Amboseli National Park Attractions/ Activities, Reserve Accommodation Lodges, Hotels

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Edited date: 31 Dec 2022 08:54:47 +0300

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Amboseli National Park/Amboseli National Reserve

Location:

Kajiando district 238 Km from Nairobi. Amboseli National Reserve (Amboseli National Park) borders Tanzania to the south.The name Amboseli comes from the Maasai place name, Empusel, meaning open plain. Amboseli National park is managed by KWS (Kenya Wildlife service) on behalf of the central government. The local people around the park are the nomadic Maasai.The Maasai way of life is compatible with wildlife conservation. Most of the conservation areas in Kenya are located in Maasai Reserves. A visit to Amboseli is not complete without visiting the Maasai homesteads.

Area:

392 Km²

Gazettement

:

Amboseli National Park was gazetted in 1974 but in 2005 the park management reverted to Okejiando County council, thus the name changed to once more toAmboseli National Reserve. It had been a reserve since 1948. It is the best place to photograph the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro (5985M). The reserve 11pt" is famous for its big game and its great scenic beauty - the landscape is dominated by MT Kilimanjaro.

Getting to Amboseli National Park/Reserve

Amboseli attracts visitors from all over the world. Amboseli National park can be accessed by road or air. Though a majority of the visitors are in organized groups, private individuals can visit the park without any fear. International visitors mostly arrive at either Nairobi, Mombasa or Kilimanjaro Airports where they are picked by tour operator or private cars and driven to the park.It is possible to hire private cars from Nairobi, Mombasa or Kilimanjaro airports and drive into the park. To visit the park you need a car. The road distance from Nairobi varies.

Driving from Nairobi:

• Nairobi to Namanga (240 km tarmac) on the Nairobi - Namanga Road, via Meshanani Gate (75km). Nairobito Emali (228 km tarmac) on the Nairobi - Mombasa Road, via Remito Gate (64 km)

• Mombasa through Tsavo West via Kimana (Olkelunyiet) Gate.

Flying to Amboseli National Park

The Amboseli National Reserve has an airstrip at Empusel gate.Others are Kilimanjaro Buffalo lodge, Kimana and Namanga town. Flights to Amboseli National park originates from Nairobis Wilson Airport and Moi Airport Mombasa. Charter flights are available from Nairobi Wilson Airport.

Safaris / Tours to Amboseli National Park

At Gorilla Safaris Rwanda, we do organize custom or tailor make tours for our clients to Amboseli National Park perse or in combination of other national parks within like Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and across the border, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Arusha and Tarangire from Nairobi,Mombasa or Kilimanjaro.

Climate Of Amboseli National Park

Being on the leeward side of Mt Kilimanjaro, Amboseli National Park experiences a modified tropical climate. The are is hot and dry (arid) with an annual rainfallof 300 mm. The hottest month- September has averages of 30 degrees centigrade and the coolest month have 27 degrees centigrade. Amboseli experiences two rainy seasons-April/ May; November December. Evaporations rates are very high. The Aridity of the area makes ideal for game sighting. During the dry months, animals congregate on the swamps.

Amboseli National Park/ Reserve Habitats

Amboseli National Reserve has 5 main habitats.

• plains acacia woodland rocky thorn bush country
• swamps and marshland
• Dry basin of Lake Amboseli (a dry basin, that floods during heavy rainfall.

Amboseli National Park Attractions / Activities

In summary Attractions in Amboseli National Park comprise of attractions and activities. Attractions of eye appeal, what people see include the majestic elephants and the beautiful scenery centred on Mt Kilimanjaro and Meru, swamps, lakes, hills, plains and unique culture the local masai. Activities comprise of recreational and leisure undertakings available to visitors like game drives, sundowners, cultural tours, camping, bush meals, balloon safaris, cultural dances, shopping, birding,etc.

Amboseli National Park Attractions

Amboseli elephants and Mt Kilimanjaro are definitely among the top 10 attractions in Amboseli National Pakr. The list include:

• Amboseli Elephants



Amboseli National Park/Reserve is the home of the most celebrated and longest studied elephant population in the World. Due to absence of poaching and culling, Amboseli elephants are the only ones with animals spanning the whole age range- newborn calves, old matriarchs in their 60s, and unusually many large adult bulls in their 40s, 50s and even 60s. Currently, the Amboseli population comprises of approximately 2000 individuals in 54 families and over 211 independent adult bulls.

