National Parks in Africa
The main attraction in Kakum National Park is the canopy walk. Seven suspension-bridges span over the top of trees in the primary forest. If you're not fond of heights, it can be a bit terrifying tumbling across the swinging and wobbling bridges, but they are proper made. Unless you want to join local church groups, try to come on a weekday. Beside the canopy walk, you can also do a jungle walk with guide who will eagerly point out plants and explain their use - and if you're lucky, you might also see a few monkeys.
Mole National Park is considered to be the cheapest safari destination in Africa, with walking safaris costing as little as 5 USD. But that's, of course, not the only reason to visit Mole. Mole National Park is Ghana largest wildlife sanctuary and one of the best places in West Africa for game watching. Though there are big cats (leopards and very few rare lions), the star attraction are the elephants. As there are waterholes near the park headquarter and the motel/lodge, there are pretty good chance to spot elephants on walking safari, particularly in the dry season (October - March). Game drives, both day and night, are also possible with more chances to see some of the many antelopes, deers, and bucks - not to mention the naughty baboons, that will find you first.
Kakamega Forest may not feature on the itinerary of many first-time visitors to Kenya, but for those with a bit of time on their hands, or self-drivers travelling between Kenya and Uganda, might want to take a couple of days to explore this remnant of a once huge forest, extending well into the Congo and covering much of western Kenya. The main attraction here is the huge array of butterflies and birds, although Colobus monkeys and the faint chance of seeing a pangolin also draw visitors. There are a number of guided walks in the area, although it is worth just exploring on your own as well - the guided walks are interesting, but overpriced. Butterflies enjoy the sunlight, and simply by driving some kilometres past the main entrance to the reserve you are likely to spot flocks of them by the side of the road. The forest also provides a refreshing change of scenery from the shrubs and open spaces of most of Kenya's other parks and reserves, and cultural dances and story-telling (from members of the Luhya tribe) sessions can be organised.
Named by the Maasai people due to its geothermal and seismic activity, this national park distinguishes itself by being accessible by bicycle or on foot. Exploring the park in this fashion is safe due to the absent of large predators, but it's easy to get close to giraffes, zebras, warthogs and buffaloes – lucky visitors might even spot hyenas. Bikes can be rented at the gate and once you tier of biking, the park offers gorgeous hikes through its a narrow sandstone gorge full small hot springs. For pools big enough for swimming it is necessary to move a little further into the park. Unfortunately, have these pools been commercialized, though a dip is still possible for a fee. Disney fanatics will be happy to know that Hell’s Gate was the inspiration for the setting of the Lion King. Hiking in the gorge will thus bring you to the site that saw Mufasa’s final moments, and Fischer's Tower is the original inspiration for Pride Rock.
If you have the slightest interest in hippos, you must visit the large freshwater lake Lake Naivasha, which lies in the Great Rift Valley. However, there are only enough activities to spend a single day/night at this lake, which is located 1880 meters above sea level. There is a very large number of hippos in the lake, and when darkness falls, the animals, who spend most of the day in the water, will emerge from the lake and graze on land. Tent sites are fenced off, since hippos are extremely dangerous. They are actually the large animal in Africa that kills most people per year. But you can sit safely and in tranquility in small cabins on stilts and observe/hear the animals eat in the darkness.
Kenya’s prime spot for diving, snorkeling and dolphin watching is on the southern most tip of the coast. Should this not be for you, what about organising a relaxing dhow-trip and exquisite lunch at Wasini Island, which is also the location for a number of ecolodges. Divers and snorkelers will be happy with the national park’s pristine coral reefs and abundance of marine life, including sea turtles, which there is a fairly good chance of spotting. Above water, traditional dhows take visitors on both dolphin and whale spotting tours. Most accommodations along the coast, all the way up to Mombasa, can arrange for this. Alternatively, make your way to the local sea-side community of Shimoni and deal directly with the captains yourself.
If you are going to Kenya on safari, a couple of days at Lake Nakuru National Park is very recommendable! The National Park lies in the Great Rift Valley 140 kilometers northwest of Nairobi. The area is extremely rich in various animal species - and the concentration of animals per square kilometer is unusually high. There are giraffes, rhinos, water buffalos, monkeys and zebras in one big hotchpotch, and not least a very good chance of seeing the elusive leopard, (which is one of the Big Five). The large freshwater lake - Lake Nakuru is filled with thousands of pelicans, flamingos and storks, which are amazing to watch - especially on a morning game drive at sunrise.
Besides other game, you can find "The Big Five" (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) in Masai Mara. A part from dry savanna, there are also rivers with crocodiles and hippos. You may walk around here, but you need to be accompanied by an armed guide, if a crocodile or a lion should suddenly attack. So a walk along the rivers is not for the faint-hearted! However, it is amazing when you experience large animals close to you or get to see an animal hunt. The park covers approx. 1500 square km, so sometimes you need to drive around a bit longer to find wildlife. At the entrance to the park you are often "attacked" by eager Masai women, who want to sell homemade jewelry. They are persistent - but not aggressive or nasty. Furthermore, be aware that there is significantly less wildlife to see, when the annual animal migration into Serengeti National Park in Tanzania takes place.
Tsavo East National Park is huge, hot and dusty. There are three reasons to go here instead of opting for more popular destinations such as Masai Mara or Amboseli: it is much closer to the coast (and thus easier to combine with a visit to Mombasa), you want to be able to drive around all day and barely see another person, or you like hot, dusty places. The entire park has a red tint to it, coloured as it is by the dust. There is a huge number of elephants here - also coloured red by the dust - but self-drivers need to be aware that they can be considerably more aggressive than their Amboseli or Mara counterparts as a result of heavy poaching during the 1960s and 1970s. While there is a decent population of lions, the sheer size of the park - and the abundance of shrubs and bushes - makes spotting them a challenge. Tsavo East makes for an interesting contrast to many of the lusher parks and reserves in Kenya, but most people would find it difficult to justify spending more than a few days here.
Tsavo West is separated from Tsavo East by the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, but has a very different character to its twin. The landscape is arguably more attractive here, with plenty of woodland, rolling hills and rocky outcrops (although it is no less hot, dry or dusty). There is a spring, where visitors can walk around and look at hippos and crocodiles. There are also lava fields and a rhino sanctuary in the park, which is easily accessed from Mombasa due to its position right along the highway. The southern half of the park, towards Tanzania, is very remote and sees few visitors. Like its eastern counterpart Tsavo West has a large elephant population, and it is here that the famed man-eating lions of Tsavo - immortalised in "The Ghost and the Darkness" - harassed railway workers a century or so ago. While their population has dwindled, there are still plenty of lions and leopards in the park.