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If you want to witness large herds of Elephants then Amboseli National Park is the place to be. It is situated at the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. From the Park you are able to catch a glimpse of an impressive Mount Kilimanjaro being above the clouds. This Park is one of Kenya’s treasured sanctuaries.

Amboseli National Park is about 240km from Nairobi and close to the Tanzanian border. It is in the Loitoktok district in Rift Valley Province. It covers only 392sq km and is the third most visited national park in Kenya and one of the oldest national park in Kenya. With the snow capped Mt.Kilimanjaro offering the perfect backdrop for a safari, it supports over 50 mammal species and has a rich birdlife.

Famous writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark made Amboseli their locale when they were writing their stories about the big game hunting in the wild of Africa. Amboseli is also the locale of the proud nomad Maasai people. All around the park you will see their manyatta’s (homes) which have been abandoned by them when they move along with their herds of cattle in such of greener pastures for their cattle. The Maasai people have a reputation for their prowess in battle and single handed acts of bravery in fights with wild animals. They are one of the communities in Kenya who have learned to live with the wild animals in their environment.

Part of Amboseli National Park is composed of a dried up lake bed which under the simmering heat produces mirages. There are underground rivers from Mt.Kilimanjaro’s melting snows which feed the permanent swamps and springs. During times of drought, these serve as watering places for the wildlife thus providing water and forage. As a result game viewing during the dry periods is good.

Most of the lodges are based in the middle of the National Park and visitors’ only game drive within 10% of the park. The park is surrounded by numerous private concessions whereby these are areas run in conjunction with the local Maasai community to help make the park a substantial wildlife conservation area.

Major Attractions

1. Large Herds of Elephant – It is the best place in Africa to get close to free ranging elephants
2. Spectacular views of Mt.Kilimanjaro – This is the highest mountain in Africa
3. Big Five – Lion,Leopard,Elephant,Rhino and Buffalo can be spotted at the park
4. Observation Hill - This hill allows an overall view of the whole park especially the swamps and the elephants. This is the only place where you are allowed to get out of your vehicle to catch a glimpse of the contrast of vegetation and locate wildlife
5. Swamp below Observation Hill – This swamp hosts many elephants,buffaloes,hippos, and a variety of water fowls like pelican and Egyptian goose
6. Contemporary Maasai Culture & Indigenous lifestyle – You will have the opportunity to meet the Maasai people and learn about their culture, traditions and lifestyle.
7. Bird Watching – There are over 600 species of prolific birdlife recorded in the park
8. Photography – This is a photographer’s paradise. If you want to get photos of the elephants grazing in front of Mt.Kilimanjaro you will have to wake up very early by 7 am to take a picture of this magnificent view.
9. Lake Amboseli – This used to be a large and permanent lake 10,000 years ago but now it is a small and seasonal lake existing only when there is a heavy and prolonged rainfall.
10. Wildlife – Apart from the Big Five there are also other wildlife that can be seen. These are Cheetahs,zebras,hippos,wild dogs,giraffe,plains game,crocodile,mongoose,hyrax,dik-dik,lesser kudu, nocturnal porcupine, spotted hyena, waterbuck,
11. Enkongo Narok/Ol Tukai/OloKenya Swamps – This swamps and springs are soaked all year round

By Road: The main road into the park is from Nairobi via Namanga on the Nairobi-Arusha Road through meshanani gate. The other road is from Nairobi via Emali on the Nairobi-Mombasa Road. Access from Mombasa is mainly through Tsavo West National Park via Kimana gate

By Air: The Park has a single airstrip for light aircrafts at Empusel gate. Other airstrips exist at Kilimanjaro Buffalo Lodge and Namanga town.

Climate

Temperatures range from 20-30 degrees and rainfall from 200mm-700mm.

There are 2 rainy seasons-Long rains March & April and Short rains November and December