Amboseli National Park

Good overall experience in Amboseli National Park

My visit to Amboseli National Park aimed to accomplish two objectives: see large herds of elephants in the open and view Mt. Kilimanjaro. Anything extra was considered a bonus for me because I was going to visit Serengeti National Park for other wildlife opportunities. I can confidently say that these objectives were met and I did end up getting what I would call "bonus material".

First, the elephant herds were very large and easy to spot. There were herds of more than 20 elephants. Since these elephants have been well protected from poachers, there are many mature elephants with very large tusks. If you are into elephants, this is the place to go.

Second, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I enjoy mountain scenery and always have high hopes of good mountain viewing. Unfortunately, I was only able to view Kili in the very early morning hours. The remainder of the day it was shrouded in clouds. While that was mildly disappointing, I was grateful to have seen it. When the mountain was visible, it did not disappoint. What makes this a unique viewing opportunity is that Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. There are no other dominant mountains or foothills around it.

Other wildlife was easily visible in the park because of the vast open plains. There were few predator sightings; although, I did manage to see a few hyenas and jackals. There are lions in the park, but are seldom seen. The wildlife in Amboseli National Park does not teem with animals on the scale of Masai Mara or Serengeti. Again, as previously stated, this park specializes in elephants and you would be hard pressed to find other destinations that offer the abundance of opportunities to get clear views of elephants.

The weather in the park was what one should expect from African plains. It was very warm with abundant sunshine most of the day. There were brief periods of higher humidity followed by a short rain. That did not negatively impact the safari experience.

The transportation in the park is quite easy. The park is much smaller than Serengeti or Masai Mara, making it easy to see the entire park in a couple of days. The roads were in good condition while I was there in November.

I stayed in a campground just outside the park. The accommodations were comfortable and the food was good. However, I will say that I am quite low maintenance when it comes to food and lodging.

My safari guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He knew his wildlife species well and he would drive to specific locations when I asked him. He also asked me questions about the specific things that I wanted to see so that he could ensure that my experience was exactly what I was looking for.

Overall, I would highly recommend Amboseli National Park as a safari destination. It is a convenient place for those who are on their way from Nairobi to Arusha for additional safari tours. Furthermore, it is difficult to find better places to view Mt. Kilimanjaro and find elephant herds as large as those found in Amboseli.

Beautiful Wildlife Haven

I visited Amboseli outside of the typical tourist season. The advantage of that is that I saw very few other vehicles/tourists throughout the park. The downside is that there's also fewer animals around. That being said though, I saw a wide range of wildlife and the landscape was green and beautiful. I saw many, many elephants, oftentimes very deep in the swamps. I also saw lots of hippos poking their heads above the swamps. There were also lots of varieties of antelopes, zebras, buffalos, ostriches, giraffes, hyenas, many different kinds of birds, and probably many more I'm forgetting to list right now. Amboseli is a wonderful haven for all these animals, and the landscape is very beautiful. It is smaller than some of the other parks in Kenya, but it is truly a wonderful place to see Kenya's incredible wildlife.

Amboseli, Kenya. Mind.Blown.

Absolutely outstanding park, and our Masai guide Tiampati Manei was so incredibly knowledgeable and conscientious- our safari company Wild-Eye.co.za with Gerry Van Der Walt were simply amazing in their professionalism, knowledge of park logistics, animal behaviours, etc. The wildlife was abundant, and the animals were safe in their own natural habitat. I will, without question, return.

snow capped Kilimanjaro

Very Beautiful National park with view of mount Kilimanjaro........Sight of grazing elephants in the grass land with scenic background. it has beautiful birds like crowned crane, Kori bustard, white bellied bustard and many birds....a lovely place indeed. Ol tukai......is nice place to stay in Amboseli NP

Kili in the back

my most memoral memory of Amboseli are the elephants with the Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. Looks like a travel in time.

Wonderful to watch the elephants in such scenic surroundings.

It is one of the most visited park by professionals as you see Elephant's enjoying in swamps close by is mount Kilimanjaro which one can easily capture in the background when shooting wide shots.

Amboseli National Park - My favorite park in Kenya

Love the landscape views and Elephants during game drives as well as from the Lodge. (Ol Tukai Lodge).

Wildlife is not so abundant as in Mara, but the scenery is bery beautiful.

The peace and tranquility of watching the elephants wander past

It was our first safari, and we were thrilled with the sight of the elephants and the beautiful scenery. It was a wonderful experience. Our guide with Transtrek Safaris was very knowledgeable and the Lodge they organised for us was first class with lovely and varied food. There was a lot of other wildlife to see as well, and in December we did not find it too hot.