Amboseli National Park, at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, 5895m Mount Kilimanjaro, is one of the most popular of Kenya's national parks and a place of stark contrast. The snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro rising above a saucer of clouds dominates every aspect of Amboseli. Gazetted as a national park in 1974 it supports a wide range of mammals (well over 50 of the larger species) and birds (over 400 species) despite its small size and its fragile ecosystem. Years ago this was the locale around which such famous writers as Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark spun their stories of big-game hunting in the wilds of Africa.
LANDSCAPE
During dry seasons a curious feature is the shimmering dry lakebed where false mirages of populated horizons, punctuated by real herds of zebra and wildebeest hover in front of visitors. The endemic dust is volcanic ash, which spewed from Kilimanjaro millennia ago.
However, despite its sometimes dry and dusty appearance, Amboseli (meaning "A place of water" in maa, language of the Masai) has an endless water supply filtered through thousands of feet of volcanic rock from Kilimanjaro's snowmelt. These underground streams converge into two clear water springs in the heart of the park and feed a massive swamp area ensuring permanent watering places for the wildlife through times of drought.
GAME & BIRDS
The snows of Kilimanjaro, white and crystalline, form a majestic backdrop to one of Kenya's most spectacular displays of wildlife. Alongside the principal attraction of vast herds of elephants with bulls sporting some of the largest tusks in Kenya, there are zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala and leopard, caracal and serval cat to be seen, creating Kenya's most sought after photographer's paradise.
Birdwatchers can see pelicans, bee-eaters, kingfishers, African fish eagle, martial eagle and pygmy falcon. The park's best game runs are around the swamps and there is a fine lookout on Observation Hill which offers views over the whole of the park and beyond.
PEOPLE
Amboseli is also an important rangeland of the Masai people, those tall, proud nomads whose legendary prowess in battle and single handed acts of bravery in fights with wild animals has spread across the globe. Perhaps more than any other community in Kenya the Masai have learned to live in complete harmony with their environment and the wildlife which surrounds them.
The Kenya Wildlife Community Service works closely with local elders to develop ecotourism attractions, which benefit indigenous communities and protect this fragile eco-system.