Just likeGorilla Safaris, the above is a good reason why a safari to Amboseli is a must do for any visitor to East Africa.

• Physical features

  

  Amboseli's iconic attractions- elephants and Mt Kilimanjaro

  The main physical features in Amboseli Reserve are;
  • Mt.Kilimanjaro-offering beautiful splendid views and photographic background.
  • Swamps-OloKenya, EnKongo Narok, Oltukai, which serve as livelihood of this otherwise dissolute park. They are also inhabited by hippos and attract large numbers of birds.
  • Lake Amboseli-dry filling only during the rainy season
  • Observation hill
  • Mt Meru in Tanzania.

• Activities in Amboseli National Park

  Numerous tourist or visit activities in Amboseli National park makes it to the list of the top 10 attractions. These includes game drives, elephant study, balloon safaris, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, bird watching, sun downers, cultural tours,etc

• Mammals of Amboseli National park:

  The Park has a large mammal population. Among the species to be found here are elephants, zebra, gnu, hippopotamus, buffalo, spotted hyena, waterbuck, Maasai giraffe, Thomsons and Grants gazelle, impala, lion and cheetah. gerenuk, fringed-eared, duikers, aardwolf, spotted hyena, lions, buffaloes, baboons, bush baby, Serval cat, caracal, leopard, jackals.

• Unique culture of the local Masai

  Part of the Amboseli attractions are the nomadic Maasai herdsmen with their domestic stock in close vicinity of predators.

• Birds of Amboseli:

  
  Birdlife is profuse with over 420 species of birds recorded.

• Amboseli National Park Vegetation:

  One of the main challenge to continued existence of Amboseli National Park is poor vegetation regeneration.This is attributed to its dryness being on the leeward side of Mt. Kilimanjaro and saline soils which are not ideal for vegetation growth. Coupled with this Amboseli National Reserve boosts of the largest herd of elephant population in Kenya which have cleared all the trees leaving glass and bare ground.

Activities, What to do in Amboseli National Park:

What to do in Amboseli National Park?

There are numerous activities available to visitors to Amboseli National Park. Any of the above makes the list of top 10 activities

• Game drives- these are conducted through out the day. The best times to see animals is early in the morning and evenings. During the heat of the day animals will congregate in the swamps.
• Balloon Safaris. They depart at dawn with guests returning to their lodges after champaigne breakfast
• Balloon Safaris. They depart at dawn with guests returning to their lodges after champaigne breakfast
• Bird Watching -With over 400 recorded species of birds, Amboseli is an ideal destination for birding.The best time to watch birds is at dawn or at dusk.
• Balloon Safaris. They depart at dawn with guests returning to their lodges after champaigne breakfast
• Sundowners/ sunset watch meals and drinks - romantic samptous meals served with sparkling drinks in the most scenic locations as the sun sinks in the horizon is an experience never to be missed. Most of the facilities do offer these on request
• Picnics
• Night game drives
• Bush breakfasts/ dinners
• Camping - camping is available in the public and special campsites. Unlike public campsites, there is nothing special in Special campsites. Special campsites are do it yourself and lack amenities like toilets, showers, kitchens
• Swimming most of the lodges have fitness centers that feature swimming pools
• Mice- Meetings, Incentives, Conferences facilities are available in the lodges
• Cultural tours to the local villages
• Campfires are meeting or gatherings open to all guests. At the campfire ground is a big fire to keep the guests warm as they dance, tell stories and jokes, drink and exchange contact. Yes most of the campfires feature campfire bar where guests can order drinks. It is a lovely experience never to be missed
• Health and spa in massage parlours
• Wining and dining with numerous avenues and opportunities to sample local cuiseine
• Rhino sanctuary
Amboseli Park is a holiday destination of choice for nature lovers and features a Rhino Sanctuary.

Accommodation in Amboseli National Park:

Accommodation in Amboseli is diverse and comprise of luxury 5 star safari Lodges, hotels and Tented Camps to basic do it yourself campsites and bandas to cater for different classes of travellers. Among the famous lodges are Amboseli serena, Amboseli Sopa Lodge, Amboseli Kimana Lodge and Amboseli Oltukai Lodge. The finest five star lodges like Otukai, Kibo Villa, Kibo Safari Camp, Tawi Lodge, Tortilis camp, Kilima Safari Camp offer luxury facilities like spa, jaccuzi, fitness centers and private swimming pools.

Luxury Accommodation

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