The image of elephants wandering through the green plains, with the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro looking out against the background, is known to all fans of films and programs about Africa. These paintings embody the Amboseli National Park, emphasizing the striking contrasts of Africa.
In Amboseli’s case, it is open air and a distant horizon, combined with swampy terrain and dry and dusty land where hundreds of animals roam. Amboseli has an endless supply of underground water, flowing through more than 300 meters of volcanic rock from the Kilimanjaro ice cap, which flows into two clear water sources in the heart of the park.
However, the climate here can change from drought to flood, and in the early 1990s, continuous rain turned Amboseli into a swamp. After a few years, the rain stopped and the grassy plains turned to dust.
The dust in Amboseli is ancient volcanic ash, whose salt crystals shimmer on the surface of the parched lake during the dry season. This creates hazy mirages that make it very difficult to tell what is real and what is not.
The park is located 240 kilometers southeast of the capital Nairobi and, along with the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Park, is the most visited national park in Kenya.
Surrounding the Amboseli are the pastoral farms of the Maasai people, where they share the land equally with the wild. Wild animals try to avoid such villages, because there are too many people there, and besides, all the grass is usually eaten by the Maasai cattle, which means absolutely everything to them.
ANIMALS AND BIRDS
This park is famous for its elephants drinking from surface springs, which can be seen here in herds of over 100 individuals. There are so many of them here that their love of felling trees destroys their own habitat. Huge adult male elephants have some of the largest tusks in Africa and are a well-known feature of this park.
In addition, buffaloes, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, impalas and warthogs roam the meadows here. Among predators in the park there are lions, leopards, caracals, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas and servals. Unfortunately, any kind of rhinoceros has long disappeared here due to intensive poaching.
Amboseli is also home to a large variety of birds, you can see pelicans, bee-eaters, kingfishers and many species of eagles.
SEASONS
Rainy season: A long hot and humid rainy season starts around April and continues until June, followed by short rains during the warm months of November and December.
Dry season: January to March is hot and dry, while July to October is warm and dry. The warm and dry period is the most comfortable and most suitable for a safari.
The soil in the park is volcanic and loose, as a result of which the roads get very wet during the rainy season, and quite dusty in the dry season.
FEATURES OF AMBOSELI
- Majestic Kilimanjaro in the background
- Large herds of elephants
- Adult elephants with huge tusks
- Modern culture of the Masai people
DATA
The height above sea level here ranges from 1189 to 1372 m.
The park covers an area of 392 km².
The park was opened in 1948.
This is a malaria zone.
Amboseli also has a small airport, Amboseli Airport (HKAM).
Amboseli National Park along with Lake Nakuru Park are the most expensive national parks in Kenya (Premium Parks).
Entrance fee to the park (2013):
| Category | Price |
| Citizens of East African states |
1000 KSh |
| Students and children of East African states |
200 KSh |
| Citizens of other states |
$80 |
| Students and children of other countries |
$40 |
| Vehicle less than 6 seats (per 1 day) |
300 KSh |
