
Is Meru National Park worth it?
Is Meru National Park worth it? Just 370 kilometres from Nairobi, in the north-eastern foothills of Mount Kenya, lies the hidden gem of Meru National Park, an enchanted wilderness. Covering an area of 1810 square kilometres, this traditional savannah wilderness provides a beautiful and uncrowded Kenya safari experience. Allow your senses to be captivated by Meru National Park’s untamed scenery and varied habitats.
Kenya safari tour attractions in Meru National Park
Meru National Park is a wild and stunning place that is completely untouched and incredibly uncrowded. Its unparalleled remoteness and rough mood provide a home for an amazing variety of tourist attractions. Although the majority of Meru National Park is level, the drier areas in the south and east are dotted with rocky ridges and kopjes. The most famous example of these is Mughwango Hill, which is home to Elsa’s Kopje. Other notable features of the park include permanent Mulika, Mururi, and Bwatherongi swamps, as well as a vast array of wildlife habitats, all of which contribute to the park’s enormous diversity of tourist attractions.
Wildlife viewing
Meru National Park offers a wide variety of wildlife attractions for tourists, including breathtaking views of lions, African leopards, and cheetahs, which are a feature of most game drives; buffalos roam in their thousands; and the characteristic grazers of northern Kenya, including the fine-striped Grevy’s Zebra, African Bush Elephants, Eland, Bush Pig, waterbuck, Reticulated Giraffe, Bohor Reedbuck, and Hartebeest, are abundant. Other Kenya safari attractions include the regal beisa oryx, Grant’s gazelles, and the shy and exquisitely marked lesser kudu; be perplexed by the long-necked gerenuk; and observe hippos and crocodiles from the park’s river streams. In this National Park, reptiles like cobras, puffudders, and pythons can also be spotted.
Birdlife
Another Kenya safari tourist attraction in Meru National Park is the birdlife. A birding safari destination with more than 427 species of birds have been recorded in the park, including the recognisable ostriches and the cleverly plumaged vulturine guinea fowl. Red-necked falcons nest in the stands of doum palms, and after dark, the amazing Pel’s fishing owl can be seen. The African finfoot, which is difficult to spot and is most thought of by bird watchers, lives along the park’s streams, and you’ll likely have more luck with kingfishers, including the pied and more elusive giant kingfisher. A variety of specialised flower-feeding sunbirds, including the tiny black-bellied sunbird, can be seen in the wooded areas along the watercourses.
Rhino Sanctuary
The successful rhino refuge in Meru National Park is one of the park’s other main Kenya safari tourist attractions. This protected area presently occupies a sizable 80km² and is located next to the main gate on the western edge of the National Park. The sanctuary, which is guarded by a large number of rangers and fence that permits unrestricted mobility to smaller animals, is home to about 40 white rhinos and 20 black rhinos. Sightings can be excellent because they are all constantly watched and accustomed to tourists.
Other Kenya safari tourist attractions in Meru National Park include the former residence of George and Joy Adamson, Adamson’s Falls, the graves of Joy Adamson and Elsa the Lioness, views of Mount Kenya, and the Tana River, in addition to the breathtaking scenery, breathtaking topography, and wildlife.
How to get to Meru National Park
There are two methods to get to Meru National Park: by air and by road. The quickest and easiest way to reach to Meru National Park is by flight. It is situated 60km/37mi east of Meru town and 355km/220mi northeast of Nairobi.
By Road
The park is easily accessible by ground transportation in a 4×4 customised vehicle. There are two well-known routes to arrive at the park from Nairobi: the main road via Nyeri, Nanyuki, and Meru town, which is 348 kilometres long and takes about 3 hours to drive from Maua to Murera Gate (35 km). The second road route on How to Access Meru National Park is via Embu-Meru weather roads, which is 290 kilometres long and takes up to 2.5 hours, and it provides the best access to the park via the Ura gate since it is less expensive and requires less driving distance, road transport is the best option for visiting the park.
By air
The National Park can also be reached by air; charter flights are typically booked to and from the airstrips within the park every day. The primary airstrip is Kinna Airstrip, which is 45 minutes’ drive from Elsa’s Kopje. All scheduled flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport fly to Kinna Airstrip, which also has daily departures, and the other airstrip in Meru National Park is Mughwango Hill Airstrip, which is 5 minutes’ drive from Elsa’s Kopje. There are also two nearby airstrips for fly-in safaris and a helicopter pad near the Mulika Lodge.
Meru National Park can also be reached by private charter from any other park. As an alternative, one can take one of the daily scheduled flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi’s largest transportation hub, to Nanyuki Airstrip, and then take a private charter from Nanyuki to Meru.
Key features of Meru National Park
Beautiful landscapes
Acacia bush land, riverine forests, rolling hills, doum and raphia palms, tropical jungles, and grassland plains are all features of Meru National Park’s varied terrain. The attraction of the park is increased by the system of rivers and mountain springs.
Rich Wildlife
Meru National Park is home to sights of elephants, cheetahs, Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, gerenuks, greater and lesser kudus, dik-diks, and more, while not being primarily centred on the classic “Big Five.” Both black and white rhinoceroses are protected in the park’s rhino sanctuary.

Birdwatchers paradise
The park is home to about 300 different species of birds making it a great birding safari in Kenya destination, which will thrill birdwatchers. The birdlife, which includes the Somali ostrich, vulturine guinea fowl, and Pel’s fishing owl, flourishes in swamps, dense riverine woods, and along riverbanks.
Cultural and Historical importance
Elsa the Lioness was raised in Meru National Park, which is well-known kenya safari destination for having been the residence of conservationists George and Joy Adamson. Experience the diversity of the Tharaka population near the park by going to Elsa’s cemetery.
