Amboseli is home to the “Big Five“ along with cheetah, hyena, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippo and much more. Amboselilies immediately north-west of Mount Kilimanjaro, on the border with Tanzania. The Park covers 392 square km, and forms part of the much larger 3,000 square km Amboseli ecosystem.
Large concentrations of wildlife occur here in the dry season, making Amboseli a popular tourist destination. It is surrounded by six communally owned group ranches.
The National Park embodies five main wildlife habitats (open plains, acacia woodland, rocky thorn bush country, swamps and marshland) and covers part of a Pleistocene lake basin, now dry. Within this basin is a temporary lake, Lake Amboseli, that floods during years of heavy rainfall. Amboseli is famous for its big game and its great scenic beauty – and the landscape is dominated by the towering Mount Kilimanjaro.
Duringthe dry Seasons, a curious feature is the shimmering dry lake bed where false mirages of populated horizons,
punctuated by real herds of zebras and wildebeests hover in front of visitors. The principal attractionin Amboseli is its vast herds of elephants within the park. The bull elephants here have some of thelargest tusks in Kenya. Plentiful game includes: zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala and leopard. Caracaland serval cat can be seen. Birdwatchers can see pelicans, bee-eaters, kingfishers, African fish eagles,martial eagles and pygmy falcons.
Amboseli is an important rangeland in Maasai culture and indigenous lifestyle. The ranch areas outside the park offer a wealthof game viewing and walking safaris. The Kenya Wildlife Community Service works closely with thelocal elders to develop ecotourism attractions which beefit the endogenous communities andprotect this fragile eco-system.
Meeting theMaasai
TheMaasai own most of the land surrounding the small national park. They live a traditional pastoralist lifestyle for the most part. One of the big attractions for many visitors is to visit a local Maasai village and get a little insight into their rich culture. Get the best experience in staying at the PoriniAmboseli Campand enjoy a most authentic visit to a local Maasai homestead.One of the most popular parks in Kenya, Amboseli offers a wide range of accommodation withinandjust outside the park.
With Green Hills Ecotours you will have a truly fantastic wildlife; nature trip and experience the adventure of a Lifetime. Contact us: ecotours@gmx.com