Tips for visiting national parks during the Christmas holidays

Did you know that National Parks and Reserves offer spectacular escapades and make wonderful holiday destinations including during the Christmas holidays? The parks and reserves that occupy more than 8% of the country’s space are managed by the Kenya Wildlife Services. 

In the recent past KWS, the managing authority, has refurbished them and upgraded them to compete alongside other excellent tourist destinations. Some of the reserves too, offer accommodation facilities at competitive and pocket-friendly budgets. They also offer compelling activities to suit every visitor. 

Difference between parks and reserves

Reserves are smaller than parks, are less developed, and are less visited than national parks. They do not have as many facilities for tourists or as much infrastructure, but they still offer a fantastic experience in Kenya’s wilderness. 

On the other hand, national parks are big and run into hundreds of square kilometres, with the largest national park being Tsavo National Park (East and West), occupying 22,000 square Kilometres. National Parks are well developed and managed with rich infrastructure (by KWS), and are richly endowed with great wildlife, spectacular landscapes, and other attractions that draw thousands of visitors each year. 

If you are planning to visit a park or reserve, here are some expert tips that will give you the best experience. 

Planning

Do some research beforehand so that you have information on the planned destination. This information is available from KWS, which manages the country’s national parks and game reserves. The Ministry of Tourism, individual parks, and other institutions like the Kenya Tourism Board also have such information. 

Pick your destination

With this information, you can pick your destination. For starters, if you are planning to visit during the high season such as Christmas, plan to explore the lesser-visited areas of a park or visit at a time when the popular attractions are not at their height or visitation such as Maasai Mara, which attracts thousands of visitors during the Great Migration. 

The visit

There are rules and regulations to be followed when visiting the parks and reserves. Familiarise yourself with these so that you do not land in the hands of the law (rangers and other park and reserves security).

 The global trend that Kenya has adopted is sustainable and responsible tourism. Make sure you know what this is and practice adherence. Some of the tips are to keep within the designated areas. 

As much as it may be tempting, do not go off-road. Going outside the designated areas such as boardwalk paths, marked roads and paths, and trails could damage the park’s fragile ecosystem. These guidelines protect the parks, and visitors as well. 

Follow the “leave no trace rule”: The rule which is also referred to as “Pack It In, Pack It Out”, is an ethos followed by outdoor adventure enthusiasts to help preserve natural areas – this means that whatever you bring with you, you take it back with you – whether it be garbage, food waste or camping gear. 

The only pack out what you brought with you rule

Here, a visitor is encouraged to remove any litter you might find in the parks, but not to take off with any souvenirs from the natural areas. It would be a huge environmental disaster for instance if Meru National Park had 500,000 visitors in a year and each one of them thought, it was no big deal to pick a wildflower or pocket a rock. This would seriously affect the park’s ecosystem and future visitor experience. 

Conclusively, adhere to these principles while visiting national parks and reserves: 

Plan ahead 

Travel/Camp on durable surfaces 

Dispose of waste properly 

Leave what you find 

Minimise campfire impacts 

Respect wildlife and the ecosystem 

Be considerate to other visitors