AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
National Park of Amboseli The enchanted land of Kenya is located on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, in the northwestern direction of Mount Kilimanjaro, and is characterized by acacia forest, rocky thorny bush, swampy marshes, and a Pleistocene lake. Amboseli National Park is home to an estimated 80 distinct species of wildlife, including African elephants, African buffalo, impalas, lions, zebras, and wildebeest, among other African creatures. The area is most known for its high elephant population.
Amboseli park is also home to a number of birds estimated to be 400 species which include the African swamp hen, Common redshank, Dickinson’s kestrel, Eurasian thick-knee, Greater flamingo, Hartlaub’s bustard, Lesser flamingo, Long-toed lapwing, Pangani longclaw, Rufous chatterer, Rufous-bellied heron, Spike-heeled lark, Steel-blue whydah, Taveta golden weaver, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Yellow-necked spurfowl and many more.
Amboseli National Park features a beautiful landscape formed by the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. The park includes numerous areas where animals and attractions may be seen, including an observation hill where you can see various animals.
Amboseli National Park was formally named a national park in 1974, covering an area of 392 square kilometers, however, the park has a history dating back to before the arrival of the British colonial authorities in Kenya.
Wildlife
Amboseli National Park is a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts. The park is well known for being home to the world’s greatest population of elephants, which is why it is known as the “Home of Elephants,” and it is the best spot in Kenya to observe them in huge numbers. Wildlife in Amboseli national park is concentrated in five specific areas/ habitants that is dried up bed of Lake Amboseli, Sulphur spring wetlands, savannah vegetation cover, open plains and woodlands, wildlife hosted in the park include giraffe, spotted hyena, zebra, buffalo, blue wildebeest, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, lion, cape buffalo and many more.
These diverse wildlife species provide wonderful game drives, and the ideal time to enjoy the game drive and spot animals is during the dry season, which occurs from June to October. The most exciting aspect of visiting the park during the dry season for animal viewing is that as big herds of animals cross the sandy plains, they throw up a lot of dust, making for excellent picture opportunities. The observation hill and sinet delta provide excellent views of the park’s animals.
Birds
Amboseli National Park has an estimated 420 bird species. The park has three types of birds: water birds that flourish in the marshy area of the park, grassland birds that live in savannah plains, and forest birds that live in acacia flora. Bird species in the Amboseli national park include African jacana, goliath heron, African swamp hen, Hartlaub’s bustard, rufous chatterer, common redshank, Dickinson’s kestrel, Eurasian thick-knee, greater flamingo, Hartlaub’s bustard, lesser flamingo, long-toed lapwing, Pangani longclaw, rufous chatterer, rufous-bellied heron, spike-heeled lark, steel-blue whydah, Taveta golden weaver, von der Decken’s hornbill, yellow-necked spurfowl and many more.
Lake Amboseli
Lake Amboseli is a temporary lake located in the northwest section of the delta, occupying the majority of the park. Lake Amboseli is normally dry, especially during the dry season, but during the rainy season, the lake fills up and occasionally overflows. The dryness of Lake Amboseli is ascribed to the Nyiri desert, which spans along Kenya’s southern border with Tanzania. The lake’s basin is home to various animal species, including elephants, especially during the dry season. Lake Amboseli is also a popular camping spot for daring people visiting Amboseli National Park.
Great scenery featuring clear Views of the mountain Kilimanjaro
Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya’s most beautiful national parks, dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. When visiting Amboseli National Park, you may enjoy clear views of the snowcapped Kilimanjaro peaks, which provide excellent photographic opportunities due to the gorgeous setting.
Masai culture
The interesting Masai people dominate the outskirts of Amboseli National Park; seeing the Masai village is an inevitable experience in Amboseli National Park since it offers true African culture. At the Masai village, you may experience Masai cultural customs such as Masai dances, traditional singing, and their distinctive method of addressing that is comparable to the Karamojong of Uganda, as well as local culinary items and Masai antiques. There is also an annual 7-day Masai festival in Loitoktok that showcases the Masai culture, traditions, and traditional practices, as well as the Masai yearly Olympics in Kimana.
The optimum time to visit Amboseli National Park depends on a few underlying elements. During the dry season, different species concentrate near water holes to tap into the somewhat sparse water. However, when the monsoon seasons arrive, they disperse due to the multiple water access sites. We will dig into facts that may influence your decision while planning a trip to Amboseli National Park, as well as the activities you want to do while there. The temperatures at Amboseli Park are ordinary and mild all year.
Although the temperatures are reasonable throughout the year, we recommend that you bring light jackets and a fleece for early activities such as game drives, as well as evening or night activities. During the rainy season, one should carry a raincoat and a poncho to mitigate the effects of rain when participating in activities. Because there are few or no rains during the dry season, it is practically the greatest time of year to visit Amboseli National Park. From July through October, the dry season is in effect. The rains subside around the end of June, ushering in the dry season, and a few showers appear as the end of October approaches.
During the dry seasons, it is relatively easy to locate wildlife because the grasses have been shot and scotched as a result of the dry spell. The dry season also causes several water holes to dry, leaving only a few that attract wildlife from various parts of the park to come to drink water in the few remaining oases. The dry season also provides less precipitation, thus there are fewer insects, such as mosquitoes, to disturb one’s stay. The skies are clear and blue during the dry season, and the days are absolutely amazing, making it the greatest time to visit the park on a safari.
During the dry season, the Masai Mara national reserve also hosts one of the largest wildlife migrations known as the annual wildebeest migration. Because of the wildebeest migration, several travelers make their way there, and after the Masai Mara experience, they head to Amboseli national park to have the experience there as well, resulting in a slight price increase in accommodation during what can only be described as peak seasons.
Short rains begin in November and December, and when January and February arrive, the brief dry season begins until April, May, and June arrive with a large rainfall. During the rainy season, life returns, bringing new vegetation and new species as the old ones give birth. There, you will get a wonderful glimpse of a little white-striped zebra as well as a small Thompson gazelle attempting to hide in the tall grass to avoid predators. The lush vegetation attracts a variety of migrating bird species from as far away as Europe to Amboseli National Park. As many new animals as the old ones produce
There, you’ll get a wonderful glimpse of the small white-striped zebra, as well as the little Thompson gazelles hiding in the tall grass to avoid predators. The lush vegetation attracts a variety of migrating bird species from as far away as Europe to Amboseli National Park.
On the negative side, severe rains from May to July make it difficult to get to the park since certain routes become inaccessible. That goes without saying. During the rainy season, the difficult roads can be avoided by flying to the park from Nairobi or from another park to Amboseli National Park.