Tourist Attractions in Amboseli National Park: Amboseli National Park is one of the famous and most visited Kenyan parks, because it hosts high concentration of African elephants and a great location with magnificent scenic view of Mount Kilimanjaro and rewardable for photography. However, the word Amboseli derives from Masai word which means salty dust and a popular destination on African continent to find the largest herds of elephants up close. To the nature lover- adventures take a visit to Amboseli and be able to adventure several habitants of water source ranging from the dried of lake Amboseli, wetlands with Sulphur springs as well as savannah and woodland. You can still do cultural encounter by visiting the local Masai community who live around the park and experience their authentic culture. More so, Amboseli national park is a home of big four mammals and other wildlife species which include Cheetah, wild dogs, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, lions, mongoose, hyrax, dik-dik, lesser Kudu, leopards, nocturnal porcupine among others. The park is hoven for birdlife species with more than 400species including the water birds like kingfishers, crakes, pelicans, hamerkop and over 47 raptor species to be explored here.
Generally, Amboseli National Park lies in Kajiado south constituency covering a small piece of land that rises 392.06 square kilometers in size and the park is surrounded with the unique local people known as the Maasai who settles there to attract tourists on their safari to the park. Furthermore, the park gazetted as a national park in 1974 to protect the unique ecosystem, which become a UNESCO Site in 1991. The establishment of the Amboseli national park was to provide protection to diversity of wild animals such as Cape buffaloes, Impala, lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, Maasai giraffes, grant’s zebra, lion, cheetah. African bush elephants and blue wildebeest among others. The park is located about 240 kilometers south of Nairobi Kenya’s Capital City.
Visit Amboseli National Park on your next visit on Kenya Wildlife Safaris Tours and get amazing chance to be rewarded to variety of tourist’s attractions as they are highlighted below;
Wildlife
Amboseli National Park is a Kenyan popular safari destination that offers with rewarding wildlife viewing opportunities , though the park sounds to be a stopping place to adventure the high concentration of elephants while roaming around in the dusty plains of the park , which can be viewed around Ol Kenya Swamp and OI Tukai sited in the heart of the park .The OI Tukai is featured of woodland yellow fever and doum palm tree and the word OI Tukai is in Swahili language which means ‘’ a cool retreat for elephants’’.
Besides being a beautiful place to see large herds of elephants on African safari, more so, Amboseli national park is a home to bio-diversity of wild animals such as wildebeests, Thomson gazelle, hippos, zebras, leopards, spotted hyenas, Masai giraffes, buffaloes, lions, cheetah, spotted hyenas, cape buffaloes, hippos, impala among others.
Birdwatching
Amboseli National Park is a truly haven for birding safari on African continent that ranks with over 400 bird species which are recorded. Birding in the park can be done in the savannah plains and forest inhabitants, around swamps and lake such birds include; large concentration of flamingoes, pelicans, crowned cranes, egrets, herons among others best spotted in wet seasons when fruits are in plenty starting from month of March to May and October to December.
Other species to see in grassland areas and woodland they include; Yellow-necked spur fowl, Lesser flamingo common redshank, Von der Dicken’s hornbill, Rufous chatterer, Long-toed lapwing, Rufous-bellied heron, Spike-heeled lark, Taveta golden weaver among others. There is also migratory bird list which can be seen in Amboseli from November and April.
Lakes
The park is filled with water bodies and consists of seasonal lakes which are found in the western region of the park and they are occupied of the drained basin of an ancient lake of the Pleistocene and the lakes which usually gets ful during the rainy season. Lakes include Kioko Lake, Conch Lake, Amboseli Lake, Simel Lake. However, the park’s lake shore features swamps with thick papyrus hence being residents for aquatic bird species in Amboseli National Park. These lakes are great location for spotting water birds and large concentration of wildlife animal species as they come to drink water, Tourist Attractions in Amboseli National Park .
Marshes
Amboseli national park features with a chain of marshes and swamps which is a source of water supply to animals within the park. Marshes in the park can be found in the central part of Amboseli and they feature with bright green color thus standing out in the arid and dusty plains of the park. Marshes in the park they include; OI Tukai, Ologinya /OI Okenya, Enkongo or Ngong Narok Narok, Engone Naibor among others.
All marshes in the park are feed by spring water which come from the melting snow of impressive Mount Kilimanjaro, the water that springs penetrate the volcanic soils down into the valley, they do attract number of animals as they come to quench for water and they are rewarding place to explore hippo, elephants and water bird species like kingfishers, cattle egrets, heron, black-winged stilts among others.
Observation hill
This is the most stunning place to view the endless plains of the park, which is located in western region of Amboseli national park. This hill also known as a pyramid-shaped hill that lies in the western region of Amboseli National Park.
The observation hill is a stopping area by the tourists who goes up to the summit of the hill ,to have a gainful view of the majestically Mount Kilimanjaro ,scenic beauty of the park and also viewing of wild animals at a close view ,view marshes ,savannah plains many more .However ,Amboseli national park is the only place where visitors are allowed to get off on vehicle while on game viewing safari in order to view the park’s treasures along the spectacular observation point which is a stopping area.
Elephant research camp
The elephant research camp is found in Amboseli National park mainly offers research about the elephants within the park and this is the main stopping place in world to do research and study of elephants. This research camp is under the guidance of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants though it’s not open for casual visits from tourists on a safari. Researchers here explains their work and other related issues concerning elephant’s conservation.
Mountain Kilimanjaro
This is one of the tourist attractions in Amboseli national park, which can be clearly viewed with gainful sights while on visit. Mountain Kilimanjaro is the tallest free impressive mountain in Africa that stands at the altitude of 5,895 meters above the sea level. However, it features with snowcapped summit comprised of scenic landscape and along here the view of its summit is rewarding and magical for photography.
Lastly, on your next safari to Kenya destination let Amboseli National Park be among your bucket list because the visit is quite privilege and worth a visit.
