Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is undoubtedly the best place in the world to get very close to free-ranging elephants. Located in Kajiado South Constituency in Kenya, Amboseli National Park is a beautiful place with a backdrop of the Kilimanjaro Mountain, the highest point of Africa. The word “Amboseli” comes from a Masai word that means “salty dust”. Amboseli National Park that was formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve has established a national park in 1974, and covers an area of 392 square kilometres. Amboseli was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, for its unique eco-system and wildlife. The park is a huge contrast between the arid areas of the dry lake bed and the oasis of swamps in other parts of the park that definitely attract the vast wildlife species most especially the elephants.

Amboseli National Park
Wildlife in Amboseli

The key features of Amboseli National Park include;

Wildlife. The wildlife species in Amboseli National Park that make one’s safari all the while worthwhile include large herds of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, lions, cheetahs, nocturnal porcupine among so many others. The birdlife of Amboseli National Park recorded reach up to 600 species of birds. Travellers visiting Amboseli Park should expect a range of attractions that include most of the Big five, large herds of elephants, Mountain Kilimanjaro views, the Masai culture on top of the prolific birdlife and wildlife diversity.

With so much to see in Amboseli, there are various tourist activities that can be done so as to experience the park fully. Below are the activities in Amboseli Park that tourists can do to experience all that the park has to offer;

Game drives

Game drives in Amboseli are a very rewarding activity that travellers get to do while in the park. Travellers on game drives in Amboseli Park enjoy game viewing in the lush landscape of the park which has a lot of wildlife species to see including large herds of elephants, hyenas, giraffes, buffaloes and so much more. Game drives can be done in the morning or in the evening. Morning game drives are much recommended for travellers can see the mighty Mountain Kilimanjaro then. Game drives are a refreshing kind of activity especially in the early morning or evening when the sun is rising or setting giving out exceptional colour changes. 

Walking safaris

Walking safaris are a great way to appreciate the breath-taking landscape and beauty of Amboseli. Walking safaris have travellers encountering wildlife up-close as they graze or drink say herds of elephants. 

Bird watching

With about 600 species of birds in Amboseli, bird watching is a very rewarding activity that has keen birders sighting a variety of bird species, even 100 or more if keen enough. Having a bird guide knowledgeable about Amboseli Park as well as good binoculars could come in handy.

Cultural encounters

Cultural encounters in the Maa community has travellers learning and experiencing the lifestyle of the locals. Their traditional dance is one that ought not to be missed, and is probably one of the most popular traditional dances among tourists visiting Africa

How to access Amboseli National Park

The Park can be accessed by both road and air. By road, travellers to Amboseli Park take the main road from Nairobi via Namanga on the Nairobi-Arusha road to Meshanani Gate, covering a total distance of about 240km. The other route could one could use from Nairobi is via Emali on the Nairobi-Mombasa road. Travellers from Mombasa access the Amboseli National Park through Tsavo West National Park via Kimana Gate. By air, travellers can access Amboseli Park by chartering planes to airstrips in and around the park. Amboseli Airstrip is the most commonly used by travellers for its convenience. 

The best time to visit Amboseli National Park

The Park can be visited throughout the year. The best time for game viewing in Amboseli National Park, however, is during the dry season which also doubles as the high/peak season when tourists flock various tourist destinations. During the dry season, the grass is shorter which makes game viewing much easier. The low season which is the wet season has rains falling most days, though of course some do not receive rainfall at all. It is during this season that Amboseli is actually at its best, and is the best time to do birding.

Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park

Where to stay

The Park has a range of accommodation that suit all budgets and different tastes of travellers. Some of the accommodation facilities travellers can choose from include Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, Kibo Safari Camp, Tortilis Camp, and Ol Tukai Lodge among so many others.

The Park with the amazing backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro is a breath-taking park that thousands of travellers visiting Kenya do not miss to visit and get to enjoy its great landscape, scenic beauty and amazing wildlife including prolific bird species. Take time to plan a Kenya safari and get to enjoy beauty and amazing attractions of Amboseli National Park.

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