Amboseli National Park

About Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park sits in southern Kenya on the Tanzanian border, directly below the north face of Kilimanjaro. People come for one scene above all others: family herds of elephants walking across open plains with the 5,895 m mountain behind them. The park covers 392 square kilometres at the core of a much larger Maasai rangeland, and its elephants have been studied by the Amboseli Elephant Research Project since 1972, so many of the animals you see have names, known mothers and recorded life histories. The reason the elephants stay is water. Rain and meltwater soak into Kilimanjaro's volcanic rock and resurface in Amboseli as clear springs, feeding papyrus swamps such as Enkongo Narok and Longinye. These swamps are the only permanent water in an otherwise dry basin, so buffalo, hippo and elephant gather there through the driest months. Kenya Wildlife Service records more than 400 bird species in the park, and UNESCO named the wider area a Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1991. The best time to visit is the long dry season from June to October, and again from January to February. Grass is short, animals crowd the swamps and the air is clear enough to see the mountain more often. Kilimanjaro does hide in cloud for whole days, even in good months, and the summit is most often clear just after sunrise and in the last hour of light. The long rains in April and May turn the lake bed to mud and make some tracks hard going. From Nairobi the drive is about four to five hours via Emali and the Kimana side of the park. Kenya Wildlife Service lists a 220 km route through Namanga to Meshanani Gate, and Namanga is also the border crossing from Arusha, which makes Amboseli an easy addition to a northern Tanzania trip. Light aircraft land at Kimana airstrip if you would rather fly. Two nights is the minimum to give the mountain a fair chance of showing itself; three is better for photographers. Amboseli pairs naturally with Tsavo West or the Masai Mara in Kenya, or with Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater across the border. A typical day starts at first light with a drive along the swamp edges as the herds walk in from the bush where they spent the night. Late morning is for the lodge, then you head out again in the afternoon, often stopping at Observation Hill for a view over the swamps and the dry lake bed. Visits to Maasai communities around the park can be arranged with your guide. For where to stay, Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge and Kibo Ol-tukai Lodge put you inside the park, close to the swamps and the morning elephant traffic. Tortilis Camp is the tented choice for a quieter, more private stay, and Amboseli Sopa Lodge is a larger lodge that works well for families and groups. We match the lodge to your route, budget and the season you travel.