Mount Kenya National Park
Suit yourself entirely about the reason behind Mountain Kenya National Park fame, its wildlife, top things to do and when to visit tis Kenyan game reserve.
This national Park situated in Laikipia County is a wildlife haven for nature enthusiasts in Kenya and around the world. This Kenyan National Park encompasses 715 km2 of Acacia woodlands, open plains and shrubby vegetation.
Mount Kenya National Park was established as game reserve and registered as a national park in1949. It has quite a large population of wildlife that term this extensive game reserve as natural habitat.
This wildlife conservation area covers 715 km2 in the Northeast of Nairobi situated aside of Mount Kenya. It is renowned popularly for a lot of reasons and the stunning views of the Mountain Kenya is one of the thrilling reasons.
Mount Kenya National Park is a natural habitat to a vast collection of wildlife, both the endangered species and the secured. It’s an inhabitant of some of the Big Five animals, i.e. elephants, cape buffalos, leopards and cheetahs, plus numerous herbivores especially the duiker antelope, carnivores and bird life. The rich biodiversity of this park also covers its shrubby topography, acacia woodlands and marshes.
Why is Mount Kenya National Park Famous?
This magnificent wildlife conservation is famously renowned for its innumerable and unobstructed views of the extinct volcanic Mountain Kenya, the second tallest African Mountain. The ecosystem around this mountain has been a pivotal attraction site to this park and this has had an immersive boost on Kenyan tourism around this area and the whole country at large.
Mountain Kenya National Park fees structure
It should be denoted that there are simple charges levied by the park operators from Kenya Wildlife Service to get access to this park’s activities and unique wildlife. Take a brief look at the fees paid on entry;
- Each adult foreign nonresident and resident pays 40 USD in the low season, i.e. from March to June. In the peak season, i.e. from July to February, the entrance fee is 70 USD.
- Infant foreign tourists are charged 20 USD each and also students foreigners pay 20 USD each
- Each East African citizen pays 600 KSH in the low season whereas in the peak season the charge levied is 800 KSH
- East African infants and students are charged 215 KSH for a daily entry ticket at Mountain Kenya National Park.
Safari vehicles are also levied for entry per day. They are priced as follows;
- Compact SUVs with a maximum seating capacity of 6 pay 300 KSH
- 6-12 seats vehicles pay 1030 KSH
- 12-24 seats vehicles pay 2585 KSH
- 25-44 seats vehicles pay 4050 KSH
- 45 seats vehicles and beyond pay 5000 KSH
Wildlife at Mount Kenya National Park
The following are the wildlife that are present in the park;
- Elephants
- Birds
- Rock Hyraxes
- Leopards
- Forest hogs
- Hyenas
- Bushbucks
- Monkeys
Things to do at Mount Kenya National Park
The Park Authorities organize a number of well-coordinated activities that are ready for tourists to participate in. These activities are the best way to observe wildlife at Mountain Kenya National Park. Let’s take a look at the top things to do at your visit to this game reserve.
Safari Game Drives
Game drives in Mount Kenya National Park are notably the most fun ways to engage in wildlife observation at this park. Game drives are carried out in reliable 4X4 wheel drive vehicles, capable of moving through all the kinds of terrain in this park, including the challenging ones. These reliable safari troopers are customized with a pop up roof and windows letting in clear views of wildlife along your safari drive.
Safari game drives in this park are supervised by qualified and licensed guides and often with park rangers plus a skilled driver. These trained personnel provide all the bio data of the wildlife encountered giving you deep insights about your ideal wildlife knowledge.
The starting times for safari game drives in Mountain Kenya National Park is early mornings latest 8am, late afternoons from around 3pm and night game drives. You shall notably observe quite a number of free lancing nature artifacts especially the many antelopes around the park and the other big five, numerous herbivores like the cape buffalos, various monkey species as well as numerous bird species.
