There are two differences between natural parks and reserves, in the former only visitors have allowed entrance and in the latter people can feed their animals and there could be human settlements within. The local tribes happen to be the main human activity inside the parks. These zones are ruled by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), an administration meant to protect wildlife. On the other hand, local authorities are in charge of the reserves. The direct consequence is that only inside the parks the data given by KWS is applied- For example, Masai Mara and Samburu have got different situation because they are reserves.
We interfere with nature at the same moment that we get in one of these territories and because of that our presence must leave behind the tiniest trace. The parks are meant to conserve the habitat they contain and this we should respect every moment of our visit.
One of the most important norms of all is that we should not disturb the animals under any circumstance. We should avoid making loud noise, to light with flashes or any sudden movements that could scare them away, given that is them who are in their natural habitat and they have got the right of moving freely as well as enjoying their habitat. We can be ignored if we stay inside the car and from there we can take pictures quietly.
Additionally, we should always drive inside the paths prepared for that purpose and nowhere else because the wheels damage the ground. Also, we must drive exclusively inside the allowed zones, there are many reasons for cutting any path. As well as in the zoos, we should not feed the animals, because our food could harmful to them and feeding them can alter their behavior unexpectedly. We should never forget we are dealing with wild animals.
We should leave no piece of garbage and making fire is not allowed because either way we could damage the local environment. Plus, we have to respect the other visitors, especially if they are observing animals. The maximum speed allowed is 40 km per hour so that we don’t make excessive noise and damage the ground, either. There are places where it is not allowed to get down from the car for safety reasons.
We should take care of the animals because sometimes they can defend themselves from what they understand as an aggression. We should also use only the allowed places for entering and leaving the parks as well as respect the schedule. We should not buy animals products, which are illegal, so that we do not support furtive hunting. We are not allowed to go to the parks with domestic animals to avoid propagating diseases and to prevent from predators. In the marine parks many of the rules are the same than in current parks, we are allowed to fish within certain conditions.
Traveling with kids implies additional issued, in Treetops and The Ark they should be at least seven ages, and in Mount Kenya Safari Club their own dining room and schedule for the meals. Frequently, being with many kids can disturb the other visitors, specially because of the large trips by car. For this reason, there special family safaris we can choose.
