GUIDE TO Meru National Park Kenya

An accurate guide about Meru National Park with Superfine Safaris Limited. Meru National Park lies in the remote Northern side of Nairobi, the Capital City. The Park is set in the Central region of Kenya just along the Equator crossing. Meru National Park features among the untamed and scenic Parks in Kenya, each traveler on Kenya safaris should not miss. It is one of the very few Kenyan National Parks that has not been fully exploited, thus guaranteeing you unspoiled wilderness and mesmerizing kenya wildlife encounters.

Meru is geographically located in an area where you can appreciate the breathtaking views of Mount Kenya in the backdrop. There is no place that is better than Meru National Park when it comes to off-the-beaten-path experiences. Meru is best described by many as the only “paradise in the wild.” The Park became most popular through Joy Adamson’s “Born Free Books.” Regardless of its popularity, Meru remains unexplored and is perfect for tourists with a desire to enjoy authentic African wilderness.

Meru was established in the late 1960s. The Park sits on a land area of about 870 sq. km and its landscape is characterized by scenic green grass and has over 13 rivers.

The Main Attractions in Meru National Park

Diverse wildlife

Meru boasts of its diverse wildlife and bird species. Meru’s wildlife include buffaloes, elephants, hippos, leopards, zebras, black and white rhinos. Other wildlife to see in Meru include cheetahs, reticulated giraffes, Bohor reedbucks, bush pigs, hartebeest, elands, and more.

Bird species

Approximately 427 species of birds are concentrated in the diverse habitats of Meru National Park. The birds to identify on Kenya tour in Meru include European rollers, purple rollers, Abyssinian rollers, lilac-breasted rollers, broad-billed rollers, red-and-yellow barbet, pied kingfishers, Eurasian wrynecks, Nubian woodpeckers, bearded woodpeckers, pygmy falcons, cardinal woodpeckers, Eurasian kestrel, lesser kestrel, Dickinson’s kestrel, peregrine falcon, Taita falcon, Pygmy batis, black-throated wattle-eye, African black-headed oriole, African golden oriole, black-and-white shrike-flycatchers, white-crested helmet shrike, brown-crowned tchagra, black-backed puff back, fork-tailed drongo, African paradise-flycatchers, red-backed shrike, Sulphur-breasted bush shrike, slate-colored boubou, tropical boubou, Somali tit, fan-tailed raven, mouse-colored penduline-tit, chestnut-headed sparrow-lark, chestnut-backed sparrow-lark, and gray wren-warblers.

Other birds include buff-bellied warblers, yellow-breasted apalis, red-faced crombec, Northern crombec, pale prinia, winding cisticola, red-fronted prinia, siffling cisticola, coastal cisticola, tawny-flanked prinia, yellow-billed oxpeckers, red-billed oxpeckers, rufous chatterer, Hinde’s pied-babbler, scaly chatterer, wattled starling, red-winged starling, violet-backed starling, Gambaga flycatchers, African gray flycatchers, spotted flycatchers, Greater blue-eared starling, golden-breasted starling, Shelley’s starling, and weaver birds.

Meru National Park also protects bird species such as the red-billed quelea, fire-fronted bishop, cardinal quelea, blue-capped cordonbleu, quailfinch, common waxbill, African silverbill, bronze Mannikin, orange-winged pytilia, Kenya rufous sparrow, house sparrow, broad-tailed paradise-whydahs, steel-blue whydahs, village indigobird, parrot-billed sparrow, doves, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, black-faced sandgrouse, lichtenstein’s sandgrouse, yellow-throated sandgrouse, white-bellied Go-away birds, hartlaub’s bustards, and nightjars.

Top Safari Activities to do in Meru National Park

Meru National Park is ideal for game drives/game viewing, bird-watching, hiking, and cultural visits.

Guided Game Viewing

Meru National Park offers unique guided game viewing experiences. Using a 4×4 safari vehicle, visitors embark on a journey to explore Meru’s diverse wildlife. The possible encounters on a game drive in Meru National Park include zebras, leopards, dik-diks, buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, and many bird species.

Bird-watching

A birding excursion in Meru lets you to enjoy sights of diverse bird species. For keen birders, the birds to expect to identify include the red-necked falcons, ostriches, Heuglin’s coursers, Pel’s fishing owl, Peter’s fin-foot, Klaas’s cuckoos, Eurasian nightjars, plain nightjars, African emerald cuckoos, thick-billed cuckoos, fulvous whistling-ducks, yellow-billed ducks, spur-winged goose, Knob-billed ducks, guineafowl, brown-winged coursers, Somali courser, collared pratincole, three-banded courser, eagles, hawks, and more.

Cultural visits

Visitors can also spice up their wildlife adventures in the Park with a cultural tour. A cultural tour in Meru is done in the adjacent local community. Expect to explore the unique lifestyles, cultures, and traditions, and also listen to the inspirational stories as shared by the elderly.

Hiking adventure

Meru National Park features a distinct landscape characterized by rocky hills, rolling plains, and more. The unique landscape of Meru National Park makes it a favorite hiking spot and also an ideal place for camping experiences.

When to travel to Meru National Park in Kenya

A Kenya tour in Meru National Park can be done at any time of the year, although the dry season is more preferable. As per the Kenyan calendar, the longest dry season starts from June to September, and the shortest dry spell occurs from January to February. The peak months experience low or no rain, and the game tracks or trails tend to be more accessible. They are the best months for tourists to travel to Meru National Park in Kenya for a game drive.

Weather in Meru National Park. The Park records the heavy rainfall in the western part compared to the Eastern end. The Western section of Meru experiences an annual rainfall range of 635 to 762 mm. The annual rainfall amount received in the Eastern part of the Park ranges from 305 to 356 meters.

Accommodation Choices (Budget, Midrange or luxury)

Meru National Park is comprised of budget, midrange, and luxury lodges and camps. The available options to choose from for your overnight stay include Elewana Elsa’s Kopje, Ikweta Safari Camp, Leopard Rock Lodge, Mulika Lodge, Rhino River Camp, Alba Hotel Meru, Elsa Kopje, and more.

How to get to Meru National park

By road: Visitors can use the Nairobi to Murera route, which involves driving the Nyeri and Nanyuki approximately 384 sq. km. Or drive from Nairobi via Embu to Meru, about 350 km.

By Road: Visitors can also depart from Nairobi for Meru National Park and land at the 16 Airstrips available in this Park. The airstrips present in and around Meru National Park include Mulika, Kinna, Murera, and Masanduku Airstrips.

Conclusively, the above travel guide offers deep insight into everything you need to help you plan a successful wildlife tour in Meru National Park in Kenya. A safari in Meru comes with varied wilderness experiences for you to enjoy. Meru offers the best guided game drives, bird-watching, and incredible camping tour options, or hiking adventures.