As you cruise through the various park routes, enjoy the beautiful landscapes surrounding the routes especially the Mountain Kenya views of its volcanic sediment and water streams from its slopes. Safari Game drives at Mount Kenya National Park are charged 75 USD per adult tourists and 50 USD for infant tourists.
Hot Air Balloon Safaris
These safaris are posh experiences in a large Hot Air Balloon that sits a maximum of 15 passengers including the tour guide. The flights are usually launched in the early mornings not so high in the sky but above the shrubby vegetation in this wildlife conservation. This time has the calmest weather and highlighted by the astounding experience of seeing the sun rise from behind the highest free standing mountain in the world.
This Safari soars you above Mount Kenya National Park giving you the opportunity to observe the topography of this pack in high definition. It will give you a skeptical overview of the elephant herds at this park, lion prides, flocks of birds and an impressive view of the second tallest mountain on African soil.
This well accommodated safari with on flight breakfast and refreshments is the best to record moments and snap pictures of wildlife on their treks, hunting tactics, breeding characters and solitary attributes.
The Hot Air Balloon Safari is charged 468 USD per person.
Nature and wildlife walks
Guided walks in the Mount Kenya National Park are astounding and memorable. They give you the opportunity to get detailed about the least and most information about this park. They are led by a knowledgeable guide or park ranger who is familiar with the geographical setting of the park.
Along the walks, the guide explains about the ways of life of the encountered wildlife species from the names to as far as their body attributes. Await an extensive array of plants, shrubs, volcanic sediments, small mammals like the aardvarks and the African Hare.
These walks will present you perfect photographic opportunities to take snaps around the wildlife encounter only at spots designated safe. Nature walks at Mountain Kenya National Park are not paid for.
Apart from the above captivating experiences, take a brief look at the other amazing coordinated safaris for you to include on your to do list such as;
- Photography safaris
- Bird watching safaris
- Visiting the native communities
- Camping
Best time to visit Mount Kenya National Park
On planning your trip to Mount Kenya National Park, consider quite a number of attributes. Among the few aspects you should consider is what times of the year you should decide on and your travel associates to visit this park.
This National Park is subjected through two weather seasons, the wet season and dry season. The wet season starts from November to May whereas the dry season runs from June to October.
In the dry season, Mountain Kenya National park is dry and the vegetation is not dense. The skies are very clear plus the sun rays shine unobstructed throught the park’s landscapes. The trails in this time of the year are very smooth too and dry easing your safari through this park, quick and enjoyable. This makes it very easy for tourists to spot wildlife.
The wet season is alternatively the most challenging weather season to encounter wildlife at Mountain Kenya National Park. Despite the occurrence of plentiful infant wildlife at this times of the year, the experience is quite a limited one.
The biggest challenge of this weather season is probably the muddy and almost unnavigable terrains of this wildlife conservation after the heavy rain pours. Mount Kenya National park registers high rainfall totals in this season that make park activities have a few inconveniences in their punctuality.
The skies are often dark because of the ever present nimbus clouds lashing a rain pour at any moment. This makes spotting of wildlife challenging, plus recording photographic memories is quite unclear too.
The dry season is renowned to be the best time to visit Mountain Kenya National Park because of its innumerable advantages. Viewing wildlife under clear weather conditions shall amount to an enjoyable and memorable safari for you and your loved ones.
Accommodation at Mount Kenya National Park
This park has a collection of fine lodgings and tented camps within and around it that provide quality stay comfort for you and your loved ones. These lodgings are of different accommodation services, i.e. they are luxurious, midrange or budget friendly.
Take a look at the best lodge from each sector;
Best Luxury Hotel
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is the best luxurious accommodation option near this wildlife park, 15 miles far. It has the best luxury endowed rooms made in a theme that relives you of wildlife even outside the park.
This lodge has an extensive array of amenities and facilities like a fully stacked health club, multi cuisine restaurants, no lag internet connection, and so much more. It tops its uniqueness with exhilarating road trip views of the park.
This high end hotel charges 301 USD for a fully accommodated night of two people in one room. Bookings and reservations for space at this hotel go on at their website or you can book through your trusted tour operator to see availability.
