The Best National Parks in Kenya to Meet the Big 5

Across the world, big game hunting destroyed a large population of the Big 5—lions, leopards, elephants, cape buffalos, and rhinos. And while the other four were still visible in most sanctuaries and national parks, the count for rhinos began dwindling across Africa, except in Kenya. Here are five of the best safari destinations in Kenya where you can surely catch the Big 5. Come close to wildlife like never before!

1. Maasai Mara National Reserve

Head to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, also called the Maasai Mara or The Mara by the locals, at the Narok County in Kenya. Established in 1961, the wildlife sanctuary has grown from its original 520 sq. km to 1,800 sq. km today. Every year, from July to October, a gigantic population of zebras, Thomson’s gazelles and wild beasts travel 1600 km to and from the Serengeti—a phenomenon known as the Great Migration. While Masai Mara is famous across the world for the same, this is also one of the few spots in the world with the largest population of Maasai lions, African leopards, and Tanzanian cheetahs. Between August and November, you might even catch the sight of lions on hunts. The black rhinos faced near extinction, and their numbers dwindled to about 15 back in the 1970s and ’80s and about 23 in the 1990s, but they are steadily rising now.

2. Tsavo National Park

Enter the Tsavo National Park for the most satisfying safari to see the Big 5, perhaps even in a single day. So you might see elephants crossing dirt roads, with their cubs trotting along behind them, or get a chance to feed orphan elephants and give them a bath at some resorts. If you’re lucky, you might get an up close view of lions in their habitat, or watch cape buffalos at the waterhole. Extending to over 13,747 sq. km and comprising both half-dry grasslands and savannahs, Tsavo National Park is one of the oldest and largest in Kenya, and home to a variety of birds like the crowned crane, black kite, and the sacred ibis. Visit here between May and October to make the most of the trip.

Read more: Is It Safe To Travel To Kenya?

3. Amboseli National Park

Get close to the largest tuskers you might ever see, at Amboseli National Park. Surrounded by the Kilimanjaro Mountains, the park is home to the Big 5, and many others from the wild—cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffe, zebra, nocturnal porcupines, and about 600 varieties of birds. At the Observation Hill, you’d get a nice perspective of the park, its swamps, elephants and the many animals that inhabit the land. Satisfy the nature lover in you as you explore the five habitats in the park, including the dried-up bed of Lake Amboseli, the savannahs, woodlands, and wetlands with sulphur springs. Visit sometime between June and October, and capture never-ending frames of happily clichéd wilderness—huge tuskers against the backdrop of the majestic Kilimanjaro.

4. Nakuru National Park

One of the more compact national parks in the country, the Nakuru National Park is still a prominent one because of its shallow soda lake, which brings in hundreds of pearl-white pelicans and pink flamingos. And then, there is a picturesque quality to it, thanks to the cascading falls, stunning greens, and cliffs in the background that are home to cheetahs, lions, leopards, colombus monkeys and rhinos.

Read more: Go in Search of the Big Five in Kenya with Your Adventure-loving Dad

5. Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Spread out over 350 sq. km, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a mix of grass plains, wooded grasslands, and evergreen thickets situated at the foothills of Aberdares and the snow-capped Mt. Kenya. Visit here to see the endangered black and white rhinos, leopards, lions, cape buffalos and large elephants, even as you revel in the stunning views of the land. The four-hour drive around the national park might bring you close to chimpanzees and other wildlife animals. This is one safari you might surely want to repeat.

Read more: My Kenyan Holiday: Visit to Masai Mara

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