Mwea National Reserve is located in the eastern province of Kenya in Mbeere district approximately 200 kilometers from Nairobi and it takes almost 3 hours and 15 minutes to access it.
Mwea National Reserve is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Mbeere County Council.
The reserve boosts bushy vegetation and scattered large trees (Acacia species and baobab trees) thus being a typical savannah ecosystem. Open grasslands are dominant along the main rivers with occasional thick undergrowth.
The reserve’s entire landscape is so spectacular and hosts a large number of wildlife such as; African elephants, lesser kudus, Nile crocodiles, giraffes, Grant’s zebras, cape buffaloes, African leopards, genets, common duikers, black-backed jackals, yellow baboons, bushbucks, waterbucks, stripped ground squirrels, Sykes’ monkeys, warthogs, rock hyraxes, bush pigs, impalas and hartebeests among others.
Thus the reserve is an appropriate destination for African wildlife safaris since it boosts some of Africa’s big games such as; elephants, buffaloes, leopards, hippos, and Nile crocodiles.
The reserve is also known for its birdlife mostly the water birds and waders boosting over 200 species of birds and thus being an important bird area (IBA).
The reserve is the only protected area in which the globally threatened and Kenya-endemic Hinde’s babbler is known to occur plus also being a habitat to the two other rare species including; the Pel’s fishing owl and the white-backed night heron.
The Malagasy pond heron is also a common sighting plus many other species. Popular amazing activities in the reserve include; boat rides at Kamburu dam, game viewing, bird watching, nature walks, and a very large number of hippos are viewed at the Hippo point.
The reserve has no safari lodges but comprises of self-catering camps at its seven campsites including; Mbogo, Silvester, Mavuria, Kyangosi, Hippo-Point, Kanyonga and Githechu.
However visitors can also opt for some nearby good safari accommodations which include; Masinga sky resort, Masinga dam resort, Kobos resort, Catch 22 lounge and lodge, and many more.
