Amboseli National Park; Activities, Lodges, Location, Images

Crowned by Kilimanjaro Volcano, Africa’s highest peak, Amboseli National Park is amazingly one of Kenya’s top wildlife destinations. The park takes its name from the Maasai word ‘Amboseli’ which is translated as “Salty dust”, and is interestingly a great destination that guarantees remarkable sights of huge herds of African elephant.

At Amboseli, there are 5 unique habitats that enrich visitors with wildlife encounters and include the dried-up bed of Lake Amboseli, the savanna, wetlands with sulphur springs, and woodlands. Besides, adjacent to Amboseli National Park, there are the local Maasai villages worth visiting for you to interact and explore more about the local cultures and traditions.

Location, size and formation

The park size of Amboseli is 390.26sq.km, lying within Loitoktok district on the rift valley province of Kenya. Amboseli National Park rests on the Northwestern side of Kilimanjaro Volcano nearby Tanzania border. It occupies a compact landscape area but spectacularly boasting of diverse floral and faunal species. The park’s eco-system extends across the Kenya-Tanzania borders.

Amboseli N/PARK was declared as Southern Reserve in 1906 and at the time, it was managed by local residents. It was later designated as Game Reserve in 1948 and in 1974, it officially founded as a National Park under Kenyan laws. In 1991, the park was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and currently, it is fully managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

Getting to Amboseli from Kigali involves driving for 240km to Kajiado County of Kenya. You drive on Nairobi-Arusha route till Meshanani gate.

The Weather

Amboseli experiences temperature rise of up to 28 degrees celsius and annual rainfall amount of between 200mm and 700mm.

Tourist Attractions in Amboseli Park

The top most sought for tourist attraction inside Amboseli include wildlife, birds, Lake Amboseli, Sinet delta and Observation Hill.

Wildlife species

Varied wildlife species exist in the different habitats of Amboseli NP making it a favorite wildlife safari destination in Kenya. They include wild dogs, huge herds of African elephants, leopards, dik-dik, gazelles, hyenas, buffaloes, zebras, baboons, lions, crocodiles, hyrax, mongoose to mention but a few.

Birdlife

Amboseli National Park is blessed with a total of up to 500 bird species that make it a remarkable birding destination. The park’s diverse avifaunal species of birder’s interest include the pangani low claws, Dickinson’s kestrel, sacred ibis, rufous chatterer, water fowls, von der decken’s hornbills, secretary bird, yellow-necked spur fowl, flamingos, African jacanas, steel-blue whydahs, Egyptian goose, African swamp hen, lapwings, marsh warblers, slender tailed nightjars, pygmy falcons, pied cuckoos, lappet-faced vultures, slender tailed nightjars, brown breasted barbet, common redshank,

African gray flycatchers, yellow-breasted apalis, yellow-spotted bush sparrows, Verreaux’s eagle owls, Nubian woodpeckers, buffalo weaver bird, and more. The ideal months of the year to visit Amboseli for birding is from November, January, December, March, April, and May.

Observation Hill

This comes in a pyramid shape and lies in the Central Amboseli National Park. At the observation hill, visitors can enjoy the ultimate aerial views of Amboseli and also, you can embark on a guided nature walk.

Sinet Delta

The Sinet delta is a must-visit spot in Amboseli, especially for enthusiastic birders. This location comes with thickets that offer home to different species of birds and also some wildlife like giraffes.

Lake Amboseli

At Amboseli NP, Lake Amboseli is a must-visit location for boat rides and for you to encounter some aquatic species. This is a salty lake and attracts myriad of wildlife that come to lick the salt including buffaloes, elephants and more.

Top Tour Activities to do inside and around Amboseli National Park

Game drives

The most popular safari experience any nature lover shouldn’t miss on Kenya safari in Amboseli is a game drive. This wildlife expedition offers a lifetime opportunity for you to search for your favorite wildlife such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, leopards, lions, buffaloes, hyenas, antelopes and others.

Bird watching

Birding tours in Amboseli involve looking out for diversity of the park’s birds. The bird check-list in Amboseli National Park include the white bellied tit, long-tailed cormorant, greater honey guide, red-necked francolins, grey crowned cranes, Madagascar pond, Jameson’s fire finch, Abyssinian thrush, Northern brown bull, falcon Neumann, golden breasted bunting, black-tailed coursers, Swahili sparrow passers, tambourine dove, black backed puff back, rufous crowned rollers, curlew sandpipers, black-tailed Godwit, parrot-billed sparrows, Eastern paradise, fischer’s sparrow lark, crimson rumped waxbills, and others.

Bush walking excursions

Bush walking excursions are every nature lovers’ favorite experience, a perfect opportunity to immerse yourself into the hidden gem of the park. The ideal locations to enjoy walking experiences include the Observation hill.

Balloon tours

Enjoy aerial views of Amboseli and its myriad wildlife. This is an exceptional wildlife encounter completely different from the traditional 4×4 guided game viewing excursions.

Cultural experiences

The best way to end your day after a guided game drive in the afternoon is by embarking on a cultural tour to the nearby local community. This is a great opportunity for you to interact with locals and learn more about the unique traditions, cultures and a lot more about the Masai people.

Best time to travel to Amboseli National Park for a holiday

Amboseli NP safaris are offered at any time of the year. The most favorite time to visit the park for a holiday is during the dry season which runs from June, July, and August to September –these are the best months to encounter huge profusions of wildlife.

Where to stay?

All categories of accommodation options are available in and around Amboseli National Park. They consist of budget, midrange and luxury including Tortilis Tented Lodge, Ol Tukai Lodge, Amboseli Campsite, Amboseli Lodge.

How to get to the park?

By road;

Set off from Nairobi capital through Namanga –Arusha route and access the park via Meshanani gate and this is 240km drive. Alternatively, start your journey from Nairobi through Emali-Nairobi-Mombasa route, 228km drive. From Mombasa, drive through Tsavo West N/Park route to Kimana gate.

By air, depart from Jomo Airport in Nairobi and land at Amboseli airstrip at Empusel gate of Amboseli National Park.