Amboseli National Park – Self Drive Safari Kenya

Amboseli National Park is located in Kajiado South Constituency in Kajiado County, Kenya that was formerly known as Maasai Amboseli National Reserve and it was later renamed to Amboseli National Park that is 39,206 ha (392.06 km²) in size at the core of an 8,000 km² (3,100 sq mi) ecosystem sharing the border with Tanzania.

Amboseli National Park, known as the Elephant kingdom in Kenya beneath Kilimanjaro is located at the foot of Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, is an iconic jewel in Kenya’s safari crown. Renowned globally for its enormous herds of free-ranging elephants and breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountain, Amboseli offers an unparalleled wildlife experience that captivates every visitor.

The local people are mainly Maasai, but people from other parts of the country have settled there attracted by the successful tourist-driven economy and intensive agriculture along with the system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area, average 350 mm (14 in), one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds like pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hamerkop and 47 raptor species. The park protects two of the five main swamps and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake and semiarid vegetation.

Why visit Amboseli national park?

The park is famous for being the best place in the world to get close to free-ranging elephants. Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet Maasai and visit a Maasai village. The park also has views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

Amboseli National Park offers some of the best opportunities to see African wildlife because the vegetation is sparse due to the long, dry months. The protected area is home to African bush elephant, Cape buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, Masai giraffe, Grant’s zebra, and blue wildebeest. A host of large and small birds occur too.

The defining feature of Amboseli is undoubtedly the majestic presence of Mount Kilimanjaro. Though located across the border in Tanzania, its snow-capped summit provides a dramatic and awe-inspiring backdrop to the park’s open plains. This iconic view, particularly at sunrise or sunset, creates some of Africa’s most stunning photographic opportunities, with elephants often silhouetted against the mountain. Amboseli is often called the “Home of the African Elephant” for good reason.

The park boasts one of the largest and most well-studied elephant populations in the world. Visitors are treated to incredible close-up encounters with these magnificent giants, often in herds of fifty or more, as they graze in the swamps or traverse the dusty plains. The elephants of Amboseli are known for their impressive tusks, a testament to the decades of protection from poaching efforts.

Things to Do in Amboseli National park

Amboseli National Park in of southern Kenya is brimming with, endless activities for visitors to take part. Here, we have put together some of the top attractions and things to do in Amboseli National Park, that you must do when you visit. The park encompasses five main habitats: the dried-up bed of Lake Amboseli, vast savannah grasslands, acacia woodlands, rocky thorn bush, and critical swamps and marshlands.

The Big Five mostly While black rhinos are no longer found here, Amboseli offers excellent chances to spot lions, leopards though elusive, African buffalo, and, of course, a staggering number of elephants. Plains Game and large herds of zebras, wildebeest, Maasai giraffes, elands, impalas, and various gazelles are common sightings.

Predators and Cheetahs are relatively common in the open plains, and spotted hyenas are frequently observed. Amboseli is a birdwatcher’s paradise, boasting over 400 recorded bird species. The permanent swamps attract a plethora of water birds, including pelicans, kingfishers, herons, and various crakes. Raptors like the African fish eagle and martial eagle can also be spotted.

Game drives

Having experienced the natural attractions of Amboseli National Park firsthand, I can attest to has a striking a beauty and abundant wildlife including the African Big 5.  One cannot help but be captivated by the immense population of African wild elephants that roam the open savannah plains, acacia woodlands, rocky thorn bushes, and swamps.

Going on a game drive in Amboseli National Park is an incredible adventure that can be enjoyed throughout the day. However, the golden hours, from 6:30 am before sunrise to 11:30 am, offer a particularly magical time for wildlife viewing.  As the sun begins to rise, the park resident animals start to be very active and this is the best hours for photographing the wildlife.

In the afternoon, from 4 pm to 6:30 pm, the park takes on a different feeling. The soft golden light covers the landscape, creating a picturesque setting for observing the wildlife. The hot temperatures of the evening also attract animals to water sources, offering a chance to witness unique interactions and behaviours.

