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Best 10 Reasons To Visit Amboseli NP In Kenya
The best 10 reasons to visit Amboseli NP are; Wildlife, Bird watching, Elephants, Scenic views, Hot Air balloon safaris, Game viewing, and Cultural encounters. Amboseli National park is found in the southern part of Kenya in East Africa. The park was set aside as the Southern Reserve for the Maasai in 1906, made a reserve in 1948.
It gazetted as a national park by 1974 in order to protect its core unique ecosystem. The park can be accessed through its channel gates known as Kitirua gate, Kimana gate, Iremito gate and Meshanana gate. It’s as well known as the land of Giants for its intense of the many elephant herds and variety of those wild life creatures like zebras, giraffes and cheetahs.
Kajiado County. Amboseli Park is 39,206 ha in size at the core of an 8,000 km2 eco glance system across the Kenya-Tanzania border. Natives in the area are known to be Maasai people. The park gives one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds like pelicans, kingfishers, crakes and hamerkop.
1. Amboseli is rich with a variety of wildlife
The park is one of the most popular destinations for Kenya wildlife safaris that offers great views of various wildlife species, hosting the large herds of elephants with big tusks which are seen roaming in the dusty plains of the park.
Amboseli national park is a home to various mammal species including cheetahs, lions, antelopes, spotted hyenas, cape buffaloes, wildebeests, hyena, hippos, grant’s zebra, Maasai giraffe, grant’s gazelles, Thomson gazelles among others that are habituated in the acacia and Savannah woodlands, some in the swamps like Ekongo Narok swamps.
2. Bird watching at Amboseli NP
Over 400 bird species living in the various regions of the park, Amboseli national park sites the best destination for the activity as it has a number of great birding spots such as Sinet Delta, the shores of numerous lakes in the park such as Kioko Lake and Amboseli Lake, swamps, acacia woodlands and savannah grasslands.
Varieties of bird species spotted in Amboseli national park during Kenya birding safari such as ostrich, egrets, herons, pelicans, steel-blue whydah, hornbills, African swamp hens, common redshanks, and taveta golden weavers, yellow necked spurfowls, yellow necked spurfowls, painted dwarf gecko, Sudan mabuya, graceful chameleon, skink, African stripped skink, lesser kestrel, Madagascar pond heron, lesser flamingo, and many more.
Birding is favorable in November to April as they migrate to the park to socialize and meet other bird species.
3. Large intense herds of elephants at Amboseli NP
Amboseli national park is known to be the home of numerous elephants in Kenya .wildlife safari destination for large herds of elephants are real at the park. Elephants in Amboseli national park are populated to over 1000 elephants including 58 families and independent adult males close to 300 males.
Recognition and identification of these families is made as by the coded names given to them. Amboseli national park is a worldly popular home for the biggest free ranging elephants in the world and they can be seen while on a Kenya game viewing safari in the park.
4. Tree climbing lions at Amboseli NP
Amboseli national park is the right destinations for tree climbing lions in Kenya as well as Africa. It’s very rare for one to view or sight out one of the kind but it’s a reality when one tours the land of Giants, ‘tree climbing lions‘ as it states seems a little bizarre and unreal to those who have never seen this unusual behavior.
In fact, this phenomenon is so rare that there are only two documented populations of tree climbing lions on the planet have been noted. While a leopard sleeping lazily in the treetops is a common sight on safari in the bush, this strange behavior exhibited by lions has been the subject of interest and wonder.
As many people wonder if lions do climb trees, well the answer is they do climb trees as they are even have the cat characters in them and they are easily spotted resting on tree branches during Kenya game viewing safari. Amboseli national park populates 100 lions which makes it unique amongst the many wildlife destinations.
5. Scenic views of Mount Kilimanjaro at Amboseli NP
Amboseli national park gives a spectacular view of Mountain Kilimanjaro and its snow capped peaks that boost its scenic view and making Amboseli national Park the right destination to exercise the activity. Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent rising at 5,895 meters above the sea level.
Mountain Kilimanjaro dominates the savannah landscape of Amboseli national park almost 6 vertical kilometers above, with large population of big tusked elephants and many other animals with the backdrop of the mighty mountain hidden in the clouds creates a magnificent scenery perfect for photography and sightseeing. Mount Kilimanjaro gives a scenic view during early morning and afternoon times.
6. Hot air balloon safaris at Amboseli NP
While on a Kenya safari in Amboseli, Hot air balloon safaris is an activity you shouldn’t miss. Hot air balloon safari is a thrilling safari activity offering excellent views of Amboseli national park from an aerial view from the ride suspended in the sky above the landscape of the park, hot air balloon experience starts as early as 6:00 am in the morning so as to enjoy the spectacular sunrise. As you ride in the hot air balloon safari you will enjoy views of large herds of elephants, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, lions, leopards and snowcapped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Amboseli national park hot air balloon
7. Game viewing at Amboseli NP
Amboseli national Park offers an excellent wildlife viewing safaris and makes it the best destinations for Kenya wildlife safari in Africa. The park hosts large herds of elephants which are spotted wallowing in the muddy waters together with hippos. A clear view the park wildlife is much evident in the morning and evening times as they can easily be spotted, animals such as lions, cheetahs, giraffe, wildebeests, zebras, spotted hyenas, antelopes and many more.
On game viewing safaris in Amboseli you get to enjoy viewing the spectacular African dawn and sunset over the landscape of Amboseli
8. Cultural encounters at Amboseli NP
Cultural encounters in Amboseli are amazing Kenya cultural safari that enables one on knowing the different cultures of the Maasai communities situated on the boundaries of the park.
Cultural encounter activities are done under the supervision of a knowledgeable game ranger or guide about Maasai people and their culture. Cultural encounters offers an opportunity to learn more about the Maasai cultures, norms and traditions including cattle rearing, cultural dances and drama, interact with the elders and visit the bomas, schools and market centers of the Maasai people. These give a new understanding of the human race in Kenya and desire to make it one’s destination for the tour.
9. Luxury and special occasions at Amboseli NP
Look no further while searching for a top class luxurious destination for pleasure as Amboseli national park is your best destination, as the park gives luxury adventures of its attractions. Five 5 star hotels and lodges that reach the desired tourist standards give one experience to explore his adventurous mind satisfaction during his tour or visit to Amboseli national park.
Hotels like OI Tukai Lodge and Kibo safari camp. These give a great reason for the tour.
10. Amboseli NP is easy to combine in your Kenya safari to other national parks
Amboseli national park is strategically situated 140 kilometers south of Nairobi the capital city of Kenya which makes it favorable point of most Kenya safaris, the park stretches to the border of Kenya and Tanzania at Kajiabo County and neighboring other grand Kenya wildlife destinations such as Tsavo West and Tsavo East national park.
Because of the location of Amboseli national park, the park can easily be the best destination for your safaris to other Kenya wildlife safari destination. Other than the best 10 reasons to visit Amboseli National Park, there are several other amazing things at the park which will amaze you when you visit.