Guide To Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park safaris is one of the top tourist Kenya Destinations because of its outstanding variety of wildlife, beautiful land scape and cultural activities making it to rank one of the finest untouched safari for anyone who is interested in a real adventure. Above all is among the country’s most famous game park located close to Tanzania border at the foothills of Africa’s highest mountain popularly known as Mount Kilimanjaro. The park is a premium safari destination because of being the best place in the world to get close to free range of African Elephants and it’s great location that rewards with scenic beauty of landscape dominated by a wide range of attractions.

Amboseli national park is truly attractive safari destination to go to leave alone of hosting the largest population of elephants but  also offers rewardable spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest free-standing gorgeous mountain in the world. However, Amboseli offers lots of tourist’s attractions to travelers who love to discover more about African natural beauty and when it comes to wildlife species just reach Amboseli a game worth a visit.

The park is located is the southern part of Kenya in Kajiado country, it covers an area of about 392square kilometers of its low land at the core of the ecosystem that spreads across the Tanzania borders. It is also surrounded by the local people known as the ‘’maasai’’ and the other side of the country agriculture is being carried out along the swampy area which acts as a tourist attraction to tourist-driven economy.

More About Amboseli National Park

Amboseli has got two protective swamps which includes a dried up Pleistocene lake and green semiarid vegetation which are habitat to diversity of wild animals thus making it one of the best places in Africa to experience wildlife viewing and with more than 420 bird species can be spotted here such as water species like crakes, hamerkop, kingfishers and 47 of them are raptors among other species to be encountered.

Despite the fact that, Amboseli park Kenya is the second top tourist national park in Kenya after Maasai Mara National Reserve and this is because of high concentration of wildlife species in the park. The word Amboseli comes from Maasai language meaning ‘’Salty dust’ ’Come discover the one of the Africa’s most beautiful untouched safari destination in the heart of Africa.

According to its history before even being established as a game reserve, there was a first European to penetrate the maasai region in a year of 1883 famously known as Jeremy Thompson who got attracted by the thrilled array of wildlife in the contrast between the semiarid areas and swampy areas which persists till today. Time came in 1906 the area was set aside as the southern Reserve for the maasai and later in 1948 it was returned to local control as a game reserve. Finally, in 1974 the park was established as a national park to protect the biodiversity of species and this unique ecosystem. After all that has happened it was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1991 and is being managed by ‘’KWS’’ Kenya wildlife service body.

Perhaps, Amboseli is one of best place in the world where you can carry out elephant research plus other documentaries. And since it sits in the shadow of the majestically looming Mount Kilimanjaro with scenic view of its beauty, it has totally made it a famous safari destination in the world.

Wildlife Safari in Amboseli National park

Amboseli park Kenya harbors with big five and other species which include; Buffalos, Lions, Leopards, Giraffes, African Elephants, blue wildebeests, Topis, Hyenas, Topis, Gazelles, Kudu, oribis, African wild dogs, impala, Giant’s zebras mentioned but a few. The park is famous of boosting with great number of mammals that are easily seen roaming freely in the park’s vegetation.

Location of Amboseli National Park

First all, Amboseli national park has got several gates that allows travelers to access inside the park and these include; the Iremito gate, Airstrip gate, Kulinyiet gate, Meshanani gate and Kitirua gate.

The National park is approximately 240 kilometers way from southeast of Nairobi. Taking 3 to 4 hours’ drive from Nairobi the main city of Kenya. The park can be accessed through two different routes starting from Nairobi, you can reach the park through Nairobi –Mombasa road, still you can access it in the south coastal area of Mombasa Road passing via Tsavo West and Tsavo East National park covering a distance of 460 kilometers to access the park through Kimana Gate which takes 8 hours.

Accessibility to Amboseli National park

By Road

All roads to Amboseli have a loose surface of volcanic soil which is dusty in the dry season of the year and during wet seasons roads can be impassable.

Getting to Meshanani gate from Nairobi will take you about 3hours by road. Traveler can use Mombasa road passing via a small town of Emali by car and it covers a driving distance of 228 kilometers.

Note, road transport is absolutely rewarding with great scenic view of Kenya’s country side with most spectacular sceneries in the world.

By Air

Amboseli has one Airstrip at Empuseli gate known as Amboseli Airport. Other Airstrips are found at Kilimanjaro Buffalo Lodge and Namanga town.

In this case of transport means we advise our guests to always get in touch with recognized tour operator who are knowledgeable in organizing the pick-up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or Wilson Airport and drives you to the park’s lodge or book for you a charter or scheduled flight to Amboseli Airport. If you don’t hesitate you can contact Focus East Africa Tours a trustworthy safari company to arrange for you all the reservation booking /tour packages to Amboseli National Park.

