|
1. General information
East Africa is host to the largest animal on land: the elephant.
Herds of these can be seen strolling the plains and it is from the
Amboseli national park where one can capture this breathtaking image.
Amboseli not only boasts of this but from here, Mount Kilimanjaro
can be viewed exceptionally well in the early mornings and late
evenings providing ambience.
The park is home to the Maasai community whose culture
and values are an attraction in itself, however this has been punctuated
by adversity such as the reallocation of the park's land by the
Kenya Wildlife Services. The park was established in 1974 and covers
an area of 392 km square. It forms part of the Amboseli eco- system
covering an area of 3000km Square. It is located on the border with
Tanzania and Kajiado district, in southern Kenya.
Famous authors such as Ernest Hemingway and Robert
Ruark have based their works on game- culture in the African wilderness
from this park.
2. Getting there
Amboseli is approximately 200km from Nairobi and the usual route
is via Namanga. The road is tarmacked up until Namanga from where
the ride becomes rough. The other road is via Emali on the Nairobi-
Mombasa road. The park has a single airstrip for light aircraft
with Air Kenya providing daily flights. The park can be accessed
via five gates, Kelunyiet, Iremito, Imeshanan, Kitirua & Airstrip.
3. Major attractions
Amboseli National park is generally not a large park but there is
plenty to see. The animal selection is vastly diverse. Elephants
are a majority, the largest number in all Kenyan parks. The openness
of the park has enabled predators such as the cheetahs and hyenas
to roam around. Other animals include hippos found in the swamps,
wildebeest, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, buffalos, and birds of
all sorts.
Also to be seen is the aforementioned Mount kilimanjaro,
which is the world's tallest freestanding mountain. Mount Meru can
also be seen enhanced by the observation hill, which allows an overall
view of the park.
The Maasai community, one of the few communities
to have maintained their cultural practices adapting a few contemporary
elements, attracts visitors both locally and internationally. Activities
in the park are mainly wildlife viewing. Most of Amboseli is flat
and dusty with two swamps that provide sanctuary for the hippos.
Vegetation has been mostly affected by tourism itself thus tour
vehicles are asked to stick to the legitimate roads.
Subscribe to our Free Newsletter
Our FREE bi-monthly e-mail newsletter is the best way to
keep you informed about your favourite travel destinations in Africa.
Subscribe and recieve tons of tips relating to African travel, exclusive
up to the minute offers on exciting tours, safaris, hotels, car
hire, general travel news and other travelers experiences.
Do you know that some of our best offers are only available
to subscribers of the newsletter?
Just fill out the form below and be a subscriber
today!
Note: We do not disclose any personal
infomation of yours to anyone and also do not condone spam or junk
email.
|
