AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK

About the park

Amboseli National Park is located in Loitoktok District in Kajiado County, Kenya. Amboseli National Park stretches over 392 square kilometers to the south on the border with Tanzania. Amboseli National Park is famously known for harboring large herds of free-range elephants. This makes it a must-do for many tourists on a Kenya safari. The park is also known for being one of the best places to do a birding adventure due to the park’s variety of over 400 bird species. Amboseli National Park is also the best place in Kenya to view Tanzania’s Mountain Kilimanjaro due to the park’s strategic location on the border.

Brief history of Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park was first gazette as a game reserve in 1948 and handed to the local people to manage it. This was after it had been set aside as a Southern reserve for Masai by the colonial government in 1906. Amboseli National Park was later in 1974 was gazette as a national park to protect its variety of wildlife, and unique and diverse ecosystems. Amboseli National Park was later declared a UNESCO site in the year 1991. The management of Amboseli National Park changed from the Kenya Wildlife Service to the Olkejuado County Council of the Masai tribe. This was a directive by the then-president of Kenya Mwai Kibaki in September 2005.

What are the major tourist attractions in Amboseli National Park?

Observation Hill

This is a huge pyramid-shaped hill that overlooks the entire Amboseli National Park. The observation hill gives spectacular views of the unique ecosystems of splendid plains and swamps to tourists. It also offers an opportunity for tourists to spot the large herds of elephants and cape buffaloes as well as other wild animals from a safe distance. While on the observation hill, you can also view Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro mountain which is the tallest mountain in Africa. Embarking on a tour in the Amboseli National Park while you are on a Kenyan safari will surely leave you amazed.

Wildlife

Amboseli National Park has a variety of wild animals that are spread across the entire park. The park is known for having over 1000 African elephants that live in herds. The wild animals in the park include the African elephant, cape buffaloes, lions, leopard, giraffes, wildebeest, gazelles, zebras, serval car, oribis, cheetahs, jackals, warthogs, hippos, African wild dogs, antelopes, hyenas, foxes, and many others.

Bird species

Amboseli National Park is home to over 400 bird species that live across the different ecosystems from the plains to the swamps. The park also has approximately 47 raptor birds including the endangered Malagasy pond heron. The bird species in Amboseli National Park include Grey crowned crane, Superb starling, Black-headed heron, Yellow-billed stork, White-bellied bustard, little bee-eater, White-browed coucal, Yellow-necked spurfowl, Saddle-billed stork, Rufous chatterer, Kittlitz’s plover, Hamerkop, African spoonbill, Crowned lapwing, Goliath heron, African jacana to mention but a few. This makes Amboseli National Park an Important Bird Area and one of the best birding destinations in Africa.

Sinet delta

This is an area lying in the northern part of Amboseli National Park few meters from the observation hill. Sinet Delta is an important area for birds because it is home to the most number of birds in the park. This is because it has a lot of Acacia trees which are used by the birds to build their nests. The Acacia trees in the area also attract giraffes thus visiting the Sinet Delta allows you to view these gentle giants. The delta also gives you spectacular scenes of Mountain Kilimanjaro.

Elephant Research Camp

The Elephant Research Camp is one of the most visited places in Amboseli National Park. It is a famous elephant research center in the world that gained recognition from the great Doctor Cynthia Moss. He was involved in elephant research projects and later wrote a book about the Amboseli Elephants. Echo a famous elephant in Amboseli National Park was the most researched elephant in the world and was written in many books as well as many documentaries. Echo died in 2009 at the age of 60. The Elephant Research Camp has become a must-visit for many tourists on a Kenyan safari.

Lake Amboseli

Lake Amboseli is also a very important attraction in Amboseli National Park. Lake Amboseli is the main water source in the park for the wildlife to drink and also cool their bodies from the scorching sun of the day. The Lake has been in existence for many years even before the Amboseli National Park was gazette and it was named after the Lake Amboseli. However, the lake has now become a seasonal lake that is drying up in the dry season and filling up to flooding in the wet season due to the arid conditions it is.

