Marsabit is a forested mountain which rises spectacularly from the middle of a desert wilderness and provides the only source of a permanent surface water in the region. It has three beautiful crater lakes with a myriad of resident birdlife. The most scenic is Lake Paradise, made famous in the early films and writings of Martin Johnson and Vivien de Wattville.


Originally part of a huge reserve which took in Shaba, Samburu, Buffalo Springs and the Losai National Reserve, the mountain was made a national reserve in its own right. It is a nomadic rangeland and the droughtland of the Rendille herdsmen. Its name means 'Mountain of Cold'.

One of the area's special residents was Kenya's most famous elephant, Ahmed - decreed a protected animal by the Presidential Order of President Jomo Kenyatta in 1970. Ahmed, who had some of the biggest tusks ever recorded, had a 24-hour armed guard. When Ahmed died, aged 55, his body was preserved and is now on display at the Nairobi National Museum.

Other game to view includes: Greater Kudu, Reticulated Giraffe, buffalo, bushbuck, leopard and caracal. Over 370 species of birdlife have been recorded which include the Somali Ostrich, the rare Masked Lark and over 52 raptor species (eagle, buzzard, vulture). A special treat is the rare Lammergeyer Vulture. The area is especially good for butterfly viewing with a wide variety of species. There is one lodge in the park.

National Parks & Reserves in Northern Kenya

• Meru National Park
• Bisanadi National Reserve
• Kora National Reserve
• Rahole National Reserve
• Mwingi National Reserve
• Samburu National Reserve
• Buffalo Springs National Reserve
• Shaba National Reserve
• Maralal Game Sanctuary
• Laikipia Game Sanctuary
• Marsabit National Reserve
• Losai National Reserve
• South Turkana National Reserve
• Nasalot National Reserve
• Sibiloi National Park
• South Island National Park
• Malkamari National Park