Mount Kenya National Park
Mount Kenya National Park was opened to the public at the end of 1949, and it covers about 700 square km of the area surrounding Mount Kenya. The mountain itself rises almost 17,000 feet above sea level, and Mount Kenya (also known as Kere Nyaga, or the Mountain of Brightness) is the second highest mountain in Africa. The Kikuyu tribe believes that their god lives on top of Kere Nyaga, and mountain climbers flock to it each year to take one of many different scenic routes to the top.
At this time, visitors have limited options when it comes to accommodations- the lodge in the park, scattered climbers' huts, or a banda site. From there, park visitors can see all the wildlife present in the area, or they can go mountain climbing. When the trip is over, visitors can easily depart from the Naro Maro airstrip. Scenery is a big part of the Mount Kenya park experience- there are lakes, mountains, mineral springs and glaciers to be seen. In the lower slope of the mountains, dry forests of podo and cedar abound, although vegetation type varies by height.
At around 2500 meters, bamboo takes over, which in turn gives way to smaller trees and moss. Visitors can also see buffalo, elephant, colobus, black rhino, leopard, and hyena, along with many other types of animals. If you are very lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a bongo, an owl, or a Sunni buck. If you came to see zebras, you will have to go up to the open moorlands, which start at 3500 meters above sea level.