Safari Parks & Reserves

Mara Naboisho Conservancy is the largest and arguably finest of the private conservancies bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve. Meaning 'coming together' in the Maasai language, Naboisho was formed when over 500 Maasai landowners pooled their land to create a dedicated wildlife conservation area in partnership with tourism operators. Covering 200 square kilometres of prime Mara grassland, Naboisho limits vehicle numbers and prohibits minibuses, ensuring an exclusive and intimate safari experience. The conservancy is renowned for having the highest density of leopards in the Mara ecosystem and offers activities not permitted in the national reserve — night drives, bush walks, and off-road driving. Migration herds spill into Naboisho from July to October.

Mara North Conservancy is a 300-square-kilometre private wildlife area on the northern boundary of the Masai Mara National Reserve, formed through a partnership between local Maasai landowners and a handful of exclusive safari camps. It is one of the key conservancies that buffer the Mara ecosystem and play a crucial role in the Great Migration. The conservancy's mix of rolling grasslands, acacia woodlands, and the Mara River corridor provides excellent habitat for all Big Five, plus cheetahs and wild dogs. With strict vehicle limits and no day visitors, Mara North delivers the classic Masai Mara safari experience without the crowds, particularly during the migration when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest cross through the conservancy.

Lake Turkana, the world's largest permanent desert lake, is one of Earth's most extraordinary natural wonders. Known as the Jade Sea for its stunning turquoise-green colour caused by algae, this vast alkaline lake stretches 250 kilometres through Kenya's remote northern frontier, where the landscape resembles another planet entirely. The lake and its environs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, encompassing Sibiloi National Park, South Island, and Central Island — all volcanic. This is where some of the world's most important hominid fossils have been discovered, including Turkana Boy. The lake supports the world's largest population of Nile crocodiles and is a critical stopover for migratory birds. Reaching Turkana is an expedition in itself, traversing the Chalbi Desert and Suguta Valley.

Shimba Hills National Reserve is a lush coastal rainforest reserve perched on a ridge above Kenya's south coast, just 30 kilometres from the beaches of Diani. It is the only place in Kenya where the endangered sable antelope can be found, making it an essential stop for serious wildlife enthusiasts visiting the coast. Covering 192 square kilometres of rolling green hills, tropical forest, and grasslands, Shimba Hills supports a healthy elephant population alongside buffalo, leopard, giraffe, and abundant birdlife. The Sheldrick Falls — a 25-metre waterfall reached by a scenic forest trail — is the reserve's most popular attraction. The park provides a refreshing counterpoint to beach holidays with its cool, elevated climate.

Arabuko Sokoke is the largest and most intact fragment of coastal forest remaining in East Africa, stretching along the Kenya coast between Malindi and Kilifi. This critically important biodiversity hotspot harbours several globally threatened species found nowhere else, including the Sokoke scops owl, Clarke's weaver, and the golden-rumped elephant shrew. Covering 420 square kilometres, the forest comprises three distinct habitats: Brachystegia woodland, mixed forest, and Cynometra thicket. While not a traditional safari destination, Arabuko Sokoke attracts serious birders and naturalists drawn by its extraordinary endemic species and the Gede Ruins — a mysterious 13th-century Swahili town swallowed by the forest.

Kakamega Forest is Kenya's last remaining fragment of the ancient Guineo-Congolian rainforest that once stretched unbroken from West Africa to the East African coast. This ecological island in western Kenya is the easternmost remnant of the great Congo basin rainforest, making it one of the most scientifically valuable forests in Africa. Covering approximately 240 square kilometres, Kakamega's dense canopy shelters a remarkable collection of species more typically found in Central and West Africa, including the de Brazza's monkey, giant flying squirrel, and over 330 bird species with numerous West African forest specialists. Butterflies are spectacular, with over 400 species recorded — the highest diversity in Kenya.

Marsabit National Park is a forested oasis rising from the surrounding desert, centred around an extinct shield volcano in Kenya's vast northern frontier. The park encompasses three volcanic crater lakes — Lake Paradise, Sokorte Dika, and Sokorte Guda — shrouded in dense montane forest, creating an almost mythical landscape. Covering 1,554 square kilometres, Marsabit was once home to Ahmed, a legendary elephant with enormous tusks who was placed under presidential protection by Jomo Kenyatta. The park's forest supports elephant, buffalo, greater kudu, and abundant birdlife, while the surrounding plains are home to reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, and gerenuk. Getting to Marsabit is an adventure through the Chalbi Desert.

Kora National Park is a remote and wild park along the Tana River in eastern Kenya, forever associated with George Adamson — the 'Father of Lions' — who lived here for 18 years rehabilitating captive lions to the wild until his murder by poachers in 1989. His grave and the ruins of his Kampi ya Simba (Camp of Lions) remain within the park. Covering 1,787 square kilometres of semi-arid bushland along the Tana River, Kora is one of Kenya's least-visited national parks. The park supports lion, leopard, hippo, and diverse birdlife along the river corridor, while the hinterland hosts lesser kudu, oryx, and gerenuk. Kora's wild, untouched character appeals to adventurous travellers seeking genuine off-grid exploration.

