Wide open grass plains and backdrop of the city scrapers, scattered acacia bush play host to a wide variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhino, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and a diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. Visitors can enjoy the park’s picnic sites, three campsites and the walking trails for hikers.
June to February: Dry season
Pros:
Cons:
March to May: Wet Season
Pros:
Skies are clear of dust, the park is green, and there are lots of flowers
There are many newborn animals
Bird watching is excellent and migratory birds are present
Animals scatter and the grass is longer making wildlife viewing harder
Cons:
April and May can be very wet and this can affect game drives
Less sunny days
The condition of the roads can be bad after heavy rain
Wildlife viewing is at its finest in the Dry season (when animals can easily be seen around water sources), from June to September, although it’s possible to visit Nairobi NP any time of the year. Wildlife watching is usually more difficult during the long rains (March to May) and the short rains (October to November). During these months, rainfall might restrict game drives and the grass tends to be very high making spotting wildlife more challenging.
Nairobi National Park has a good variety of wildlife. Apart from elephants, most big safari animals are present. There is a very good chance of seeing rhino. White Rhino are easiest to spot as they graze on the open plains, but the park is one of Kenya’s most successful sanctuaries for black rhino, which like to keep hidden in the thickets. Lino, cheetah, Masai Giraffe, and buffalo are just some of the animals you can encounter on a half-day trip.
Nairobi, which lies at a high altitude, has a cool and temperate climate. Temperatures are reasonably constant year-round, and it cools off considerably at night. There is very little rain in the Dry season between June and October. November to May, the Wet season, has two periods of rain. The ‘short rains’ are heaviest in November, and the ‘long rains’ are at their peak in April. Sometime around January and February is a drier spell, in between the long and short rains.
Giraffe
Elephant
Zebra
Hippo
Leopard
Buffalo
Hyena
Lion
Cheetah
White Rhino
Black Rhino
Wildebeest
Giraffe
Elephant
Zebra
Hippo
Leopard
Buffalo
Hyena
Lion
Cheetah
White Rhino
Black Rhino
Wildebeest
Wildlife viewing is at its finest in the Dry season (when animals can easily be seen around water sources), from June to September, although it’s possible to visit Nairobi NP any time of the year. Wildlife watching is usually more difficult during the long rains (March to May) and the short rains (October to November). During these months, rainfall might restrict game drives and the grass tends to be very high making spotting wildlife more challenging.
Wildlife viewing is at its finest in the Dry season (when animals can easily be seen around water sources), from June to September, although it’s possible to visit Nairobi NP any time of the year. Wildlife watching is usually more difficult during the long rains (March to May) and the short rains (October to November). During these months, rainfall might restrict game drives and the grass tends to be very high making spotting wildlife more challenging.
June to October: Dry Season
It rains very little in the Dry season, although when the first rains fall is changeable. July and August are the coolest months, and temperatures increase in September through October before the rain breaks.
November to May: Wet Season
The Wet season is comprised of three distinct parts: the 'short rains' from November to December and the 'long rains' from March to May, with a dry period separating them.
Just like most parks in Kenya, it is is very safe to visit Nairobi National Park. Nairobi city though, has a bad reputation for crime. When visiting the park, you should be picked up and dropped off at your hotel.
Several vaccinations need to be taken before coming to Kenya. Nairobi lies at a high altitude and malaria is not a real concern here, but if you are visiting other places in Kenya, you should take all necessary precautions. Aside from antimalarials, the use of mosquito repellent and covering up in the evening is highly encouraged to minimize the risk of getting bitten.
Nairobi, which lies at a high altitude, has a cool and temperate climate. Temperatures are reasonably constant year-round, and it cools off considerably at night. There is very little rain in the Dry season between June and October. November to May, the Wet season, has two periods of rain. The ‘short rains’ are heaviest in November, and the ‘long rains’ are at their peak in April. Sometime around January and February is a drier spell, in between the long and short rains.