Your safari vacation will be held in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Located about 250 kilometers from Nairobi and along the Tanzanian border, Amboseli National Park derives its name from the Maasai word ‘empusel’ that means salty, dusty place. Declared a national park in 1974 to protect its unique and fragile ecosystem, the Amboseli National Park offers landscapes of remarkable contrasts, such as arid zones alongside lush oases of the swamps.
The ecosystem of this low rainfall region depends on the water from Mount Kilimanjaro. A particular feature of the Amboseli National Park is the possibility to take postcard photos of elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro.
Covering an area of 392 square kilometers, the park is, in addition to elephants, home to numerous animals such as giraffes, wildebeests, antelopes, buffalos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas, as well as over 400 species of birds such as pelicans, kingfishers, cranes, hamerkop, and 47 types of raptors that live alongside the Maasai villages.
This compact park is abundant with wildlife and allows for excellent game viewing. Its vegetation consists of a combination of sprawling grasslands, swampy springs, and dry dusty earth. From observation hill, you will have a view of the entire park and especially the swamp areas where buffalos, elephants, hippos, and a diversity of water birds come to cool off and refresh themselves. Look out for the shy porcupine who only dares to emerge at sunset.
Distances
- Nairobi, 250 kilometers - 4 hours