A trip to the northern side of Mwingi Town will lead you to Mwingi National Reserve, one of Kenya’s rarest Protected Areas and borders Kora and Meru National Parks. It is one of the four Conservation and contiguous Areas that make up the Meru Conservation Area that extends for over 4400 square kilometers (440,000 hectares) while the others are Kora and Meru National Parks as well Bisanadi National Reserve. It extends for 745 square kilometers and is the least explored by tourists due to its remoteness hence one of the reasons it still maintains its authentic appearance and the few tourists that visit get the feeling of having the entire wilderness to themselves.
Formerly known as Kitui National Reserve, this hot, dry remote, and relatively unspoiled National Reserve was designated a Wilderness Activity Zone by the Kenya Wildlife Service (a State Corporation in charge of conserving and managing biodiversity as well as conserving flora and fauna within Kenya) and allows exceptional activities such as horseback rides, camel rides and fly camping in addition to offering opportunities for traditional game viewing. Mwingi National Reserve is administered/managed by Mwingi County Council.
Much as wildlife populations recorded within Mwingi National Reserve are relatively low, there are Crocodiles, warthogs, buffaloes, and Hippos within this destination. Because the National Reserve is bordered by other Reserves and National Parks, it is often visited by several wildlife species such as Caracals, lions, different species of antelopes, leopards, and elephants from the neighboring places
Other attractions within the Mwingi National Reserve include the Adamson’s waterfalls, Kampi ya Simba-former home of George and Joy Adamson as well as the grave of Elsa the Lioness. Therefore, tourist activities to enjoy in the area include camel riding, game viewing, horseback rides, fly camping, bird watching, camel riding, nature walks, fishing, and boat rides within River Tana. Most of the activities are conducted by a trained guide from the Kenya Wildlife Service
Best Time to Visit the Reserve
This National Reserve can be explored all year round much as game viewing is perfectly conducted within the dry season (June to September and December to February).
Accommodation Facilities within Mwingi National Reserve
There are no accommodation facilities within the Mwingi National Reserve but there are several options within Meru and Kora National Parka as well as the neighboring Towns of Mwingi and Thika. However, Camping within certain designated Campsites is permitted within the Reserve.
How to Get to Mwingi National Reserve
When it comes to road transport, Mwingi National Reserve can be accessed through Thika to Mwingi then continue north-eastwards through Kyuso Village or from Meru National Park through the magnificent Adamson’s Bridge via Kora National Park. However, the Reserve is the least accessible of all the Parks and Reserves in Meru Conservancy Area but there are efforts by the Kitui County Government to improve the accessibility of tourists to Mwingi National Reserve through improving road access to the area.
