Northern Kenya
Due north of the Central Highlands is a belt of savannah which provides a home to several game-rich, if less visited, national parks, including Samburu, Meru and Kora, plus a whole host of small game reserves, few of which have any tourist facilities. The far north of Kenya is largely desert, difficult to travel, remote and wild. Unfortunately, much of the area is also troubled by inter-tribal violence and banditry and tourists should take local advice before travelling in the region. It is possible to fly up to Lake Turkana, the largest of the Kenyan soda lakes, on the Sudan border.
Located 400km (250 miles) from Nairobi, Meru National Park remains one of the more unspoilt parks, an oasis within the parched land all round, with 13 rivers lined with Doum palms and mountain-fed streams watering richly tangled woodlands on the slopes of the Nyambene Mountain Range. To the east, the park is adjoined by Kora National Reserve, a largely dry area bisected by the great Tana River. Both areas have plenty of game but were badly affected by poaching in the 1970s and 80s. Security has been strengthened these days and there are three lodges and several campsites in Meru, all operating happily. However, security is still a concern in less well-trodden areas.
An area of semi-desert halfway between Nairobi and Lake Turkana (see below) that provides a rare chance to see the oryx, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra. Ostriches and elephants are easily spotted in this open habitat. There are two lodges, Samburu Lodge and River Lodge, both of which hang out bait to attract leopards for the guests to study whilst sitting at the bar. The park takes its name from the Samburu people, distantly related to the Masai.
There are several parks and reserves in the far north of Kenya, gathered around Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolph). This extraordinary lake has recently been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Running for several hundred miles through windswept and largely uninhabited deserts, the lake contains many unique species of fish and marine plants and has recently gained a reputation as a fishing resort. Several lodges have sprung up on the eastern shore to cater for this trade and, consequently, general tourism is expected to increase. Despite the harsh climate, many of Kenya’s better known animals manage to survive here, as do the tiny people of the El Molo tribe, who fish the eastern waters. There are two large volcanic islands in the lake. The flooded crater of the southernmost island has a resident population of unnaturally large crocodiles. The lake is subject to violent storms that disturb algae to produce remarkable colour changes in the water. Those who wish to visit Turkana are advised to fly. The road takes two days, crosses immensely harsh landscape and there is danger of violence.
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