The Amboseli is the second most fascinating destination after the Masai Mara and its well known for its numerous herds of elephants also known as the “floating Jumbos” from how the elephants look while walking through the swamps located inside the park. Amboseli National Park is home to a variety of wildlife and birds such as the elephants which are abundant in the park, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hyena, Grants and Thompson Gazelles. With over 420 different bird species present at the park.
The park is surrounded mainly by the Masaai community who offer a great insight to their culture and way of life if you visit one of the Masaai cultural villages and provides you with a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. Climatic conditions at the Amboseli are usually hot and dry with temperatures ranging from 280 c during the day and 150 c during the night.
Being the home to a variety of wildlife species, Amboseli National Park is one of the best destination for game viewing. A part from the great spectacular view of mount Kilimanjaro, the permanent swamps inside the park are a common destination for tourist to view the elephant wallow in the mad or just quench their thirst. The observation hill offers a magical view of the savannah and the park in general, enabling a greater view of the sunsets and sunrise apart from seeing the variety of wildlife Amboseli has to offer.
Blessed with a variety of over 420 different species of birds, Amboseli can be classified as a great place for the Bird Lovers and bird watching enthusiasts. With Birds such as the African swamphen, common redshank, greater and lesser flamingoes, Eurasians thick- knee, long-toed lapwing and many other birds which can be easily noticed in the scattered swamps found in the park.
Avery common and magical activity is the riding of the Hot Air Balloons, which gives a spectacular birds eye view of the park and you can easily spot and observe the different species of wildlife at the park and the breathtaking landscapes Amboseli has to offer.
The Amboseli National Park generally has a hot and dry weather since the air discharges its moisture on Mount Kilimanjaro, where the rains occur and where it snows, therefore the air reaching this zone is usually devoided of moisture.
The only rains occur during the two rainy seasons: the season of the long rains from April to May and the small rainy season from November to December.
The park is open all year round but the best time for sightings of mammals, who meet at the limited sources of water present here, is during the dry season from June to October, with warm and dry days and from January to March with hot and dry days.
From November to January, it is the best time for birdwatching, in these months in fact in the park, in addition to residents, even birds migrating here during the palearctic winter, are present.
During the dry season the park is very arid, its terrain consists of volcanic ashes spilled from Mount Kilimanjaro more than 250,000 years ago and, with the absence of rains a lot of dust is raised and, due to the terrain and drafts, this creates several reels.
In addition, the crystallized salt, deposited on the soil surface as a result of the evaporation of rainwater filling the basin of the Lake Amboseli, often creates the curious effect of mirages.
During the rainy season, sightings are a little more difficult because the water sources are available a bit everywhere in the park and then the animals are dispersed; furthermore, if the rains are plentiful, roads are likely to become muddy and more difficult to practice.
