Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya’s safari icons, a world of big-tusked elephants and big cats (lions, and sometimes cheetahs), all set against the backdrop of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro. It’s a beautiful, compact park with lots of wildlife, including flamingos and an easy-to-find hyena den. And there’s real safari magic in the air in the early morning or late afternoon when the clouds part to reveal Kilimanjaro’s summit.
[su_service title=”Best Time To Go” icon=”icon: calendar-o” icon_color=”#747c18″ size=”16″]June to October and January to February
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[su_service title=”High Season” icon=”icon: euro” icon_color=”#747c18″ size=”16″]December to March and July to October (Busy)[/su_service]
[su_service title=”Size” icon=”icon: arrows-alt” icon_color=”#747c18″ size=”16″]390km² / 151mi²[/su_service]
[su_service title=”Altitude” icon=”icon: road” icon_color=”#747c18″ size=”16″]1,124-1,169m / 3,688-3,835ft
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Pros & Cons
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- Excellent wildlife viewing
- Outstanding elephant sightings
- Good sightings of lion and cheetah are possible
- Views of Kilimanjaro
- Excellent birding, especially waterbirds in swamp habitat
- Good range of accommodations catering to different budgets and styles
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- The park gets very busy, especially in the high season
- Dust can reduce visibility when the winds blow
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Wildlife
Amboseli offers great wildlife viewing, and four of the Big Five are present. Rhinos are absent, and leopards are very rarely seen, but big herds of elephants reliably move to and from the marshy swamps in the center of the park. Buffalo, wildebeest, plains zebra and gazelle are all very common. Lions are the easiest to spot of the big cats, but cheetahs are also possible.
Scenery
At its best, Amboseli is magnificent, and it’s the beautiful mix of landscapes and habitats that enables the park to shelter such amazing wildlife. Amboseli inhabits a vast basin with deep-green swamps in the heart of the park, stands of acacia forest in the east, and expansive savannah grasslands stretching all the way to distant hills and mountains. Mt Kilimanjaro (actually in Tanzania) towers gloriously over the park to the south.
Activities
The main activity in Amboseli is the guided game drive, which will take you around the park to look for animals and birds. Hot-air ballooning is a brilliant alternative. It’s an incredible experience to fly at dawn over the park with Mt Kilimanjaro hopefully free of clouds. The only place you’re allowed to leave your vehicle is at Observation Hill. Climb it on foot and enjoy a picnic with stunning views.
Weather & Climate
In Amboseli, the average daytime temperature sits around a hot 28°C/82°F, while at night the average doesn’t go much lower than a warm 15°C/59°F. Temperatures peak in the Wet season (November to May), with the February heat being particularly fierce. Things cool down a little in the Dry season (June to October).
Best Time To Visit
The two drier periods of the year, from January to February (between the area’s short and long patches of rainfall) and June to October (in the Dry season proper), are the best times to visit. Your game drive won’t be ruined by rain, and the animals can’t hide in the thin vegetation. The park does get very busy at these times, however. The best time for birding is from December to March.
