Saiwa swamp national park
Saiwa Swamp National Park is located near Kitale in Trans-Nzoia County, rift valley province, rift Kenya. It is the smallest park in Kenya and only 3 km2 created as a habitat for the sitatunga, a rare aquatic antelope. There are a variety of trees in the national park. Saiwa Swamp National Park is the smallest tour destination park in Kenya, a Sanctuary of the Sitatunga antelope and packed with a lot of wildlife to explore from plants, birds, Insects and reptiles. Saiwa Swamp National Park is one of the most diverse and breathtaking parks in Kenya located on the border between Uganda and Kenya covering an area of about 4 km2 making it the smallest national park in Kenya.
Top 5 Saiwa Swamp National Park Attractions
Visiting Saiwa Swamp National Park is due to its convenient location and the park is open throughout the year, and visitors can either take a guided tour or explore the park on their own in a 4×4 wheel vehicle to experience attractions which include;
Animals in Saiwa National Park
The Saiwa Swamp National Park is a home to a wide variety of animals and among the native species include; waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, and monkeys and the most popular Sitatunga antelopes. These antelope are the only species of antelope known worldwide to be aquatic and they are large and have an average height of 1.5 meters. They have waterproof coats and are good swimmers and escape when danger comes their way is under water can survive in wetlands more than on dry land.
Birds in Saiwa National Park
Saiwa Swamp National Park birdlife is worth recognition due to the number of water birds in the park including; the African duck, Grey Heron and the Jacana. The forest also shelters the coloured sunbirds, Narina Trogons, Yellow Bishop, Hartlaub’s, Ross’s turaco, Qonolek, Coucal Stork, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Hamerkop, flycatcher, Crane, Black Goshawk and Wahlberg’s Eagle. All these birds can easily easily be spotted in the park especially by birders.
Plants in Saiwa National Park
In the wetlands of riverine forest, acacia woodlands and sedges are characterized with dense grass beds and rushes lying in Kenya’s terrestrial orchids. Some of the orchids thriving in the park include; purple and bronze Eulophia horsfallii, comet orchid, pink satyrium crassicaule crimson orchids and the satyrium sacculatum. The wet areas are spotted by figs, afzelia trees and which are Syzygium trees are also common along the swamp’s edges.
Insects in Saiwa National Park
The park is exceptionally known for its insects’ capacity and some insects include damsel flies and dragonflies. The park also consists of Butterflies which include papilio Dardanus, charaxes and mocker swallowtails. Swarms of insects can also be found on the forest floor in the green plants or vegetation.
Amphibians and Reptiles in Saiwa National Park
Toads and frogs abound in the park where you will come across many types especially after rainstorms. The Bell’s tortoise can easily be seen in the park as well as the agama lizard. African python and cobra are some of the snakes in the park as well as the side-striped chameleon.
7 Saiwa Swamp National Park Activities – Things to Do
You can visit the Saiwa Swamp National Park to explore its diverse ecosystems by taking a guided hike in the forest reserve and marvel in the exotic plants that call this area home. As you walk you will enjoy activities such as;
Sitatunga Antelope Spotting
Sitatunga antelope are the major attraction of the park and they are easily seen from the observation points as they duck in and out of the swamps to feed and evade being preyed on.
Bird Watching
Wetlands collects a wide species of birds making Saiwa Park have more than 450 different species of birds including waders. The watchtowers across the park make spectacular bird watching points. Tourists who love birding move with binoculars and cameras on their safari in order to have scenic photography and close views.
Picnics activity
Saiwa National park has several picnic points strategically located at intervals along the walkways and trails. Here tourists experience their lunch or evenings and also a full day picnics in the trails experiencing the fresh clean air and weather from the waters and trees with animal close viewing each hours of the day in the park helping you to have photography and observing them throughout the day.
