Kenya Parks
By Anthony Ham
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Kenya.
Nairobi National Park has a good variety of wildlife. Apart from elephants, most big safari animals are present. There is a very good chance of seeing rhino. White rhino are easiest to spot as they graze on the open plains, but the park is one of Kenya’s most successful sanctuaries for black rhino, which like to keep hidden in the thickets. Lion, cheetah, Masai giraffe and buffalo are just some of the animals you can encounter on a half-day trip.
Wildlife Highlights
Nairobi NP is a good place to see some of the more unusual antelope species including oribi, a grassland special. Coke's hartebeest, or Kongoni, is well represented and if lucky, a herd of shy eland will come into view – Africa’s biggest antelope. Pairs of little kirk's dik-dik can be spotted among the whistling thorn bushes in the west of the park.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The best time to visit Nairobi National Park is in the Dry season (from June to September) when animals gather around remaining water sources, although it can be visited throughout the year. The long rains (March to May) and short rains (October to November) usually make animal spotting more difficult. Rain can interfere with your game drive and the vegetation tends to be very high.
