What to expect in Amboseli National Park
What to expect in Amboseli National Park : Amboseli national park is one of the most popular Kenya safari destinations and one of the perfect Kenya destinations to visit for first time travels while on a Kenya safari, Amboseli national park famously known for hosting large herds of elephants in the whole of East Africa and the scenic back drop created by Mount Kilimanjaro the tallest free standing mountain on the Africa continent.
Amboseli national park is at a size of 392 square kilometers and this size enables visitors to see all the actions within the park and enjoy Kenya’s true wilderness, for a short period of 2 days one can explore every part of the park.
Amboseli national park is one of the Kenya’s finest destinations one should explore once in a life time.
Amboseli national park formerly known as Maasai Amboseli Game reserve is located Kajiado South Constituency in Kajiado County with Nairobi City as the nearest city, this park can easily be accessed by road from Nairobi and by air from Wilson Airport to Amboseli Airstrip. The name Amboseli is derived from a local Masai word “Empusel” meaning the salty or dry place with the unwrought steam flowing from the melting ice-cap which can be seen on the Kilimanjaro Mountains that feed the Amboseli national park. The waters in the park attract larger herds of the elephants and other animals as well as bird species.
Because of the large herds of elephants, there is an Amboseli Elephant Research Center in the park, there is also The Baboon Research Center where tourists can visit and have a social life with some of the primates in the park. Unfortunately, Amboseli national doesn’t host all the big Five. It only hosts 3 of the big Five that is lions, cape buffaloes and elephants. if you are interested in seeing rhinos you can visit Lewa Conservancy and Masai Mara national reserve for leopards.
As you plan a safari to Amboseli national park, here is what to expect in Amboseli national park during a Kenya safari
Mount Kilimanjaro
While on a Kenya safari in Amboseli national park, expect to enjoy spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro the tallest free standing mountain on the African continent, this mountain and its snow capped summit can easily be seen in Amboseli national park as the park lies on its foothills.
Mount Kilimanjaro rises at about 5895 meters high indicating that the summit almost joins the clouds in the sky and it can easily be seen when the conditions are clearer, more especially during early morning game drives when it is bright.
For professional photographers, Amboseli national park is a perfect destination to visit for a Kenya photographer safari on which you will capture a lot of beautiful and spectacular photos during the adventure.
Wildlife
Amboseli national park is a home to more than 500 mammal species including lions, cheetahs, elephants, cape buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, hyenas, giraffes, foxes among others.
Birdlife
Amboseli national park is a birder’s haven hosting over 400 bird species including
Kingfishers and Falcon, Madagascar pond, Heron, Lesser kestrel African jacana, Goliath heron, Grey crowned crane, Hartlaub’s bustard, Rufous chatterer, Chestnut sparrow, Rufous-napped lark, the African fish Eagle, Pied kingfisher, Falcon, Double-banded courser, white browed coucal, Fischer’s sparrow lark, Mosque swallow, the vulnerable Lesser kestrel, Falcon naumanni, steel-blue whydah, spike-heeled lark among other bird species.
Where to stay while in Amboseli National Park?
In Amboseli national park, there are various safari lodges and hotels offering accommodations and necessarily services, these accommodations range from luxury, midrange and budget lodges and they include
- Satao Elerai Camp
- Amboseli Serena lodge
- Porini Amboseli camp
- AA Amboseli Lodge
- Amboseli Eco Camp
Best time to visit Amboseli National Park
Amboseli national park is one of the evergreen parks in Kenya providing magnificent views of Mountain Kilimanjaro most especially during the dry season. The best time to visit Amboseli national park is during the dry season which coincides with the peak season in June – October when abundance of wildlife can be viewed.
Game viewing is at its best in the dry season because of the short grassland cover and limited chances of rainfall, there are also limited water sources which makes animals easy to see congregating along the water sources.
