10 African Capitals And Their Closest Wildlife
February 8, 2010 by Johan Knols
Filed under Safari options
For the fast and furious
Not all of us have (or take) the time to visit the more remote national parks when visiting Africa. Time constraint can be one reason, but still wanting to see game but not for days on end, can be another. Even financial restrictions are a valid excuse.
I have therefore compiled a list of the capital cities of the 10 most important safari countries and their nearest wildlife areas. Whether these areas are national parks, game reserves or privately held concessions was not taken into account. Only distance and the fact that wildlife is free roaming (so not zoos) were the decisive factor. Where possible I have included websites or other online information about those wildlife areas. Some areas can be visited during day-trips. What a day-trip is and what you should know in order to get the maximum out of it, click here.
Kenya.
Capital: Nairobi
Nearest wildlife: Nairobi National Park
Distance: 10 km.
Website: Kenya Wildlife Service
Daytours offered by: Mount Kenya Climbing (amongst others)
Uganda.
Capital: Kampala
Nearest wildlife: Lake Mburo National Park
Distance: 228 km.
Website: Uganda Wildlife Authority
Daytours offered by: Kabiza (amongst others)
Rwanda.
Capital: Kigali
Nearest wildlife: Akagera National Park
Distance: 225 km.
Website: Rwanda Tourism
Daytours offered by: Merit Safaris
Tanzania.
Capital: Although Dodoma is the capital, Dar es Salaam is more important and used for this article.
Nearest wildlife: Mikumi National Park
Distance: 260km.
Website: Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA)
Daytours: Non offered by vehicle, although a day-fly-in safari is possible.
Zambia.
Capital: Lusaka
Nearest wildlife: Blue Lagoon National Park
Distance: 120km.
Website: Zambian Tourism Board
Daytours: Non on offer as yet. Park can be reached by self-drives.
Botswana.
Capital: Gaborone
Nearest wildlife: Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Distance: 15km.
Website: Mokolodi Nature reserve
Daytours offered by: Gearadventures (amongst others)
Namibia.
Capital: Windhoek
Nearest wildlife: Waterberg National Park
Distance: 280km.
Website: Namibia Reservations
Daytours: Non on offer.
Zimbabwe.
Capital: Harare
Nearest wildlife: Nyanga National Park
Distance: 260km.
Website: Zimparks
Daytours: Non on offer.
South Africa.
Capital: Pretoria
Nearest wildlife: Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Distance: 155km.
Website: Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Daytours: African Sky (amongst others)
Gabon.
Capital: Libreville
Nearest wildlife: Akanda National Park
Distance: 15km.
Website: Wikipedia
Daytours: Although daytours must be available, I could not find any info online.
This national park was established in 2002 to increase (local) tourism. Little, if any, information could be found on this destination. It is time for the Gabon Tourism Department to start pulling up its socks!!
Hi Johan:
A very interesting post in many ways. Let me confine my comments to the Nairobi National Park, a place I often visited when I lived in Kenya from 1984 to 1993. It was, and hopefully remains, an anomalous haven of peace from the hustle and bustle of Nairobi (and may I say, a strange disparity of the Kenyan human condition that represents that capital? Many decades of interminable corruption – the latest episode – the US Ambassador withdrawing all US aid to Kenya’s educational system as the money already sent seems to have gone “missing”?).
Nairobi Park is not without similar controversy. History? It was Kenya’s first park, established 1946, in large part due to Mervyn Cowie who became the first warden and remained until 1966. In his days, there was still a migration of wild animals from the Athi/Kapiti plains into the park from the south and west. Masai pastoralists were removed from the park when it was created, but subsequent settlements and housing developments have largely cut off migration routes.
The Nairobi Park still has wildlife, and boasts one of Kenya’s most successful Black Rhino sanctuaries.There is a memorial to the burning of 12 tons of ivory by President Moi (whose hand probably had to be guided to set the fire – tremendous loss of income to his bank account), Daphne Sheldrick does much there for her ideals of raising orphaned elephants, and there was even an attraction (zoo?) called the Nairobi Animal Orphanage when I was there.
People live all around the park, in fact within metres of the fenced boundaries. Effluent and industrial waste from Nairobi are contaminating the park’s waters. Nairobi Park is doing what it can to maintain itself with growing human pressure, and I wish them the very best in their efforts not to become a “drive-through” safari park according to the European model.
Meanwhile the skyline of Nairobi might be slightly disturbing to those who think they are seeing wildlife in Africa? My vote? Call this not Nairobi Park but Nairobi Amusement Park.
Hello Pieter,
Whatever we would call it, it still remains a nice spot to visit for people that want a quick sniff of African wildlife.
Thanks for your comment!
Travel to this beautiful East African country for a Kenya Safari and you will find a delightful mix of wildlife adventures, miles of sugary white sand beach and some of the most hospitable people in Africa.