Amboseli National Park

In southern Kenya, near the Tanzanian border lies a visitor destination that never ceases to amaze. It’s called the Amboseli National Park, a 39,206-hectare piece of rich savannah grassland where flora and fauna abound. The park is set against Africa’s highest peak and is considered to be the world’s tallest free standing mountain – the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro.

This expanse of land is home to over 400 species of birds, not to mention the wildlife which includes giraffes, impalas, cheetah, lions, elephants, hippos, zebras, baboons among other creatures. It’s no wonder that Amboseli National Park attracts a large number of big game hunters every year. In fact, it is one of the three most visited game areas in Kenya (next to Nakuru National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve). Because of its diverse animal population, the park has been named UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Those who have visited will notice the Maasai people – proud warriors who are known to have fought wild animals single-handedly – call it their home. Over the years, they have learned to live in perfect harmony with nature and the wild animals. Its closeness to the Tanzanian border as well as Kenya’s capital Nairobi makes Amboseli National Park a weekend getaway of choice for most visitors and game enthusiasts alike.

While comprised mostly of grassland, the park also has a dried up lake bed that is occasionally subjected to flooding while the swamps and springs take their waters from Kilimanjaro’s melting snow. But despite its majestic scenery, the awesome display of wildlife is still the main attraction in the park. It has become a haven for photographers and documentaries as they join safari to get closer to nature and its wildlife. Ask any hunter and he would probably tell you that the best place to start your hunting expedition is within the swampland. Just go to the Observation Hill look out for the best game.

Amboseli National Park