Amboseli national park has got stunning tourist attractions and activities that can be explored by the travelers on their visit to the park as follow.

Attractions in Amboseli National Park

The large herds of elephants which have popularly sold Kenya tourism hub worldwide. Amboseli has become the world’s site for an elephant research projects.

Mount Kilimanjaro-Come visit the highest mountain in Africa with its rewardable scenic view of its beauty.

Big Five-This is truly a jungle of African wilderness where you can meet all the big cats such as Lions, leopards, African cape buffaloes, African elephants and Black Rhinos.

Observation Hill-This is a pyramid shaped hill a great place for spotting wildlife species most especially on walking safari where you can stand at the summit and have a gainful observation of the park’s species such as herds of elephants, buffalos, hippos as well as swamps.

Bird Life-Amboseli national park is truly a birding safari destination gifted with over 420 bird species. This is one of the most done activities in the Amboseli and best done in rainy season when the migratory bird species are present in the park on their breeding. Birds to be spotted include; Egrets, pelicans, Herons, steel-blue whydah secretary birds, love birds, Starlings, Ostriches, White-bellied go way bird, Hartlaub’s bustard, Von der decken’s hornbill, Flamingo, peacocks, Grey crown cranes, African fish Eagle, Marabou stork falcon and many more.

The contemporary Maasai culture and their unique indigenous lifestyle.

Lake Amboseli-This lake also attracts many wildlife species which can be seen on your game drive viewing and its where the name Amboseli was derived from. Travelers can enjoy a boat cruise along this lake as they enjoy great sight-seeing of different swamp bird species around the lake shower.

Mammals-Amboseli national park has got unmatched biodiversity species more especially the African Elephants, leopards, lions, Oribis, Buffaloes, Giraffes, African wild dog, Foxes, Hippos, Zebras, Dik dik, Kudu, Hyenas, Wildebeests many more.

Activities in Amboseli National Park

Game viewing

Game viewing is the best-done activity in Amboseli national park which can be conducted in open plains, acacia woodlands, rocky thorn bush in 4×4 wheel driving vehicle or private car. Game drive in Amboseli is so rewarding to experience as you can be able to adventure large herds of elephants grazing on open plains with other wildlife species that roam on park’s promises such as Thomson’s, Grants, gazelles, Hippopotamus, jackals, lions, fringed eared, aardwolf, zebras, waterbucks, serval cats among others. The best game viewing time is early morning hours and evening hours when animals are still active. Visit Amboseli national park on game drive viewing and have a perfect viewing of the largest herds of Elephants on planet as they walk across the Amboseli open plains besides a solitary trees.

Birding 

Amboseli national park also sounds as one of the best Kenya’s birding safari destination and a rewardable place to view unique variety of bird species, you’re advised to carry pair of binoculars on your birding safari to Amboseli. Birds to be spotted include; pangani long claw ,African swamp hen ,Hartlaub’s bustard ,Rufous chatterer ,Spike-heeled heron,Tavete golden weaver ,vonder Dicken’s horn bills ,Common redshank mentioned but few .Best time to do bird watching in Amboseli national park is rainy season when the migratory birds are in the park which starts  arriving from the month of  May to June and October to December .Remember to carry a pair of binocular in order to have a clear view of bird species on far distance.

Nature Photography

Amboseli lies in the shadow of majestically mountain Kilimanjaro which is a snow capped mountain offering a perfect nature photography to visitors as you listen to the roar of lions and lightning speed of cheetahs in the bush hunting. Absolutely a place worth a visit.

Hot Air Balloon Safari

On your safari to Amboseli it is very possible to tour the entire park in hot air balloon as you can be able to fly over the beautiful skies of Amboseli as you enjoy the spectacular aerial viewing of large herds of elephants, buffaloes, beautiful plains as well as birds of the air like eagles.

Culture encounter/Visit Maasai people

On your safari to Amboseli national park have a great chance of meeting Maasai people and visit their home villages which is quite amazing. As you get to learn about their interesting life style such as their traditional dances, you will be able to see Maasai people carrying spears as you get amazed to their bright ‘’shukas’’ traditional wear, you can as well engage in re-afforestation by planting seeds with them. Visit a true African traditional culture which has not been affected by modernized life on African continent.

Guided nature walk can be conducted in the foothills of Kilimanjaro.

Accommodations in Amboseli National Park

Amboseli accommodations range from high end to budget with comfortable facilities, amenities offering full service bathroom, Wi-Fi, pools, on site restaurant and very many other amenities. Each accommodation facilities provides with a rewardable spectacular view of the ice capped Mount Kilimanjaro, beautiful scenery of park’s land scape, close sighting of wildlife species and many more.

Note that, some of these luxury hotels in Amboseli have nice amenities you might find in a hotel in the City but with great views.