Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park lies at the foot of the snow-capped Mt.Kilimanjaro. In the dry grasslands, thorn bushes and acacia forests grow on the fine volcanic dust originating from the volcanic Kilimanjaro, hence the name Amboseli which means "salty dust" in the Maasai language.

The "dust bowl", which was the Amboseli Lake thousands of years ago before drying out, is a sight to behold and has hardly any sign of animal or plant life. When the wind blows, you will experience that legendary ghost-town feeling!

A number of swamps are also represented here. This national reserve is the most visited wildlife area in Kenya. The size of Amboseli National Park is around 400km² at an altitude of up to 1.155m.

The animal concentration consist of 81 species of mammals and 425 types of birds and the animal distribution run through the dry Savanna plains, which provide you with a view of buffalos, zebras and elephants grazing on the foreground of the mighty, mighty, snow-capped Kilimanjaro. Hippos inhabit the various swamps. From an elevated spot called Observation Hill there is the most excellent view of the whole park including a swamp that attracts an array of wildlife.

On the borders of the wet areas of the park very large herds of buffalos and elephants are to be seen. Waterbucks, which mostly frequent waterholes cannot be missed. A wide variety of birds of water flood the swamps. The lion, leopard, hyena, antelope, yellow baboon, golden jackal, Masai-giraffe and the warthog are just some of the animals to be seen here.

Accommodation: The lodges lie at the centre of the park within an area called Ol Tukai. The main drinking and feeding spots of the animals are consentrated around these lodges. You will practically be going to sleep and waking up to the melodic tunes of the birds and animals.

Worth noting is that Amboseli national Park has an unforgettable view of the Mt. Kilimanjaro, and was in 1906 known as Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve and later in 1974 upgraded to Amboseli National Park. You could also take a walk through the crest of Chyulu Hill and its magical view, meet the maasai and get to know their culture in depth and most of all experience the wild free roaming elephants in close range. There is also a small airport called Amboseli Airport.