Amboseli National Park is popularly known as the “Land of Giants” and is among the top places worth visiting for photography or if you are interested in game viewing on any Kenya safaris. Amboseli, also formerly called Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, holds a huge concentration of African elephants, often spotted in the Park’s plains and against the backdrop of the breathtaking snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro.

Amboseli National Park is located in the Kajiado County, Loitoktok District in Southern Kenya. This Park is found near the Tanzania border and is known for its jaw-dropping views of the legendary Kilimanjaro Volcano. Amboseli is approximately 240 km Southeast of Nairobi and covers a compact area of about 244 sq. miles (632 sq. km). Despite its compact size, Amboseli features diverse wildlife habitats that describe its unique landscape.

Amboseli’s distinct landscape is characterized by acacia woodland, thorn scrub, swamps, marshlands, and the open plains. Along the Western section of Amboseli, there exists the spectacular Lake Amboseli and Ol Donyo Orok.

Historical Facts

Amboseli was established as the Southern Reserve in 1906. It was upgraded to a Game Reserve in 1948 and officially became a National Park in Kenya in 1974. It was later designated a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1991.

Major Attractions in Amboseli Game Park

Wildlife to Explore

Amboseli is known for its diverse array of wildlife. It is most popular for its large herds of elephants, often spotted while freely roaming along the plains and marshes. In addition, the Park holds a significant number of other wildlife, including the buffalo, lions, rhinos, leopards, zebras, dik-diks, crocodiles, Grant’s gazelles, cheetahs, hippos, impalas, warthogs, fringe-eared Oryx, hyenas, gerenuk, baboons, and more.

The birds to see at the Park.

Amboseli is one of the premier birding destinations and features over 420 bird species. As an Important Bird Area, the diverse birds here include water and endangered species. The diverse birds to spot include the secretary birds, white-faced whistling ducks, blue-billed teal, Maccoa ducks, Northern shoveled, spur-winged goose, Knob-billed ducks, dideric cuckoos, slender tailed nightjars, black coucal, square-tailed nightjars, Eurasia nightjars, mourning collared dove, African pigeon, common quail, Shelley’s francolins, little grebe, moorland, coqui francolins, greater flamingoes, red-necked francolins, Hildebrandt’s francolins, rock pigeon, laughing dove, dusky turtle dove, spur-winged lapwing, gray crowned cranes, Sombre nightjars, African swift, Horus swift, lesser sand-plovers, Caspian plovers, African rail, Donaldson-smith’s nightjars, little swift, African crakes, black-winged stilt, spotted thick-knee, Eurasian moorhen, long-toed lapwing, African jacanas, and great cormorants.

Other birds to explore on a birding tour in Amboseli include Eurasian hoopoe, Terek sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, African darters, long-tailed cormorants, tawny eagle, European honey-buzzards, Abdim’s storks, African open bill, bat hawks, yellow-billed storks, African skimmers, white-winged terns, gray-hooded gull, striped kingfishers, Northern red-billed hornbills, malachite kingfishers, fork-tailed drogo, foxy lark, southern ground-hornbills, buffalo weaver birds, and others.

Amboseli is also popular for its unique sites like Lake Amboseli, the Sinet Delta, and Observation Hill.

Top Tourist Activities to do in Amboseli

Game drives

Game drives in Amboseli offer an amazing wildlife adventure. Enjoyable in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up, a guided game drive in Amboseli will usher you through the enriching plains where you stand a chance to spot diverse wildlife.

On a game drive, expect to see African elephants, buffalo, rhinos, zebras, lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, and other species. Visitors can opt for the early morning game drive session or the afternoon and the key areas of interest include Observation Hill and Enkongo Narok.

Bird-watching

Amboseli is known for its enriching birding excursions. A birding tour in this Park offers you a chance to search for a wide array of birds, including African sacred ibises, gray-crowned cranes, flamingos, palm-nut vultures, pelicans, kingfishers, warblers, and many others.

Hot-air balloon excursions

If you desire aerial game viewing, then a visit to Amboseli should be a must. Balloon tours in Amboseli take you unforgettable aerial wildlife viewing excursion. This can be during the sunrise session or in the afternoon. The sunrise balloon tour comes with a bush breakfast plus many other benefits. The afternoon, also referred to as the sunset balloon excursion, often includes a cocktail and champagne.

Guided nature walks

Nature walks involve exploring the diverse habitats, especially the hard-to-reach sites if you use a safari car. Visitors embark on a guided foot walk with an expert, and the amazing bit is that you can explore your favorite species at close range.

Cultural Encounters

The Maasai cultural tours should be a must-do in addition to the Big game safaris. A cultural tour allows you to interact with the residents, mostly the Maasai people. You explore more about their unique history, traditions, and cultures.

The best time to go for a tour in Amboseli

The dry season is undoubtedly the best time of the year for a visitor can consider embarking on a tour in Amboseli National Park. As per the Kenya calendar, the dry season extends from June to October and from January to February. It is during these peak dry months when you can enjoy a clear view of diverse wildlife, and generally, you can have a smooth navigation as the trails/game tracks are drier.

The wet season is also open to visitors, but usually, heavy rain is experienced. This is during April and May.

Accommodation Options in and around the Park

When planning a tour to Amboseli, visitors can choose from budget, midrange, to luxury accommodation options for their overnight stay. The luxury safari lodges include Tawi Lodge, Ol Tukai Lodge, Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, Elewana Amboseli Porini Camp, and Tortilis Camp. The mid-range lodges include Sentrim Amboseli Lodge, AA Lodge Amboseli, Kilima Safari Camp, and Kibo Safari Lodge. The list of budget accommodation includes Amboseli Eco-Camp, Maasai Simba Camp, Nyati Hill Cottages, Kimana Lodge, and Amboseli Bush Camp.

Getting to Amboseli from Nairobi

Access to Amboseli is easy. Visitors can travel by road, which is about a 4 to 5-hour’ drive from Nairobi. Using air travel, you can opt for a domestic flight from Nairobi to Amboseli Airstrip. The entrance fees should be cleared for you to have entry to Amboseli. The foreign non-residents are charged USD 100 during the peak season and USD 80 in the low or off-season.