Mwea National Reserve

In contrast to the rich greens that characterise so much of the highlands, this reserve is set in a dry depression that is nonetheless beautiful in a stony-scarp, thorn-bush and aloe-field kind of way. Kamburu Dam, at the meeting point of the Tana and Thiba Rivers, forms the focus for the 48-sq-km reserve. Enclosed by an electric fence, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, lesser kudu and endangered Rothschild giraffes are present here, as well as more than 200 bird species.