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Amboseli
North of Mt. Kilimanjaro and on the border with Tanzania, Kenyas Amboseli National Park covers nearly 400 square kilometers and contains five different wildlife habitats (open plains, acacia woodland, rocky thorn-bush country, swamps and marshland) and covers part of a pleistocene lake basin, now dry, but in which during heavier floods in the rainy season create the temporary Lake Amboseli. During the dry season it is a popular destination for tourists as large numbers of wildlife come here to graze. Amboseli is famous for its big game and its great scenic beauty completed by the dramatic backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Amboseli is actually in the rain shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro, although the two rainy seasons April/May and November/December produce up to 300mm of rainfall, but the hot dry climate is no match for the rain, and droughts are common.
There are several aspects to Amboseli National Park that deserve attention. These include the proximity of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru, Observation Hill with its wonderful panoramic view of the entire park, especially the swamps and elephants, the contemporary Maasai culture and indigenous lifestyle, and a number of fine up scale lodges and tented camps for wildlife viewing.