If you are a wide preference traveler, choose to stay at Ngomongo, Mount Kenya Forest Farm or at Kirimira Woodlands, Nanyuki. These lodges are the other top options in the luxury sector of accommodation at Mountain Kenya National Park.
Best midrange Hotel
Midrange accommodation at Mount Kenya National Park is led by Podocarpus cottages. This lodge is 18 miles from the headquarters of the park. It is themed in love and romance.
This exquisite setting provides panoramic views of the Kenyan environment around that is a few miles far from it. The rooms for resting are self-contained and elegant. The atmosphere that Podocarpus cottages surrounds is cheerful during day and colorful in the nights.
Customer care at this lodge is delightful with meals and other services are delivered in time. Expect to pay 100 USD each night for a well packaged accommodation at Ceamo Prestige Lodge Lodwar.
The Wonky House and Miles Palace are the top most alternatives if not comfortable with this lodge.
Best budget friendly Hotel
The Great Circle Lodge is the best budget friendly lodge at Mount Kenya National Park. It is 21 miles far from the park with tented accommodations too. Its services are slick and affordable. The meals are perfect and the environment I cozy.
The prices per night for a couple at this tented lodge is 174 USD inclusive of meal plans. Its counter parts in the budget friendly stays are Tranquil Homestays and Lilly’s Palace.
How to get to Mount Kenya National Park
Travelers to this game reserve can arrive most conveniently by road, specifically through a trusted tour company. With a tour company safari, expect to pass through Kenyan traffic swiftly. These companies can cover this 128 miles stretch from Nairobi to the park location in under 3 hours. The drivers are skilled and know whatever quickest routes to get to the park. Most of the routes our experienced drivers may use are not traceable on GPS platforms.
Alternatively you can travel by self-drive through the smart road network from Nairobi to the park. For those unfamiliar with Kenyan roads, the GPS platforms are quite accurate and provide less traffic routes to the reserve. Going to this game reserve, you need an all-wheel drive vehicle to cruise through the mixed Kenyan roads terrain.Talk to us for the most reliable all-wheel drive vehicles at the most affordable rates.
Your Drive Kenya car Rental Company is famously renowned for its world class services when it comes to moving you around all East African Countries, with expert drivers and astounding cars. Our cars are of the best condition and efficient performance is guaranteed.
The fleet of cars is of all wheel drive cars, famously known as 4X4 cars with outstanding on and off road ability. Expect to get through all the types of roads on this journey to Mountain Kenya National Park in our affordable vehicles.
You could choose to rent any of the cars available at our offices for your travel plans throught Kenya. We have the Land cruiser 70 series, the V8/VX series, Toyota Rav4 and the TX/TZ series.
The Land cruiser 70 series is a reliable 4X4 vehicle with a very strong engine that can tow up to 2500 lbs. It’s a seven seater trooper with clear windows and a pop up roof.
The TX/TZ series collection is of Toyota Land cruisers that have a good fuel economy. These prototypes have a strong engine under the hood, i.e. the 2.7 liter petrol and the 3.0 liter diesel for the TX series, whereas a 3.4 V6 for the TZ series. All these cars are four wheel drive, can seat 5 adult passengers and have good ground clearance.
The V8/VX series are big build SUVs themed for the luxurious drive. These cars are Land cruisers but with stronger engines compared to the 70 series and the TZ/TX series. The V8 has the 4.7 Liter petrol engine and the VX has the 4.5 liter diesel engine. They are the most comfortable cars for your safari drives to Mountain Kenya National Park and around Kenya.
The Toyota Rav4 is a compact sized four wheel drive car. It has a small 2.0 liter engine but quite strong for its class. It’s capable for traversing past the uneven terrain of Kenyan road without any hardship. It is the most economic 4X4 vehicle on Kenyan roads. Fill our contact page for our car prices, reservations and other important information on your travel plan to Mountain Kenya National Park.