Most African wildlife parks require visitors to give wildlife a wide berth, preferably viewing them from the relative comfort and safety of an automobile or from behind  a fence. With predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas around, it’s easy to see why.

However, at Crescent Island on Kenya’s Lake Naivasha, the barriers between you and some of the largest and most beautiful animals in Africa vanish. On Crescent Island, you can get as close as you like to many of the animals, so you’re almost guaranteed to come back with great stories and spectacular photos.

In a recent article, New York Times travel writer Alexis Okeowo explains what makes the place so special:

Crescent Island rivals any zoo for diversity: zebras, impalas, giraffes, wildebeests, gazelles, waterbucks, antelopes, dik-diks, steenboks, buffaloes and several other types of animals populate the island. And because there are no predators, fences or cars, visitors can walk freely among the animals.

During her visit, Okeowo was even able to play hide-and-seek with a baby giraffe. Awwww!

It’s not all Disney out there, though. If you visit Crescent Island, remember that hippos and water buffalo, both of which live on the island, can be extremely dangerous if you make them mad or if they see you as a threat. In fact, just about any type of large wildlife can hurt you if you corner it or otherwise harass it.  Use some common sense, and remember that this isn’t a petting zoo!

To visit Kenya, Americans need both a valid passport and a Kenya visa. Here’s what you need to have to get a Kenya visa if you are visiting as a tourist:

• 1 Kenya visa application form.  The form must be filled online and printed, as it is required to be typed no matter how neat your handwriting is.

• 1 passport photo

• A copy of your travel itinerary

RushMyTravelVisa makes getting a Kenya visa much quicker and easier. We offer help with the application and then expedite your visa by hand-delivering your application for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Kenya visa today!

Tags: Africa, Kenya, Kenya visa, Kenyan visa

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at 10:43 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.