Amboseli National Park is a spectacular park which is found in Kenya in an area called Loitoktok. There are some things which make Amboseli a dream destination for many tourists. Read on to discover the uniqueness of Amboseli National Park.
- Amboseli Has The Best View Of Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro which is located in Tanzania is known far and wide as the highest mountain in Africa. There is no doubt that the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro are especially seen in Kenya since it is close to the border. Any tourist visiting Amboseli National Park will confirm that the views of Mount Kilimanjaro from the park are surely wonderful because the park is also found close to the border of Kenya and Tanzania.
There is an observation hill in the park which makes the view to be just magnificent. The observation hill is the highest area in the park and it gives an aerial view of the whole park. The best times to view Mount Kilimanjaro very clearly would be early in the morning at sunrise and late in the evening at sunset. At other times of the day, the mountain may be covered with clouds considering its great height and it would be difficult to see it. At sunrise and sunset, the sky is mostly clear and the view of the mountain would be very clear.
- It Is Not As Crowded As Most National Parks
When you visit most of the parks in Kenya, you are likely to experience some traffic jams in the park, especially during the high season. This can be caused by wild animals which may be on the road or even a high number of people. Due to this, a tourist may not be able to visit various places in the park and see different wild animals.
However, this is not the case with Amboseli National Park. Amboseli National Park is not a very huge park that requires a very long time to traverse. This ensures that the tourists coming to visit get the most out of their time in the park. It is also easy to keep a close watch over wild animals. Amboseli, being less popular than other parks and reserves like Masai Mara, does not have so many tourists. Therefore any tourists hoping to visit are assured that everything is bound to go smoothly.
- It Is Quite Close To Nairobi So You Can Plan A Day Safari
The proximity of Amboseli to Nairobi makes it convenient for anyone to plan a getaway from the noisy city especially during the weekends as a family. For any tourist planning to visit Amboseli, they can travel by road or even by air transport.
The distance is approximately 215.8 kilometers from Nairobi, if you are planning to travel by road. There are different gates by which you can access the park which are the airstrip gate, kulunyiet gate, Iremito gate, and Meshananai gate. There is no specification on whether you can use public transport or road transport as any can do. There are various buses which offer transport in the park. It is advised to use a 4×4 wheel car due to the rough terrain in the park.
If you prefer using air transport there are numerous chartered flights which offer transport services to airstrips around the park. The airports offering these flights include Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and AirKenya flying among others. Air transport is most suitable as it only takes an average of 45 minutes. When using air transport it is important to carry original travel documents and visas and to ensure you have a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
- The Terrain And Weather Conditions Are Quite Friendly
Whenever planning for a visit it is always important to research the weather conditions of the preferred destination to make an informed decision on when to visit. The Amboseli region experiences two seasons, one when it is very sunny and hot and the other when it is wet and showers are falling. The season when it is normally sunny and quite dry is experienced in June and July and also August and September. At this time the temperatures may be very high in the daytime and fall considerably at night. At this time it is rare to experience any rain.
The wet season is experienced in January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. At this time there are some short rains which are followed by long rains which may cause the roads to be almost impassable due to mud. However, the presence of the rains does not mean that the temperatures are low. At times the temperatures may be very high. Since some of the drives take place in the morning, you should wear warm clothes since it can be cold.
The land in Amboseli National Park is mostly plains hence it is easy to drive through it. The terrain also depends on the present weather in the area. When there are rains in the park the terrain can be quite challenging to pass through since it is muddy. At this time the roads can be impassable, especially for a vehicle which is not a 4×4 wheel. When it is dry it is easy to pass through.
- It Is A Great Destination For Bird Watching
Amboseli National Park has been featured as a preferred place to observe different kinds of birds. It is estimated that there are about 420 species of birds in Amboseli. The expansive grassland regions and water in Amboseli offer a suitable place for birds such as Herons and Pelicans to live in. There is no specific time of the year for seeing the birds as they can be seen anytime depending on the presence of food. It has been noted that there are more birds in the wet season from November to April since the migrating birds come to the park. Various documentaries about our birds have featured their programmes in the park.