Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park, the second most popular animal park after Maasai Mara, is 260km (160 miles) from Nairobi, on the border with the neighboring country of Tanzania. Its magnificent situation at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, combined with its excellent opportunities to view Kenya's animals, make it one of the most-visited safari parks in Kenya.

With its awesome view of Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest mountain at 5,895m), Amboseli National Park offers a unique and breathtaking backdrop for viewing Africa's animals. It also has a dry Pleistocene lake basin that houses a temporary lake, Lake Amboseli, after the rains.

Amboseli is renowned for its large herds of free-ranging African elephants. There are over 900 African elephants in Amboseli, as well as huge herds of wildebeests and many other animals including giraffes, African lions, monkeys, zebras, hyenas and antelope.

Climate

The climate in the Amboseli region is hot and dry. The national park is in the rain shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, as it lies on the northwest side. Average temperatures vary only slightly throughout the year. The minimum average daily temperature is 27°C and the maximum is 33°C.

Getting there

By Road: Use your own vehicle, take public transportation, or book an open-topped minibus or safari van tour with a tour guide. The road from Nairobi to Namanga (240km/149 miles) is tarmac, but becomes rough with potholes from Namanga to the Meshanani Gate. Access from Mombasa is generally best through Tsavo West National Park via Kimana (Olkelunyiet) Gate. Amboseli National Park has gates at Kelunyiet, Iremito, Ilmeshanan, Kitrua and Airstrips.

By Air: A chartered light aircraft may land at the airstrip at Empusel Gate. Other airstrips exist at Namanga and Kilimanjaro Buffalo Lodge. You can also book a scheduled flight departing from Nairobi to Amboseli.