Tourist Places to Visit in Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya, Africa
The Mount Kenya National Park is a UNESCO designated biosphere reserve and World Heritage Site, covering an area of 715 square kilometers and combing with forest reserve, it covers a total area of 1,420 square kilometers. It is in the heart of Kenya, surrounded by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to the north, Aberdare National Park towards west and Meru National Park to the east and the town of Embu towards south.
The park is famous among tourists as a place with rich vegetation and for activities like game safari, mountain climbing, bird watching and the view of endangered African animals. Mount Kenya within the national park is the Kenya’s highest mountain and ranks 2nd highest in Africa, following Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The park is situated around 150 km northeast of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
How to reach Mount Kenya National Park?
The Mount Kenya National Park is served by Nanyuki Airstrip, with charter flights from Nairobi during peak season. Although, flights are not ensured, so it would be better if international tourists consider Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to land in Kenya and afterwards they can take bus or rental cars to get Mount Kenya National Park. During high season, buses are frequent between this route and also many tour operators offer tour at affordable budget for Mount Kenya from Nairobi.
Shopping and Food in Mount Kenya National Park:
Within the park, restaurants and shops are limited to traditional options only, so it is advised for visitors to bring some necessary food and other daily usable items at the city where they start their journey. One noted restaurant option in the park is Choma Zone.
Things to do in Mount Kenya National Park:
- Mountain climbing
- Bird watching
- Game safari
- Hiking
Tourist Attractions in Mount Kenya National Park:
Mount Kenya:
The Mount Kenya is one of the highlights of the park while its highest peak Batian reaches up to 5,199 meters. This iconic mountain is frequented by embark enthusiasts, mainly mountain climbers.
Bird-watching:
Bird-watching is one of the popular activities in the park as the park houses dozens of colorful birds including large eagles and typical sunbirds.
Game safari:
Game safari in Mount Kenya National Park brings visitors to natural world, in which visitors can experience the beauties of diverse scenic attractions like lakes, glaciers and peaks.
Tour of animal watching:
Though dominated by the mountain Mount Kenya, the Mount Kenya National Park also receives thousands of animal lovers throughout the year. Some popular animals in the park are Black-and-white colobus, Cape buffalo and many other monkeys.
Other attractive places in and around Mount Kenya National Park include:
- Waterfalls in Aberdare National Park
- Trout fishing in Aberdare National Park
- Lake Naivasha
- Thomson’s Falls
- Mount Kenya
- Evergreen Park
- Rapids Camp
- Kiambethu Farm
- Subukia Shrine
- Fourteen Falls
Ideal time to visit Mount Kenya National Park:
The Mount Kenya National Park generally experiences a subtropical climate and can be visited except from March to May and from October to December because while the park receives heavy rain.
Where to stay in Mount Kenya National Park?
There are around 10 standard accommodation options around the park and those generally get fuller during high season, so it is suggested for visitors to book hotels well in advance prior to reaching the park through online. Here are some such nice hotel options in and around Mount Kenya National Park include:
- Castle Forest Lodge
- Ol Pejeta House
- Sweetwaters Serena Camp
- Mountain Rock Lodge
- Meru Mount Kenya Bandas
- Serena Mountain Lodge
- Aberdares Country Club
- Green HIlls Hotel
- Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
- Sere Enkang House
- Meru Slopes Hotel
- Alba Hotel Meru
- Manor Springs Hotel
- Meru Three Steers Hotel
- Maua Basin Hotel
- Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club