Nairobi National Park

“The world’s only wildlife capital”

Nairobi National Park is among the best places in Kenya to see rhinos, and there’s a good chance that you’ll spot lions and an extensive portfolio of other safari species. Whether you visit the park as a precursor to a longer safari, a final goodbye to Kenya, or the main event, Nairobi NP deserves as much time as you can give it. Nairobi NP is a sampler for Kenya’s safari landscapes, but with city buildings on the horizon (which can make for some unusual wildlife pictures). You enter the park along a track that descends through dry woodland before the panorama of savannah grasslands opens up before you. Elsewhere in the park, there are waterholes, riverine woodlands and rolling grasslands. In the park’s south, the Athi River Track shadows the river.

Wildlife Experience

Nairobi National Park has a kaleidoscope of wildlife population, making it one of the best spots for wildlife viewing in Kenya if you are on a short trip in Kenya and maybe travelling with young children and do not wish to go on long safaris. Some wildlife includes The four of the Big Five (leopards, lions, black rhinoceros & African buffalos). Other animals are cheetahs, spotted hyenas, black-backed-jackal, zebras, giraffes, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, hartebeest, waterbuck, blue wildebeest, common eland Grant’s gazelle, hippos, Nile crocodiles, olive baboons and common ostriches.

Ivory burning monument

The monument is a historic location and attraction where over 12 tonnes of ivory were burnt in 1989 by a former Kenyan President, the Late Daniel Arap Moi, after being intercepted by the government from the poachers before hitting the market. Burning of the ivory was done to show the commitment of the Kenyan Government towards wildlife conservation and to showcase zero intolerance towards the ivory trade.

Birdlife

Nairobi National Park is a paradise for birdwatching. If you are an avid bird watcher, the park should be on your list. Over 500 bird species are in the park, with magnificent colours supported by the park’s ecosystem, ranging from acacia trees to undistributed grasslands. Some of the birds include Ostriches, bustards,gabar goshawk, bateleur Masai Ostrich, lesser kestrel, sooty falcon, African finfoot, white bellied-bustard, kori bustard, Fischer’s lovebird, augur buzzard, Martial eagle, lappet-faced vultures, Abyssinian thrush, Jackson’s widow, long-tailed fiscal, black-headed heron & secretary bird among others.

Best time to visit

The park is visited all year round. The Dry season months from June to October are generally the best time for seeing wildlife. During the wettest periods of the year (March to May, and to a lesser extent November and December), visitors will be treated to dust-free skies and an abundance of baby animals and migratory birds. However, the wildlife will be harder to track down and driving conditions can be testing, to say the least.

Getting There?

Nairobi National Park is 9km/6mi south of Nairobi. The park is usually visited as a half- or full-day trip from a hotel in the city. Getting to the city of Nairobi is easy because it’s one of the biggest and busiest transport hubs on the continent. International flights arrive in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), 15km/9mi southeast of Nairobi.

By Air: Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport. By Road: You can access the park by car, approximately 10 km from the city centre.