AN ENJOYABLE PARK DAY AT THE NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK

The alarm clock buzzed at 04h30 as we awoke to a new day! We prepared then packed the car and arrived at the gate just before 06H00, then met our friendly guests for the day, none other than the H&S Magazine owners (Hassan & Shazia). Soon after making payment we drove into the park, excited at the prospect of what we might see and enjoy. The master plan was to spend the entire day in the park, and just enjoy all of creation, from the smallest to the largest creatures. Well, I have to say it was an amazing day, as our plan manifested into a wonderful reality. Although some might think that an entire day in the park is a long time, when people are really enjoying wildlife, then time seemingly flies.

Some of the roads were still a bit slippery and muddy due to the rains, so I decided to stay mostly on the main roads. However, even some sections of the main roads had been seriously damaged due to the heavy rains in the previous three months. As we drove along very slowly, there were many rewards, the park was looking like a floral wonderland, very green with every plant thriving and so many varieties of flowers in abundance. Wildlife sighting included a sleeping white rhino near the roadside, some black-backed jackals relaxing and lying in the road, a family of rarely seen Chandler’s mountain reedbuck, hippos in the Athi Dam, lovely herds of elegant eland, zebra in the Athi basin, coke’s hartebeest (aka kongoni), gazelles, herds of giraffe walking in the road, as well as herds of buffalo & Some Nile crocodiles chasing each other at the Athi dam. The bird sightings were numerous from ostrich to eagles, vultures, a regal secretary bird hunting, water birds included a pelican, an African spoonbill catching fish, and also a flock of migrant Eurasian bee-eaters, a beautiful scarlet chested sunbird near the Hyena dam and many “LBJ’s” – little brown jobs (a name we give to the many small birds that we could not identify). We also had a closeup sighting of a tortoise near the Hyena dam.

All too soon the sun began to set over the Ngong hills, the tranquil peace of the park was tangible and very real. Indeed the day in the park was a real “soul tonic” medicine for the inner being, an escape from the fast-paced world around us. If anyone is looking for a very different experience, why not consider spending some time in the park? No visit to this wonderful park is ever the same, there are always beautiful surprises yet to be revealed.

We hope you will enjoy the park as much as we do!!!

The park is open daily from 06h00 to 19h00

A fun park Day with H&S Magazine