Meru National Park covers about 870 square kilometres northeast of Mount Kenya, in a belt of country where thirteen rivers run down off the highlands and cross the park towards the Tana. That water supports doum palm groves, riverine forest, open grassland and swamp, giving Meru a green, layered feel that is unusual this far north and east.
The park is inseparable from Joy and George Adamson, who released Elsa the lioness here and whose book Born Free made the place famous. Meru was badly hit by poaching in the 1980s, losing most of its rhino and much of its elephant. A long restoration effort, supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare from around 2000, brought it back, and a fenced rhino sanctuary within the park now holds both black and white rhino.
Meru rewards visitors who want space. Elephant herds, lion, leopard, cheetah, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and lesser kudu are all present, and the park receives a fraction of the traffic that the Mara or Amboseli see. Views back towards Mount Kenya close the western horizon on clear mornings.
July to September is the driest and best for game viewing, though the rivers keep Meru green and rewarding for much of the year.
A fenced area of some 84 square kilometres within the park holding both black and white rhino, established as part of Meru’s recovery from the poaching years and now among its most reliable game-viewing areas.
The burial site of the lioness raised and released by Joy and George Adamson, and a place of pilgrimage for readers of Born Free.
The park’s southern boundary, where the Tana runs through rock and the falls named for George Adamson mark the edge of the reserve — good crocodile and hippo country.
Hell's Gate is the only Kenyan national park where you walk and cycle alongside the wildlife. This full-day adventure combines a guided bike ride through soaring lava cliffs with a boat safari on the peaceful shores of Lake Naivasha — a wonderfully active alternative to a traditional game drive.
Kenya
national park
Approximately US$52 per non-resident adult and US$35 per child, valid 24 hours. Fees are set by Kenya Wildlife Service and confirmed in your quotation. Gates open 6:00 AM and close 6:00 PM.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia is home to the Big Five, the world's last two northern white rhinos, and a unique chimpanzee sanctuary. This full-day trip from Nairobi combines morning and afternoon game drives with a visit to the northern white rhino enclosure — a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter.
A same-day Kenya excursion designed to show a clear entry price, optional private upgrades, and enough context for clients to compare city experiences quickly.