Amboseli National Park, at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, 5895m Kilimanjaro, is one of the most popular of Kenya's national parks. It lies some 240 km south-east of Nairobi very close to the Tanzania border. Gazetted as a national park in 1974 it covers only 392 sq km but despite its small size and its fragile ecosystem it supports a wide range of mammals (well over 50 of the larger species) and birds (over 400 species).
Amboseli, meaning "Salty Dust" in the Maasai language is an important rangeland in the Maasai culture. The area surrounding the park is made up of Maasai ranch areas, which offer a wide variety of game viewing and walking safari options, not found within the park itself.
views from Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
The National park embodies 5 main wildlife habitats (open plains, acacia woodland, rocky thorn bush country, swamps and marshland) and covers part of the 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 – the landscape is dominated by Mt Kilimanjaro.
Luxury accommodation at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Most of the cat species, including leopard, lion, cheetah and caracal may be easily seen in Amboseli, as are the plains antelope and migrating wildebeest.
The Park's best game runs are around the swamps and there is a fine lookout on Observation Hill which offers views over the whole of the Park and beyond.
Access to Amboseli is either a three hour drive from Nairobi or a daily scheduled flight from Nairobi or Mombasa.
Best Times to visit: September/October or January- March (Dry season)
