In pictures: Visiting Kenya’s Nairobi National Park and Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Golden grasslands, migrating wildebeest, massive tuskers, predatory cats and more at two of Kenya's most popular tourist destinations
By
Aatreyee Mohanta |
Published 02.09.22, 12:20 PM
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Kenya’s Nairobi National Park — a dream location for wildlife lovers — is one of its kind. It is the world’s only national park located in the middle of a city. It is not always that one gets to enjoy wildlife sightings and natural terrain juxtaposed against a backdrop of the city skyline, which makes for quite a surreal experience
All photos by Aatreyee Mohanta
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Awe-inspiring sights like these await at every few steps at Nairobi National Park. Seen here is the king of the jungle, having a lazy start to the morning. The mighty predator effortlessly blends in with the dry Savanna grass
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When you visit, don’t miss out on the Giraffe Centre, located in Lang’ata. Tourists have a fun time feeding these long-necked giants, whose bizarre blue-black tongue might give one quite the tickle. Take as many photos as your heart desires for your travel journal
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Located along the Tanzanian border in southwestern Kenya is another popular tourist attraction — the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The terrain is entirely made up of vast grasslands. Tall, golden grass and desert date trees dot the landscape
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A herd of tuskers make their way across the grasslands of the reserve. Well-known for travelling in large groups, the calves follow their mothers around, much like in Disney’s ‘Dumbo’!
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Scattered like black-and-white gems all over the national reserve are these striped herbivores, often found munching away on the dry grass. Up close, the coats have an incredible sheen, and it is quite difficult to tell if they are white with black stripes or vice versa
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Thank your lucky stars if you spot a leopard in the reserve during the day! Known as nocturnal cats, getting a glimpse of these magnificent creatures when the sun is out is a cause for celebration. Here, the spotted cat, an incredibly skilled climber, seems to have found a comfortable seat high up on a tree
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There’s a reason why the Maasai Mara is a paradise for wildlife lovers and shutterbugs. In a scene that seems straight out of a nature documentary, a herd of wildebeest can be seen in transit. These animals travel for miles and migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Kenya. Usually, wildebeest can be seen throughout the reserve in large herds, usually side-by-side with zebras
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One of the rarer animals that visitors can get a peek at is the spotted tortoise, which gets its name from the unique round spots on its shell. If you catch a glimpse of one, consider your trip to the Maasai Mara quite a success
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As the day comes to an end, the African sun sets over the Mara river, turning it into a glistening beauty. This wide water body is the watering hole and means of survival for all animals in the grassland. One can often spot hippopotamuses taking refreshing dips in the river
