Hello friends. If you’re looking for some fun places to take your children and family for some fun moments –specifically where you can spot some wildlife in Nairobi, I have listed down below a few places that you can explore. I have also included the fees charged in these wildlife parks in Nairobi and their locations. Remember that children, no matter how old they are, love seeing animals so this will be a great treat for them 🙂
The Giraffe Centre, located in the Karen/Lang’ata area hosts plenty of the world’s tallest animal species. It is open from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week. While there, you can feed the giraffes some food pellets made of corn, wheat, grass and molasses. Don’t leave without getting a kiss from a giraffe! Educators are also available to give more information about the animals. Remember to carry a valid Identification Card with you. The charges for resident children are Ksh200 (age 3 – 12 years) and Ksh400 for resident adults. See more information about the Giraffe Center here.
Snake Park
Located at the Nairobi National Museum, this is a place I’ve been to with my sons, and it was such a fun experience. The park has other animals aside from the snakes, and these include crocodiles, an alligator, tortoises, turtles and chameleons. There’s also a nature trail that has lots of bird species. Upon request, you can get a guided tour to help educate the children about the snakes and the birds. Such fun! I captured some of our experiences at the park which you can see in the video above. Charges for the Snake Park are Ksh100 for children (below 16 years) and Ksh200 for adults.
Different animals are found at the Stedmak Gardens and they include: warthogs, lions, cheetahs, baboons and monkeys, crocodiles, gazelles, Llama, porcupines and other animals. It also has a snake park and a bird sanctuary (with over 22 different species). Stedmak Gardens is located at Mukoyeti East Road, Off Langata rd, Next to NPC South Church Karen. Charges for citizens are Ksh200 per child and Ksh300 for adults. See more details about Stedmak Gardens here.
David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage / Nursery is located in the Nairobi National Park and is open to the public for one hour daily from 11am to Noon. During this time, you can witness the elephants enjoying a mud bath or soil dusting, as well as being fed milk. Entrance charges are Ksh500 per person. Access to the Orphanage / Nursery is via the KWS Central Workshop Gate Entrance to Nairobi National Park, off Magadi Road in Langata. You can learn more about the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage here.
The Nairobi National Park plays host to a wide variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhino, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. Charges are Ksh430 for adults and Ksh215 for children (citizens). You can access it via Lang’ata road. See more information here.
You can also check out the Nairobi Safari Walk.
With its raised wooden boardwalk that allows for uninterrupted views of the animals, you can see the rare bongo, white rhino and albino zebra as well as big cats, antelopes and primates. It is also home to some 150 species of local trees. Charges are Ksh215 for adults and Ksh125 for children (citizens).
Nairobi Mamba Village is a natural paradise with a man-made dam and river, stocked with a variety of fish, Crocodile farm, Ostrich Park, as well as a variety of birds for the bird watchers. The Nairobi Mamba Village is located off Langata /Karen Road, on Langata North Road, about 1km from Bomas of Kenya. Entry charges to the park are Ksh150 for kids (citizens) and Ksh200 for adult citizens.
Karura Forest
At the Karura Forest, some of the animals to be seen include the duiker, bushbucks, bush pigs, porcupines, monkeys, squirrels, hares, bats, pythons, green snakes, monitor lizards. Karura Forest also hosts hundreds of bird species and butterflies. You can access it via Limuru road or Kiambu road. Entry fess are Ksh50 for kids (citizens) and Ksh100 for adult citizens. Parking fees apply for vehicles (between Ksh100 and Ksh500 depending on the size of the vehicle)
City Park
Then there’s the good old City Park located in the Parklands area (near Aga Khan Hospital) where you can hang out with the monkeys, lots of butterflies, other insects, and a wide variety of bird species. No charges apply.
Have I missed out on your favorite place to go and see animals in Nairobi? Let me know in the comments section below. Have fun and enjoy and if you do visit one of these places, feel free to come back here and let us know all about it.
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