There are also other tourist attractions in Amboseli National Park and these include the following;

Cultural tours

Cultural tours are also important attractions as they bring the tourists an interaction with the local people in the communities that live close to Amboseli National Park. The Masai community that lives close to the park is one of the most visited tribes in the world. This is because the Masai people have rejected harshly the concept of civilization and have not been influenced by it. The Masai people around Amboseli National Park are still living in their traditional ways always of life from eating to dressing.

Amboseli Vegetation

Amboseli vegetation has poor vegetation cover and it is visited and researched about its dryness. This is because Amboseli National Park lies on the leeward side of Mountain Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain. The large herds of over 1000 elephants have largely contributed to the dryness of Amboseli National Park because they destroy the trees on a very large scale.

What are the major activities in Amboseli National Park?

Game drives

Game driving is a highly popular and major activity in Amboseli National Park. Game drives involve tourist viewing wildlife in the comfort of their vehicle. Game drives take the day and are usually done in two sessions. The first session begins in the morning around 6:30 AM to 11:30 AM and the second session starts at 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM. During day game drives, the animals can easily be seen on the water bodies like Lake Amboseli quenching their thirst and cooling their bodies in the water from the scorching heat of the day. On the night game drives, tourists can easily view the animals, especially the hunters as they hunt for prey in the cover of darkness. The animals to spot on a game drive can include; lions, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, hyenas, and giraffes to mention but a few.

Guided nature walks

Guided nature walks involve tourists visiting Amboseli National Park on foot with a professional armed ranger. These walks offer an opportunity for tourists to explore the hidden treasures of the park. It is also a one-time opportunity for tourists to view different wild animals up close. Guided nature walks usually take at the observation hill inside Amboseli National Park.

Bird watching

Birding in Amboseli National Park is a highly engaging offered to tourists interested in a birding adventure for either research or hobby. Amboseli National Park was named an Important Bird Area by UNESCO because it has over 400 bird species with 47 raptors as well as the endangered Malagasy pond heron.

Cultural Encounters

This is an opportunity for tourists to engage with the locals who stay close to the park. Amboseli National Park is surrounded by the Masai tribe and interacting with these people and learning their traditional and ancient way of life will leave you amazed.

Other activities done in the Amboseli National Park include the following;

Hot air balloon safari

This safari involves flying in a hot air balloon across the Amboseli National Park. This will give you amazing aerial views of the game out in the plains like the elephant herds, buffaloes, birds flying past you and much more.

How to get to Amboseli National Park?

Amboseli National Park is approximately 215 kilometers southeast of Nairobi and driving to the park takes about 4 hours. It can be accessed either by road or by air transport depending on what you prefer.

By road

This is the most popular means of transport to the park. Traveling to Amboseli National Park by road takes approximately 4 hours in a 4×4 vehicle from Nairobi. This is the most adventurous means of transport because it allows you to view and interact with the local people while on your way.

By Air

Traveling by air is the fastest way to get to the park. The park has a single airstrip for light aircraft at Empusel Gate. You can arrange with a domestic flight company to schedule a flight to the park. Traveling to the park has been made easy due to the improved road and air networks in the country.

Where to stay in Amboseli National Park?

Accommodation at Amboseli National Park ranges from budget to midrange to luxury depending on what you prefer. There are various accommodation facilities both inside the park and outside in the towns. Some of the accommodation facilities include Elewana Tortilis Camp, Tawi Lodge, Elerai Camp, Porini Amboseli Camp, and Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge to mention but a few.

 

What is the best time to visit Amboseli National Park?

Amboseli National Park is ever open to tourists all year round. Most tourists prefer visiting the park during the dry months of June to October and January to February. During the wet season, the prices of accommodation facilities drop because of the decrease in the number of visitors in the wet season. Both the wet and dry seasons offer the best time to visit the park depending on what you prefer.

Conclusion

Amboseli National Park is among the most popular tourist destinations in Africa. This is because of attractions like the observation hill, wildlife, bird species, sinet delta, cultural tours, and more as well as the different activities like game drives, birding, nature walks, and cultural encounters to mention but a few. There are several places to stay in and around the park and the park is easily accessible by air or by road depending on your preference. Add Amboseli National Park to your African safari and visit any time of the year to have unforgettable memories.