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National parks and reserves
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The national parks are administered by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Nairobi as total sanctuaries where human habitation (apart from the tourist lodges) is prohibited. Things seem to be gradually changing, however, as the benefits of readmitting traditional pastoralists begin to be appreciated (humans and wildlife lived in equilibrium before the British arrived). National reserves, run by local councils, tend to be less strict on the question of human encroachment.
Parks and reserves are not fenced in (except Nakuru National Park, parts of the Aberdares and the north side of Nairobi National Park), and the animals are free to come and go, though do tend to stay within the boundaries, especially in the dry seasons when cattle outside compete for water.
Most parks and reserves are open to
private visits
(though it's worth noting that foreign-registered commercial overland vehicles are not allowed in). A few parks have been heavily developed for tourism with graded tracks, signposts, lodges and the rest, but none has any kind of bus service at the gate for people without their own transport. You may be able to hitch a lift at the park gate with visitors in a private vehicle, but this can never be counted on, so in general, without your own transport, you'll have to go on an organized safari. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Kenya,
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