Ndere Island National Park
Ndere Island, a recently gazetted park, covering an area of 4.2 km2 is an island just off the northern shore of Lake Victoria and was opened in November 1986. Ndere means "meeting place" in the language of the local Luo tribe. According to the Luo folklore, Kit Mikayi, mother of the tribe, rested up near Ndere after her long journey south down the Nile valley. She found the lush shorelines so pleasing that she and her people stayed.
It is located within Kisumu district and has a humid and hot climate. Since this park is on an island in Lake Victoria, one can reach there by road from Kisumu to Kaloka beach and then by boat to the Ndere Island. Kisumu airport is 6o kilometers away. The Park has two campsites for campers and has well maintained walking trails. The major activities are walking and game viewing. Niche Africa holidays takes its clients to Ndere island by boat from Kisumu Yatch club and Kiboko bay beach resort and by road through kaloka beach.
Kisumu Impala Sanctuary
This is a Sanctuary located on a 0.4 square km of marsh, its grassland and forest was created to provide a home for this herd of Impala. It then developed into a holding point for captured problem animals. Today, it provides grazing for Hippos and habitat for numerous small mammals, and a variety of reptiles and birds. It also hosts two leopards, one spotted hyena, two olive baboons and several vervet monkeys held in captivity. Sightings of the reclusive and acutely threatened Sitatunga have also been made.
When the East African Railway reached Kisumu early in the Last century, the area must have been teeming with plains game. The passage of time saw hunting for the pot, ecosystem loss through human settlement and agriculture reduce numbers vastly. By the early 80s, what could be seen was a pitifully small herd of Impala that roamed the town and neighbouring areas. It is located 3 kilometers from the Kisumu city centre. Major activities are walking and bird and game watching. It has two picnic sites and 3kms of walking trails.
Ruma National Park
( "Dramatic Valley of the Roan Antelope, Oribi..." )
Ruma was first gazetted in 1966 as Lambwe valley game reserve and acquired national park status in 1983. The park was established mainly to protect the Roan antelope which does not occur anywhere else in the country. The soils are largely black cotton clay. The surrounding area is settled, with a mix of small scale cultivation and grassy pasture land.
Ruma National park is situated in Lambwe Valley in South Nyanza, 140 km from Kisumu, 10km east of Lake Victoria and south west of Homa bay. It lies on the flat floor of the Lambwe valley, bordered by the kanyamaa escarpment to the south east.
Its climate is - hot and humid with a mean annual rainfall of 1200-1600mm.
You can get there by road from Nairobi through to Homa bay / Rongo road OR from Kisumu via Homa Bay 140 km or via Kisii and Migori. OR Kisumu to Lwanda Kotieno Beach then on to the ferry to Mbita point and proceed to the Park All those roads are tarmac. From Homa Bay and Migori, The Park is reached through gravel roads with distances of 24 km and 8 km respectively. The Ruma National Park has three main circuits with the main gate being, Nyatoto Gate. The major attraction being the Roan antelope which is not found anywhere else in the country. The park also host several other wild animals. This park gives the best game viewing in western Kenya.
For tourists who wish to stay in tents, there are two major campsites at the park; Sigama Hill, and Fig Tree.
Mt Elgon and Mount Elgon National Park
This is a volcanic mountain which straddles the Uganda / Kenya border at a height of 4253m above sea level. It is National Park run by Kenya wildlife service. Mt Elgon has some interesting caves, the best known being the Kitum cave where elephants excavate the walls for its rich mineral deposits
Nasolot Game Reserve
This is a game reserve that is a run by Kenya wildlife service. It is next to the Turkwell dam, where the waters of the Turkwell River have been harnessed to provide electricity. It is in itself an attraction and a guided tour of the facility can be arranged with the concerned authority. Niche Africa Holidays handles trips to this region.
Saiwa Swamp National Park
Situated below the Cherangani Hills in Trans-Nzoia District of Rift Valley,
Saiwa is the smallest park in Kenya, only 3 km2. It was established to protect the semi-aquatic antelope, Sitatunga. The Saiwa swamp is fed by the Saiwa river together with its fringing belts of rain forest. The park is enclosed by subsistence farming settlements.
Saiwa National Park is located 22 km from Kitale on the Kitale-Kapenguria tarmac road. At Kipsaina junction, a 5 km marrum road leads to the only park gate - Sinyerere Gate.
The park can be served by the Kitale airstrip, 22 km away from the park. Due to its size and nature of attractions, the park does not have and does not need any roads.
Major attraction is game viewing of the Sitatunga aquatic antelope.
Accommodation is in the only campsite - Sirikwa Tented Camp on the main Kapenguria road 6 km after the Saiwa Swamp junction is the only facility that is near the park. The facility also offers a camping ground at the gate.
The park has well maintained trails and 4 observation towers for Bird watching, game viewing. Vegetation is a mixture of forest and swamp vegetation. The swamp is dominated by tall bullrushes and sedges. The swamp is bordered by a mixture of grassland, riverine forests and Acacia.
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