Nairobi National Park – the World’s Only National Park in a City

Now picture this, a national park in the city! If this idea seems far-fetched to you, then chances are that you have not had an opportunity yet to visit Nairobi National Park. As fascinating as it might sound, there is a park in the capital city of Kenya.

As a matter of fact, it is one of the oldest parks in Kenya as it was gazette in 1947. Having been around for this long, you can be sure that a Nairobi National park day tour is something to look forward to. The flora and fauna of this park will simply take your breath away.

Perhaps you might mistakenly think that since this park is in the city, then it must be relatively small. This is absolutely not true as Nairobi National Park covers an area of slightly above one hundred squares kilometers.

The grassland plains, dotted with shrubs and acacia tress provide enough space for both predators and prey to roam. It shouldn’t therefore surprise you to learn that large mammals such as giraffes and apex predators including lions are found in this park.

Location

Interestingly, this park is found in Kenya’s capital city. Specifically, it is about ten kilometers from Nairobi Central Business District. This means that it will take you less than twenty minutes for you to travel from the center of Nairobi city to this serene national park.

It is such an amazing experience to enjoy viewing game against the backdrop of Nairobi’s landmark buildings and skyscrapers such as KICC (Kenyatta International Convention Centre) and Times Towers building. It is due to this proximity to the city that this park has become quite popular with the city dwellers.

This is because they do not have to travel long distances to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They only have to spend a few minutes to travel to this park which is undoubtedly one of the best attractions in Nairobi city.

Nairobi National Park as a Rhino Sanctuary

During your visit to Nairobi National Park, you will most assuredly get to see black rhinos. Regrettably, this is one of the endangered species across the word. Actually, this species exists only in protected areas such as parks. Nairobi National Park is among the parks that are doing such a good job to ensure that this species does not become extinct.

This park has been so successful in doing this, that other sanctuaries get this species from it. There is therefore no way that you will ever forget your experience in this park as you will get to see this endangered species in its natural habitat. Are you wondering about the best thing to do in Nairobi? Then why don’t you visit this endangered species? It will be totally worth your while.

Is game viewing all you can do in Nairobi National Park?

The answer to this question is an emphatic no. While game viewing is one of the major tourist attractions, it is not the only thing that you can do. This nonetheless does not mean that you should not look forward to viewing different species of animals. As a matter of fact, you are assured of getting to see apex predators such as cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and of course the king of the jungle all in their natural environment.

Similarly, you will get to see big herbivores including: giraffes, buffaloes, zebras and even antelopes.  Apart from this, there are numerous species of birds in this park. If you really enjoy bird watching, then a Nairobi National park Day tour is something that you should really not miss.

Other activities that you can do in the famous park in the city

Camping – If you would like to travel back in time, when life was not so complicated then you can have this experience in Nairobi National Park. There are numerous camp sites in this park. A safari experience in the bush is indeed priceless.

Nature walks – Sometimes taking a stroll in the wild and clearing one’s head can be really uplifting. There are designated walking trails in the park for those individuals who enjoy this activity. You will particularly find it fascinating to trek across the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.

Picnics – There are amazing picnic sites in Nairobi National Park. If you would love to have a bush dinner then you will find visiting this park to be a pleasant experience.

Corporate events – As mentioned above, this park is quite spacious. This means that it has enough accommodation for corporate events.

The Best time to travel

You are welcome to visit this park at any given day of the month. Kenya enjoys a tropical climate. This implies that it is warm enough throughout the year for outdoor activities such as visiting this park. The first thing that should always come to your mind whenever you think of the best thing to do in Nairobi is therefore supposed to be this park.

Accommodation

There is plenty of accommodation in Nairobi National Park. Being so close to the city, you can imagine that its accommodation facilities are not as basic as one would mistakenly assume. The Nairobi Tented Camp is specifically popular among tourists who come to visit this national park.

Impalas in Nairobi National Park

This is because it offers one the feeling of being in the wild while at the same time maintaining some form of home away from home feeling.  The Nairobi Tented Camp also offers tourists an opportunity to interact with one another during dinner.

You might therefore end up making a lifelong friend at this accommodation facility. There is therefore no doubt that your Nairobi National park Day tour will end pleasantly with an amazing night interacting with other nature enthusiasts.

The Ololo Safari Lodge is yet another distinctive accommodation facility inside Nairobi National Park. This facility has both a traditional and a modern touch making it really amazing.

There are also plenty of accommodation facilities outside of the park. You are therefore assured of getting a satisfactory accommodation facility your budget notwithstanding.

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