Nairobi National Park

Tower Block Safari

I can’t say enough good things about Nairobi National Park. I’ve visited the park numerous times over the years and have never had a disappointing safari. The park is situated hard up against the city of Nairobi and for those who want a ‘pristine’ wilderness experience then Nairobi National Park, with its backdrop of tower blocks, is quite definitely not going to suffice. But for straight out quality wildlife viewing including all the Big Five bar elephants, amazingly easy access (I’ve been on an evening safari here and half an hour later been checked in for an international flight home) then no other park can come close. I don’t think I have ever been on a safari here and not seen rhino (both black and white). I’ve also watched lions hunt warthog not once but twice and even witnessed cheetah hunting. There’s a lot of plains game here including herds of zebra, impala, buffalo and plenty of birdlife (over 400 species), beautiful, rolling savannah scenery and, despite it being just moments from the city centre you can often have the place much to yourself (avoid weekends and holidays though).

There are now a couple of upmarket lodges and camps within or close to the edge of the park meaning that you can be enjoying the full Africa safari experience within minutes of leaving the international airport. Also, I can think of almost no other park that is so perfect for a family safari with younger children – even more so if you combine it with a visit to the nearby Giraffe Centre and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where you can play with orphaned baby elephants and rhinos.