Trekking
Just like other most national parks, saiwa swamp national park also has trails covered with trees, wetlands that encourage trekking activities in the park. Here tourists get a chance to move around the small park to experience the birds and animals closely, and also know about the various tree species and the activity is done with a help of a tour guide and park ranger to teach and protect them from animals. Here tourists also visit the swamps and wetlands to be able to see the animals which are crowded there to drink water and also cool their bodies.
Vegetation Exploration
The park’s landscape is composed of swamp vegetation such as reeds, bulrushes, sedge, wooded grassland and tropical forest with exotic banana trees and wild fig trees. Acacia trees symbolize the grasslands and here tourists are given a chance to learn about them inform of importance, medicine and culture. These vegetations can be explored during the hikkings in the park.
Camping
Camping in Saiwa Swamp National Park is really rewarding as you can experience a night in the wild enjoying a restful night lulled by the chattering of flirty monkeys and piping frogs and toads. The mornings will amaze you with sweet bird songs as you rest in the observation platforms to watch the sunrise as it majestically peeks over the horizon. The camping activity gives you the best experience of the wilderness in this park however small it is.
Photography
This park is a photographer’s dream come true and the viewing platforms provide magnificent views over the park’s wetlands to the canopies where buzzing insects, butterflies and birds catch your attention.
Accommodation in saiwa swamp national park
Although the national park is the smallest in Kenya, it has been surrounded with lodges for accommodation purposes, with campsites and also camp areas in the national park below are some of the accommodation areas that will offer a great experience to the tourists when they visit saiwa swamp national park.
Losokwan Camp
The camp is small and intimate located in the Lemek Conservancy which is north of Masai Mara game reserve one of the best wildlife viewing areas of the Masai Mara ecosystem. The camp offers hard-hitting game-viewing throughout the year and comprises open savannah and a tree-lined section of the Mara river with high concentrations of plains game and the wildlife numbers are particularly intensified during the annual wildebeest migration. The camp has nine tents which have been strategically positioned to take in the spectacular scenery of the Masai Mara plains and have been designed to have minimal impact on the local environment. The tents can either be sold as doubles, singles/twins or triples depending on the client needs. However, family tents can have both twin beds and a king-size double bed.
Aturukan Hotel
This lovely hotel is set in Kitale with total 91 rooms at Aturukan Hotel and travellers can take advantage of the wired and wireless Internet connexion available on the premises. The hotel provides reception services the whole day. No pets are allowed on the premises and the hotel provides parking for guests’ convenience.
Cranes Haven
Cranes Haven is a budget friendly hotel with camp settings tucked within the Sibanga area along the Kitale-Cherangani highway. The hotels location is an ideal destination for adventure travellers and family getaways. Kitale Town is just 20 minutes drive away and all the tents feature lamps, hot water showers, bathtub and bottled water. The family tent is best suited for a larger group as it has an interconnecting room with meals served at the neighbouring Sirwo Resort which is still under the same management.
Campervan
Guests on a safari game drive themselves in a campervan which makes significant savings by sleeping in their vehicle.
Best time to visit saiwa swamp national park
You can visit Saiwa Swamp at any time of year, but you’ll appreciate the environment more in the Dry season December to March and this is when migratory birds are passing through the park in November to April and when offspring of the local sitatunga antelope appear. When the season is dry, roads to your destinations are always accessible and animals are always easy to spot due to their movements in search for waterbodies in the park.
Your safari will give you the best experience and comfortable drive when you use a 4×4 wheel vehicles which accesses all roads and gives you a clear view during the game drives.
How to access the national park
By plane
Saiwa Swamp National Park can be accessed by flying from Nairobi airport to Kitale Airport which is southeast of Nairobi is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Kenya’s second international airport is Moi International Airport which is 9km west of Mombasa. NBO airport is located 15km/9mi southeast of Nairobi and a Kenyan visa will most likely be required to enter the country.
By Road
Getting to Saiwa Swamp national park takes a distance of 22kilomteres from Kitale town at Kipsaina junction which covers 5kilomters on murram road to access the park entrance gate, Saiwa gate and this is the best way you can enjoy the country side with all the greenery and animals.