Amboseli National Park in Kenya

In Kenya, near the border with Tanzania, lies Amboseli National Park.

Offering a fantastic view of Kilimanjaro, your safari takes you across the Amboseli savannah, where you will see giraffes stretching to reach the leaves of the sparse trees, grazing zebras and buffaloes, which often herd together, or the park’s famous elephants bathing in swamps and springs.

The nature experiences keep coming in Amboseli.

Read more about what you can experience in Amboseli National Park below.

Amboseli’s nature

Amboseli National Park covers an area of just 392 km2. This makes Amboseli one of the smallest national parks in Kenya, but you will enjoy big experiences there nevertheless.

The landscape of Amboseli National Park is absolutely stunning!

Most famous is probably the view of the majestic Kilimanjaro, which is just across the border with Tanzania! And if you get up early enough, on a good day, you can experience a beautiful sunrise over the mountain.

The nature of Amboseli is marked by contrasts. You will find both dusty plains and swampy areas, where birds and other animals live. The park has relatively low vegetation, making it easier to spot the animals.

The landscape changes a lot with the seasons. There are lakes that dry out completely when it’s dry season and refill when it rains.

Amboseli’s wildlife

Amboseli also offers amazing wildlife.

More than 80 different species of mammals live in the park, including wildebeest, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, monkeys, hyenas, zebras and many more besides.

The national park is famous for its many elephants, and Amboseli is actually one of the best places to see elephants in Africa. You are guaranteed to see elephants on your safari in Amboseli.

The elephants thrive in the park because meltwater from Kilimanjaro’s ice cap flows underground before surfacing in several places in Amboseli. This provides the elephants with fresh drinking water and springs to bathe in.

Elephants are herd animals living in large family groups which can sometimes count as many as 100 members. What’s more, Amboseli is the place where you’ll find the male elephants with the largest tusks in Africa.

Birds

The park is home to more than 400 different species of birds. You may, for example, be fortunate enough to experience flocks of pink flamingos, pelicans or ostriches strutting about on the Amboseli savannah.

Beautiful crowned cranes, recognisable by their grey plumage, white wings and magnificent crown of yellow feathers on their heads, also live in the park.

The numerous flocks of birds thrive in Amboseli due to the park’s large areas of marshland, which, as previously mentioned, are created from Kilimanjaro’s meltwater.

Amboseli’s residents: The Masai people

The Masai tribe lives in various parts of East Africa.

In Amboseli, the Masai live on the edge of the park, where they live off herding cattle, goats and sheep.

In several places, they welcome visitors to their villages, giving you an insight into their culture and life.

The Masai are recognisable by their traditional red clothing. They adorn themselves in colourful bead necklaces and other bead jewellery, typically made by the women. The Masai, men and women alike, also have pierced earlobes, and they stretch the piercing over time as large holes in the ears are considered beautiful in the Maasai culture.

Want to experience Amboseli National Park?

Would you like to get right up close to Kenya’s magnificent elephants on a safari in Amboseli?

Amboseli is brimming with amazing nature experiences.

If you have any questions about Amboseli National Park or the other national parks in Kenya, please feel free to contact our travel specialists.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller