Meru National Park offers visitors a rare treat. It is one of Kenya’s lesser known and visited parks and yet it provides a stunningly wide variety of landscapes and habitats. Forest, swamp and savannah are pierced by 15 permanent rivers all rising on the ever present backdrop of Mount Kenya.
Meru National Park is situated towards the east of Mount Kenya something of a lonely wilderness. The park was made famous by George and Joy Adamson who released several hand-reared animals here, including the famous lioness Elsa (immortalised in the book Born Free), and their cheetah Pippa.
Game viewing is at its best during the dry season, when the long grasses are at their shortest and the migrating elephants have returned to the park. While the range of game may not be quite as diverse as some other parks the quiet and unspoilt nature of Meru National Park more than makes up for this.
There is a 44km sq Rhino Sanctuary inside Meru, home to over 40 White Rhino and 20 Black Rhino. The size of the sanctuary still gives a feeling of wilderness and a challenge to find the animals on a game drive!
