National Parks And Reserves - Kenya tourist information,travel vacations,tours,trips

The national parks are administered by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Nairobi as total sanctuaries where human habitation (apart from the tourist lodges) is prohibited. Things seem to be gradually changing, however, as the benefits of readmitting traditional pastoralists begin to be appreciated (humans and wildlife lived in equilibrium before the British arrived). National reserves, run by local councils, tend to be less strict on the question of human encroachment.

Parks and reserves are not fenced in (except Nakuru National Park, parts of the Aberdares and the north side of Nairobi National Park), and the animals are free to come and go, though do tend to stay within the boundaries, especially in the dry seasons when cattle outside compete for water.

Most parks and reserves are open to private visits (though it's worth noting that foreign-registered commercial overland vehicles are not allowed in). A few parks have been heavily developed for tourism with graded tracks, signposts, lodges and the rest, but none has any kind of bus service at the gate for people without their own transport. You may be able to hitch a lift at the park gate with visitors in a private vehicle, but this can never be counted on, so in general, without your own transport, you'll have to go on an organized safari.

Entry fees
Park entry fees are charged per person per day (24 hours, so you only pay for one day if you arrive in the afternoon, stay overnight and leave at midday). Prices are fixed in dollars, though you can also pay in shillings, at a bad rate. You pay in advance at the park gate, though in practice it's possible to pay for extra days on leaving if you've stayed longer than you originally intended. Children get reduced rates, and these apply to anyone under 18, but students over that age only get a reduction if they are in an organized group from their place of learning. Fees vary according to the popularity of the park: the Aberdares, Amboseli and Lake Nakuru cost $27 ($10 children), Tsavo East and West cost $23 ($8 children), Nairobi, Shimba Hills and Meru cost $20 ($5 children), Mount Kenya charges $10 ($5 children), and other parks $15 ($5 children). The marine parks are very cheap ($5, or $2 children). Maasai Mara and Samburu national reserves have their own fees. If you want to camp, you have to stay in a recognized campsite and pay extra ($2-15, depending on the park and whether it's a "special" campsite). Details of these are given in the text.

Entry to some parks - currently Nairobi, Lake Nakuru, Aberdares, Tsavo East and West, and Amboseli, but eventually it will be all of them - is paid for by smart card . You can buy this and "load" it with payment at the main gates of the parks using it, and at one or two other places such as the KWS offices in Mombasa and Malindi. Although you can just pay enough to enter the park you are visiting, you could also load it with extra payment to use later. The advantage of doing this is that you can then use it to enter any of the parks it covers by any entrance. Otherwise, you will have to go to the main gate to buy or load your card.

Kenyan citizens and residents are eligible for massively reduced rates (you won't pay more than Ksh250). If you qualify, you must have ID to prove it, and KWS is now very strict about enforcing the regulation. If you don't qualify, it's strongly recommended that you pay the proper fee and get the right receipt. KWS, and thus the future of Kenya's national parks, depends heavily on gate money. If you defraud them, you're ultimately contributing to the destruction of Kenya's wildlife. High as they are compared to residents' rates, the fees are a small price to pay.

For Kenyan residents only, there used to be a one-year " National Parks Pass " (Ksh6600 per adult or Ksh11,000 per couple; Ksh1000 per child under 16) allowing unlimited access to KWS national parks, other than the Maasai Mara and the Samburu complex. At last check, this pass had been suspended, but it may be brought back, and if so, should be available from the licensing section at the parks headquarters on Langata Road in Nairobi (Mon-Fri 8am-1pm & 2-5pm), or you can contact them at PO Box 40241 Nairobi tel 02/501081, 506671 or 602345, fax 501752, tourism@kws.org.

Vehicles of less than 6 seats are charged at Ksh200 per day, 6-12 seats Ksh500, 13-24 seats Ksh1000. A guide service costs, per person per guide, Ksh500 for a day, Ksh300 for half a day (4hr). Prices, gate opening times, regulations and information on maps are given at the start of the relevant sections in the guide.

Park and reserve considerations
Limiting human impact on the parks and reserves is vital, and with large numbers of visitors to the better-known sites, it's important to bear in mind some simple facts to ensure you leave the place and the animals as you found them and for others to enjoy.

Harassment of animals disturbs feeding, breeding and reproductive cycles, and too many vehicles surrounding wildlife is not only unpleasant for you, but will also distress the animals. Cheetah, for example, only hunt during the day and, if hemmed in by vehicles, including yours, could end up deprived of a meal. Be quiet when viewing, switch off your engine (or ask your driver to) and keep a minimum distance of 20m. Never, under any circumstance, get out of your vehicle, and don't feed animals as it upsets their diet and leads to unnecessary dependence on humans. Habituated baboons, especially, can become violent if refused handouts.

Off-road driving causes irreparable damage to the vegetation. Stay on the designated tracks (even if it means you won't get the best photograph), and if you have a driver, ask him to do the same.

If you smoke while on your visit, tip all ash in an ashtray. Carelessly discarded cigarettes start numerous unnecessary bush fires every year, which cause great damage to vegetation and wildlife.