Cultural experience

The ancestral tribe for the land is the Maasai people and the largest number of land and people in this particular region Is dominated by the Maasai. However, there are other local people residing around Amboseli national park and the neighboring countries like Tanzania since the park is seated on the border between Kenya and Tanzania. It’s a great opportunity to get to know the local people around, get to know their culture, food, history and many more other things. For example, Tortilis arranges cultural visits to a Maasai homestead.

Filming and photography

Amboseli is famously known for its large-herds of Elephants. This has attracted activities like filming and photography by researchers and documentaries from around the globe. It’s also referred to as the home to the “Big Five” referring to the most dangerous animals difficult to hunt on foot in the continent of Africa.

BEST TIMES TO VISIT

The dry season from June to October is generally considered the best time to see wildlife in Amboseli; with little rain falling wildlife retreats to the park’s swamps where underground water from Kilimanjaro wells up permanently year-round. However, this is also peak season – and as Kenya’s most popular national park (after the Maasai Mara) you’ll need to book early to secure accommodation during these months. Don’t expect to have the wildlife to yourself at this time of year – vehicles will congregate around the swamps and on the park’s limited network of trails. For a quieter safari consider January to February, after the short rains (which peak in November), have dispersed. Or, stay in one of Amboseli’s conservancies to avoid peak crowds – only 18 guests are welcomed at the Selenkay camp at one time, for example, and you’ll only venture into the conservancy if you’re a guest there. So even at full capacity, you’ll be gloriously secluded. The April and May long rains, which bring torrential downpours and washed-out roads, are best avoided.

How to Get to Amboseli National Park

Amboseli national park from Nairobi is just a throw of stone distance. You can easily access the park by road or air. By Road, it only takes 3 to 4 hours’ drive from Nairobi city to the park. The distance is 140 kilometres from Nairobi to Amboseli national park via Namanga on the main highway of Nairobi to Arusha. When using this route one access the park through its most popular gate that is Meshanani gate. One can also access the park through the Nairobi-Mombasa road passing via Email.

This is the shortest route to access the park taking a short distance of 228 kilometres. If one is on the further side of the coastal area in Mombasa you can also access the park through Tsavo West national park via Kimana (Olkeluyiet) gate. For the guests who may not be very comfortable on long drives and spending more hours in the car. They can opt for the flights which are available daily from Nairobi Wilson airport to the only single Airstrip at the park which is near the Empusel gate. Other airstrips which are not in the park but near the park are those in Namanga town and in Kilimanjaro Buffalo lodge.

Amboseli National Park has a number and it’s surrounded by many hotels which include; Amboseli Serena safari lodge, Satao Elerai, Tortilis Camp, Ol tukai, Kibo safari camp, Sentrim Amboseli lodge, Kilima Safari Camp

Self drive in Amboseli

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Visiting the Top sights in Amboseli.

These are considered as Amboseli’s major attraction spots including many other attractions. These are liked and visited by a large tourist as they provide a clear view of the rest of the other attractions in the land and as well the surrounding landscape. These top sights include, Enameshera mountain peak, Kitirua camping site, and the Noomotio observation point.

Sightseeing Activities.

These are normally conducted around the observation hill (Noomotio hill) since it’s the only spot in the park where you get to see all the natural landscape surrounding the park, wild species moving to and fro the park at their feeding grounds, including other tourist attractions surrounding the park-like Mount Kilimanjaro among, lake Amboseli among many.

Birding and wildlife viewing.

Amboseli is a home to a variety of birds and animal species found in the wild which are beautiful to look at. It has got a number of wild animals from the widely known Elephants, Lions, Buffalos, Leopards, Zebras, Cheetahs, wildebeests, Giraffes including a variety of birdlife like the Falcons and Kingfisher, African fish Eagle, Grey-crowned crane, African jacana, the vulnerable Lesser Kestrel, the Kori bustard, Flamingos, Marabou stork among many more other bird species.