Back To Kenya

Location
The Meru National Park is located 348 kms away from Nairobi, in the Meru district of the Eastern province.

Views and Vistas
The Meru National Park became famous because it was here that Joy Adamson set her lioness Elsa free and because it is in this park that the last white rhinos in Kenya lived until 1988. The park has now fully re-opened to visitors since early 2000 and offers unique luxury accommodation.

This area is a transition point from central Kenyan to northern Kenyan wildlife, and you can see here Burchell's zebras, Grevy's zebras, Masai and reticulated giraffes, Grant's gazelles and gerenuks. The park is criss-crossed by numerous streams and by the Tana River, the longest in Kenya, all of which attract an interesting variety of animals. The waters are populated by crocodiles, hippos and water-fowl as well as herons.


SAMBURU AND SHABA RESERVES

Location
The Shaba Reserve is actually part of three national reserves located on opposite banks of the northern Ewaso Ngiro River. The other two reserves are the Buffalo Springs and the Samburu Reserve. It is 340 kms to the north- north-east of Nairobi.

Views and Vistas
Samburu-Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserve include in their boundaries all the flora and fauna to be found in the north of Kenya. The dry grasslands interspersed with acacias are interrupted from time to time by rich green vegetation, wherever enough water is present, e.g. the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River (with its huge Nile crocodiles) or in marsh regions. This countryside is dotted with volcanic peaks, and offers sanctuary to a wide variety of animals.

Animals to be viewed here include the baboon, reticulated giraffes, elephants, waterbucks, gerenuks and Grevy's zebras. Lions and cheetahs are not so common, but plenty of leopards can be sighted.