Mwea National Reserve

Mwea National Reserve lies some 30 kilometres southeast of Embu, where the Tana and Thiba rivers mark the boundary between Mount Kenya's lower slopes and the drier plains below. The reserve covers about 68 square kilometres of wooded grassland and riverine forest and holds a credible population of hippos, buffaloes, waterbuck, and elephants, along with crocodiles along the river margins.

The adjacent Mwea Irrigation Scheme — one of the largest in East Africa — produces most of Kenya's rice, and the flooded paddies attract large numbers of herons, egrets, ibises, and waders. For birdwatchers, the combination of reserve and irrigation scheme makes for an unusually productive day. Access from Embu is via tarmac to Wanguru, then a short track to the reserve entrance; a vehicle with clearance is advisable in the wet season.

things to do sight wildlife
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Mwea is one of Kenya's least-visited national reserves, which is precisely its appeal. While the Masai Mara draws hundreds of vehicles to each lion sighting, Mwea sees perhaps a handful of tourists in a week — even during the dry season when animals concentrate around the Tana and Thiba rivers.

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