300 hectares. It is also noted as the Kenya’s largest water catchment area. The endemic bird species like Hartlaub’s Turaco, Jackson’s Francolin and Hunter’s Cisticola are famous visitors here.

Chai Square :

The Chai ((Hindi word for tea) Square is the main square of the town of Kericho, housing plenty of tea stalls with different flavors local teas. The square is also famous its nice environment.

Kabianga University:

The Kabianga University is situated in the West District of Kericho in the vicinity of Kabianga high School. This university has a large campus and offers all latest courses including business management courses.

Churches in Kericho:

Housing a larger proportion of Christian population, Kericho houses many renowned churches including Africa Gospel Church, which is one of the largest churches in Kericho County. Other major churches in Kericho include Anglican Church, Holy Roman Catholic Church, SDA and AIC.

List of the other places of interest in and around Kericho include:

Kericho Tea Plantations
Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site
Olorgesailie Pre-Historic Site
Desert Museum
Lake Nakuru National Park
Masai Mara National Reserve
Amboseli National Park
Samburu National Reserve
Sibiloi National Park
Kalama Wildlife Conservancy
Kabarnet Museum
Treasures of Africa Museum

Best time to visit Kericho:

Probably during the months between September and February is the best time to visit Kericho in Kenya.

Hotels in Kericho:

There are modernized hotels limited in Kericho, so visitors can consider hotels in nearby Kisumu for better hospitality services. The prominent hotels in Kericho and Kisumu (around 85 km) are as follows: