Amboseli National Park, the home of the giants (elephants) has curved its name in the tourist industry as one of the best parks with a rewarding natural viewing of different wildlife species and breathtaking sceneries.
It’s a top tourist destination in Kajiado County and borders Tanzania. It derives its name from the seasonal Lake Amboseli and covers an area of 392 square kilometres and 1100 meters above sea level.
It was crowned a national park in 1974 and became a UNESCO Biosphere reserve in 1991.
Its magnificent large herd of elephants, other animals, birds and the scenic backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro offers a stunning picturesque suitable for both sightseeing and photography.
And that’s why we are here today! To give you 6 amazing reasons why Amboseli National Park should be your next Kenya wildlife safari destination.
Why You Should Visit Amboseli National Park?
Amboseli National Park is a virtually ideal spot for amazing experiences for its visitors.
Let’s look at some of the reasons as to why you should visit Amboseli National Park.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Amboseli National Park gives you a clear, picturesque view of Mt.Kilimanjaro and its snow-capped peaks which dominate the savannah landscape of Amboseli National Park.
The magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano made up of 3 volcanic cones: Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo.
It is the highest mountain in Africa, standing at an altitude of 5,895 meters above sea level.
Mt.Kilimanjaro is mostly hidden in thick clouds and the best time to view it is during dawn and sunset when there’s clear light and the clouds lift.
The amazing backdrop of Mt.Kilimanjaro creates stunning scenery best both for sightseeing and photography.
Wildlife Tour
Wildlife is among the leading tourist attraction sites in Kenya, and Amboseli National Park offers the most scenic view of different animals.
The park is worldly known for its large herds of elephants with big tusks casually roaming in the park.
The park has over 1000 elephants, both male and female, which are named, numbered and coded for ease of recognition.
The park is also home to rare tree-climbing lions which are easily spotted resting on the trees. And there’s an estimate of 100 lions which can be seen easily.
Similarly, it has over 50 species of animals including lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, antelopes, wildebeests, buffaloes, Maasai giraffes, zebra, and gazelles, among others.
The animals inhabit the savannah woodlands, the acacia and swamps and can be seen while on the Kenya game viewing safari in the park.
A birds’ Haven
If you love watching birds, then Amboseli National Park is the place to visit. The park is home to over 400 bird species.
While on a Kenya birding safari, you’ll spot herons, ostrich, pelicans, hornbills, yellow-necked spurfowls, African swamphens, long-toed lapwings Sudan mabuyu, painted dwarf gecko, steel blue whydah, flamingo, and many more.
Visiting from November to April gives you a chance to see the migratory birds as they join the resident birds.
There are great birding spots such as the Sinet Delta, acacia woodlands, savannah grasslands, and the shores of many lakes such as Conch Lake, Kioko Lake and Amboseli Lake.
Amboseli National Park Neighbors other National Park
You can easily combine Amboseli National Park into your Kenya Safari to other destinations.
The park is on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, in Kajiado County and a neighbor to other great wildlife safari designations such as Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Park and the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
It is similarly easy to visit other destinations in neighboring Tanzania, such as the Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro crater.
This makes it easy to add it to your wildlife safari to other destinations.
Game drive
Amboseli National Park offers one of the best game drives in Kenya. The many animals, the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the short savannah grassland make viewing animals easy through game drives.
The park has well-maintained trails which enable ease of access. One of the most known trails in the park is the great elephant trail from which you can view great herds of elephants.
Ease of Access
Amboseli National Park is easily accessible both by road and air.
The park is located 216 kilometres from Nairobi and is easily accessible both by public and private transport.
Besides, there are domestic flights offered by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Amboseli National Park.
Amboseli is beautiful, and there’s much to see.