Tawi Lodge, Amboseli

Amboseli

 

Amboseli National Park covers 400 km2 of plains redeemed by the stunning spectacle of Kilimanjaro towering over it. Amboseli is one of the most popular parks in Kenya. The wildlife viewing is great all year round.

The name Amboseli comes from the word “empusel” which in the Maa language means “salty dust”. The area is indeed covered with dusty volcanic ash. The park is nevertheless quite lush in places, because the melting snows of Kilimanjaro flow underground into the park, continually feeding water to springs, swamps and marshes.

The highest mountain of Africa provides to Amboseli a special magical atmosphere at sunrise and sunset. This National Park has always been a favourite spot for wildlife and is, like Tsavo, elephant country. There are over 1000 elephants in the park eco-system, featuring some of the largest elephant’s population in Africa. There is always a concentration of animals along the swamps which are permanent enough to keep hippo all year and there are large herds of elephants and buffalos and a profusion of birdlife. Lions are very rare, but cheetahs are seen fairly frequently. Good numbers of herbivores are present: giraffes, oryx antelope, wildebeests, zebra and gazelles.

Elephant research projects have been carried out for 30 years in Amboseli with the famous conservationist Dr Cynthia Moss and have ensured the survival of the elephants as well as the Amboseli ecosystem.

 

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