Kora National Park
Kora National Park
Kora National Park lies in a distance of 125 kilometers east of Mount Kenya in Tana River county in the country of Kenya and it is said to cover an area of 1,788 square kilometers. However, in 1973 it was gazetted as a former reserve and later in 1989 gazetted as a national park thus following the murder of George Adamson by poachers. The park is extremely wide that connects to other parks and reserve such as Meru national park and Tsavo West National park and to travellers who visits the park get amazed to diverse bird life, fishing in Tana River, Rock climbing as well as visiting George Adamson’s grave thus making it a beautiful African safari. The park is under the management of Kenya wildlife service a body that governs all conservation areas in Kenya.
The ‘’Kampi Ya Simba’’ is in the Swahili language which means ‘’father of lions’’ famously known as a former home of George and Joy Adamson which sits inside the park but before it was still a reserve. And between the 1980s and 1990s, there happened a serious problem by poachers and this occurred to the former reserve and unfortunately, George Adamson and two of his assistants were murdered by poachers in the reserve in 1989 and Adamson was buried within the reserve with three lions he released.
The park offers pristine wilderness dotted with tall inselbergs, hard rocks, domed hills that rises steeply from the surrounding area and is featured with Tana River marked with Adamson’s falls, Grand falls and kora rapids. Moreover, the park slopes gently from an altitude of 490meter in the south-west and raising altitude of about 270 meter in the northeast above the sea level.
Due to heavy poaching that took place in the area it brought decrease in the number of wild animals in the park. These are various species to adventure in this park as include; lions, wildcat, striped hyenas, serval, African bush elephants, genet, hippopotamus can be viewed in Tana River, African leopards, Tanzanian cheetah as well as antelopes. The park is covered with different types of vegetation such as acacia bushland, riverine forests and Tana River which acts as habitant to wide range of mammals.
The park sounds with remarkable tourist attractions which include; Inselbergs, pristine wilderness, Grand falls, Tana River, Adamson falls, Kora rapids as well as Adamson’s grave.
Activities done in Kora Park Kenya
Game drives
This is the most gainful experience in here and is because of wide range of animals in the park which can be spotted on your safari to the park. The diversity of animals to be explored in Kora national park include caracals ,cheetahs ,hippos ,spotted hyenas ,elephants ,hippos ,striped hyenas ,serval cats ,lions ,leopards ,antelopes many more. Game drive takes place in different sessions of the day in Kora and this includes Morning game drives, full-day and evening game drives. Above all, morning game drive are every rewarding to the travellers since most of the wildlife species can be more active and easy to see them, full day game drives allows travellers to view wildlife species at different times of the day and as you observe their way of life as they survival, feeding and their relationship with other mammal species. Then during evening time of day wildlife species can be difficult to spot them due to the fact that they can be under the tree for their shelter and other species can be their time to go back to their hidden place.
Fishing
The park has Tana River which contributes to a number of local communities who depends on fishing as their living. Tana river comprises a variety of river form such as meanders, oxbows, sandy floodplain and more other features. Due to changes in tide has influenced fishing in Kora national park along Tana River.
Rock Climbing
Travelers who enjoy rock climbing adventure Kora national park is one of the grateful places for you. Visitors can climb up the kora rock a place of historical value where George Adamson would communicate out to the lions and they would respond to his call through roaring back and sometime they would gather around this rock.
Guided Nature Walk
At kora, the traveller can engage in guided walks along the forest river lines and also in different trails that offers rewarding sights of different wildlife species and beautiful scenery of the landscape.
Where to stay
The park offers comfortable accommodation facilities safety for your stay ranging from Budget –Mid Range-Luxury such as Leopard rock lodge, Elsa’s Kopje lodge, Kinna guest house, Meru guest house, Chui cottages, Murere cottages, Simba cottages many more. Travelers who enjoy camping is also a good place for camping provided in different locations within the park such as Kanjoo, Ken Mare, Rojoweru, Kampi Baridi, Kitanga, and many more.
Best time to visit
The park can be visited all year round but the best time for visiting the area is in the dry season from the month of June to September and December to February when the park is out of water source and road transport is easy to access it as well as are easy to spot. While in wet season roads can be in poor condition and grass becomes very long thus making animals more difficult to spot.
How to get there
- By Road: Kora park Kenya can be accessed by road for a driving distance of 280kilometers to the north-east of Nairobi while passing via Thika to Mwingi then North-East of Kyuso village. You’re required to use a 4X4WD vehicle.
- By Air: Travelers can fly to the different airstrip near the park such as kyethoni airstrip, Kampi Ya Simba airstrip.
Visit Kora park kenya on your next Kenya safari visit to any destination and adventure a pristine wilderness experience in the home of famous George Adamson.
