Amboseli National Park in Kenya

Do you know why Amboseli national park is called Kilimanjaro Royal Court? Do you want coolest guide to Kilimanjaro shadow national park in Kenya.

Amboseli lies immediately north-west of Mount Kilimanjaro,on the border with Tanzania. Amboseli was established as a reserve in 1968 and gazetted as a National Park in 1974.

The Park covers 392 square km, and forms part of the much larger 3,000 square km Amboseli ecosystem. Large concentrations of wildlife occur here in the dry season, making Amboseli a popular tourist destination.

Amboseli national park on the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro

It is surrounded by six communally owned group ranches.The national Park embodies five main wildlife habitats (open plains, acacia woodland, rocky thorn bush country, swamps and marshland) and covers part of a 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 – and the landscape is dominated by the towering Mount Kilimanjaro.

landscape of Amboseli National Park

Contact details of Amboseli

PO Box 18 Namanga Tel: +254 (0)456 22251 Fax: +254 (0)456 22250 www.kws.go.ke

Contact person 

Senior Warden

Location of Amboseli

On the border with Tanzania,Loitokitok District, South Kenya

Distance from Nairobi to Amboseli 

Namanga (240 km), Emali (228 km)

Size 392 square km

Park fees 

Go to www.kws.go.ke or contact tour operator.

Climatic conditions of Amboseli National Park

Climatic conditions of Amboseli National Park

The climate is mainly hot and dry. Amboseli is in the rain shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The maximum average temperature of the warmest month is 33°C during the day, while that of the coldest is 27-28°C.

An annual rainfall of 300 mm per annum is distributed over two seasons: April/May and November/December.

Recurrent droughts and potential evaporation of 2,200 mm per annum typifies the region.

Big Elephants the Major Attractions of Amboseli Game Park

Major Attractions of Amboseli Game Park

Mount Kilimanjaro; Observation Hill which allows an overall view of the whole park especially the swamps and elephants;

Swamp below observation hill hosts many elephants, buffaloes, hippos and a variety of water fowl like pelican; Egyptian goose; contemporary Maasai culture and indigenous lifestyle; herds of elephants

Wildlife in Amboseli Game park

Amboseli has over 80 different mammals to be found ranging from the tiny (and rarely seen) spectacled elephant shrew to the huge bulk of the African elephant.

Few visitors will go home without superb elephant pictures with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. There are over 400 bird species.

Access to Amboseli

Roads:

The main road into the park is from Nairobi via Namanga (240 km) on the Nairobi-Arusha Road, via Meshanani Gate.

The road is tarmaced up to Namanga but is murram from Namanga to Meshanani Gate (75km). The other road is via Emali (228 km) on the Nairobi - Mombasa Road.

The road is tarmaced up to Emali and murram from Emali to Remito Gate (64 km) Access from Mombasa is mainly through Tsavo West via Kimana (Olkelunyiet) Gate.

Airstrips:

The Park has an airstrip at Empusel gate. There is also an airstrip for light aircraft at the Park Headquarters (Olekelunyiet). Other airstrips exist at Kilimanjaro Buffalo Lodge and Namanga town.

Kenya Wildlife Service:

 Kilimanjaro Guest house, Kibo Guest House, Simba Bandas, NyatiBandas, Chui Bandas

Zebras of Amboseli National Park in Kenya