Ruma National Park is the only protected area in Kenya where the endangered roan antelope can be found, making it an essential destination for antelope enthusiasts and wildlife completists. Tucked away in the Lambwe Valley near Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Ruma is one of Kenya's most overlooked and undervisited parks. Covering 120 square kilometres of grassland, woodland, and riverine forest, Ruma also harbours other rare species including Jackson's hartebeest, oribi, and Rothschild's giraffe. The park was established specifically to protect the roan antelope population, which once numbered just 30 and has since recovered to over 70 individuals under careful management.

Saiwa Swamp National Park is Kenya's smallest national park, established specifically to protect the endangered sitatunga antelope — a shy, semi-aquatic species with splayed hooves adapted for walking on swampy ground. This tiny park near Kitale in western Kenya is the only place in Kenya where sitatunga can be seen in the wild. Covering just 3 square kilometres of swampland, riverine forest, and grassland, Saiwa is a walking-only park — no vehicles are allowed. Elevated boardwalks and observation platforms allow visitors to watch sitatunga, de Brazza's monkeys, giant forest squirrels, and an impressive array of birds including the crowned crane and Ross's turaco from above.

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is a privately managed 110-square-kilometre wildlife area set in the dramatic volcanic Taita Hills between Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks. The sanctuary offers an intimate, exclusive safari experience with a focus on the historic Salt Lick Lodge — one of Kenya's most photographed lodges, built on stilts overlooking a busy waterhole. The sanctuary's varied terrain of hills, woodland, and grassland supports a healthy population of elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, and diverse plains game that move freely between the sanctuary and the adjacent Tsavo parks. The Taita Hills themselves are a biodiversity hotspot with several endemic bird and plant species found nowhere else on Earth.

Watamu Marine National Park is one of Kenya's oldest and most beautiful marine protected areas, encompassing pristine coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests along the coast north of Mombasa. Designated as part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Watamu's crystal-clear waters support exceptional marine biodiversity. Covering 10 square kilometres of ocean, the park protects some of East Africa's healthiest coral formations, home to over 600 fish species, three species of sea turtles, and seasonal whale sharks and manta rays. The park includes the famous Turtle Bay, a sheltered lagoon perfect for snorkelling, and the mysterious Mida Creek mangrove ecosystem.

Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park and Reserve is Kenya's premier marine wildlife destination, located off the south coast near the Tanzanian border. The park encompasses four small coral islands surrounded by pristine reefs and is famous for its large resident pods of bottlenose and humpback dolphins, as well as seasonal humpback whale sightings. Covering 28 square kilometres of protected ocean, Kisite offers some of East Africa's best snorkelling and diving with exceptional visibility reaching 20 metres. The coral gardens are home to over 250 fish species, sea turtles, and occasional whale sharks. The park is accessed by traditional dhow sailing boats from Shimoni, adding to the romance of the experience.

Malindi Marine National Park was Kenya's first marine protected area, established in 1968 to safeguard the coral reefs and marine life off the historic Swahili coast town of Malindi. Part of the Watamu-Malindi marine conservation complex, the park remains an important site for coral reef research and marine education. Covering 6 square kilometres, the park's shallow coral gardens are accessible by glass-bottom boat and snorkelling, making it popular with families and non-swimmers. The park supports diverse marine life including parrotfish, angelfish, moray eels, and sea turtles. However, silt from the Sabaki River has impacted visibility and coral health in some areas, particularly during the rainy season.

Mombasa Marine National Park protects a stretch of coral reef and seagrass habitat along the north coast of Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city. The most accessible of Kenya's marine parks, it offers convenient reef snorkelling and diving just minutes from the popular Nyali and Bamburi beach hotels. Covering 10 square kilometres of protected ocean, the park's coral formations support a colourful array of tropical fish, sea urchins, starfish, and occasional dolphins and sea turtles. While not as pristine as more remote marine parks like Kisite or Watamu, Mombasa Marine Park provides an easy and affordable introduction to Kenya's underwater world for beach holidaymakers.

Chobe National Park is renowned for having the largest concentration of elephants in Africa, with herds of over 50,000 gathering along the Chobe River during the dry season. The park's riverfront offers spectacular game viewing from boats, with elephants swimming across the river and massive herds of buffalo grazing on the floodplains.

Moremi Game Reserve occupies the eastern portion of the Okavango Delta and is widely regarded as one of Africa's most pristine and beautiful wilderness areas. Established by the local BaTawana people to protect their ancestral lands, Moremi combines permanent waterways, seasonal floodplains, and dry woodland to create an astonishing diversity of habitats and wildlife.

The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Okavango River fans out into the Kalahari Desert creating a lush, wildlife-rich oasis. This extraordinary ecosystem of crystal-clear waterways, palm-fringed islands, and floodplains supports an incredible diversity of life, from large herds of elephants and buffalo to rare species like the sitatunga and Pel's fishing owl.

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is one of the largest protected areas in the world, a vast expanse of endless Kalahari grasslands, ancient fossil riverbeds, and salt pans. During the wet season, the desert transforms with abundant wildlife including gemsbok, springbok, and the iconic black-maned Kalahari lions. The reserve was originally established to protect the traditional territory of the San Bushmen.

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park encompasses part of the largest salt pans in the world, a surreal landscape of blinding white salt flats that stretch to the horizon. During the wet season, the pans flood and attract one of Africa's largest zebra migrations, along with vast numbers of flamingos and wildebeest. The park is also famous for its habituated meerkat colonies.