AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK - KENYA

Background Information

Amboseli National park lies immediately North West of Mt. Kilimanjaro, on the border with Tanzania.

Amboseli was established as areserve in 1968 and gazetted as a National park in 1974. The park covers 392 km2 and forms part of the much larger 3,000 km2 Amboseli ecosystem. Large concentrations of wildlife occur here in the dry season, making Amboseli a popular tourist destination. It is surrounded by 6 communally owned group ranches.

The Amboseli National park embodies 5 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 – the landscape is dominated by Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Location:
Amboseli National Park lies on the Kenya / Tanzania bonder in southern Kenya.It covers an area of 392km2

Climate:
The climate at the Amboseli National Park is mainly hot and dry. Amboseli is in the rain shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The maximum average temperature of the warmest month is 33ºC during the day, while that of the coldest is 27-28ºC. An annual rainfall of 300mm per annum is distributed in two seasons: April/May and November/December. Recurrent droughts and potential evaporation of 2200mm per annum typifies the region (KWS, 1991).

HOW TO REACH THERE

Natural World Mombasa Safaris includes Amboseli National park in its Kenya safari programs.

Roads:
The main road into the Amboseli National Park is from Nairobi  via Emali  (240 km) on the Nairobi-Mombasa Road, The road is tarmac upto the Amboseli.Access from Mombasa is mainly through Tsavo West via Kimana (Olkelunyiet) Gate.

Airstrip:
The Amboseli National  park has a single airstrip for light aircraft at empusel gate. Other airstrips exist at Kilimanjaro Buffalo lodge and Namanga town.

Park Roads:
At the Amboseli National Park, game Viewing roads network covers the park adequately. Many of the park viewing roads are not usable during the rains and because of the loose ashy nature of volcanic soil, the roads become very dusty during the dry season.

Park Gates:
Amboseli National  park has five gates, Kelunyiet, Iremito, IImeshanan, Kitirua and Airstrip.

Safari Programs that visits Amboseli National Park

4 Days Tsavo West Amboseli & Tsavo East
7 Days Tsavo East, Amboseli, Nairobi, Masai Mara, L. Nakuru
Mombasa , Kenya Coast, Tsavo West, Amboseli, Nairobi             

Other Kenya National Parks

Aberdare National Park
Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve
Lake Nakuru National Park
Masai Mara Game Reserve
Meru National Nakuru
Mt.Kenya national Park
Tsavo East National Park
Tsavo West National Park
Shimba Hills National Park