Is Amboseli Worth Visiting? My Advice as a Local

There are many decisions you will need to make when going on an African Safari. One of the major ones will be: which game reserve you will visit. On your list, The Amboseli National Park will likely be at the top. It’s a gorgeous park located in the southwest of Nairobi Kenya and it has a great view of the Kilimanjaro. So the question is, with all of the National parks to choose from in Kenya, is there Amboseli worth visiting?

The Amboseli National Park is definitely worth visiting. It has some of the same attractions as some of the other popular national parks in Kenya but its unique safari experience and great diversity make Amboseli a National Park in Kenya that is absolutely worth visiting. However, if you are planning to visit the Masai Mara, you can safely skip the Amboseli without the risk of missing out on much since the two parks are fairly similar. You will probably have very similar experiences in both parks but the Masai Mara has greater diversity. On the other hand, if you love elephants and want to see lots of them, visit the Amboseli. In this article, I have prepared a list of the pros and cons of visiting the Amboseli National Park as a tourist. I wrote it as a good way of helping you figure out if it’s worth visiting.

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Pros of visiting the Amboseli National Park

It’s Well maintained

Amboseli National Park is very well maintained. Part of the reason why this is the case is the fact that it is not a very large park. The the park rangers are able to keep a close watch on all the animals and maintain all the roads.

Great diversity

There’s a great diversity of animals and birds in the Amboseli. This makes it a wonderful place to visit if you want to see a large number of animals and diverse species of birds. Expect to find the following animals in the Amboseli national park:

• African bush elephant
• African buffalo
• Impala
• Lion
• Cheetah
• Hyena
• Giraffe

Beautiful Scenery

The Amboseli has some really beautiful sceneries. I still reminisce on the beauty of the landscapes there even though it is about 13 years since I last visited the park.

Concentrations of animals in the dry season

The dry season is always the best place to visit any of Kenya’s national parks and the Amboseli is no exception. The park gives a wonderful spectacle of large herds of animals that congregate near the water during the dry season.
The dry season makes herbivores gather near the few water bodies in the park. In turn, carnivores also get drawn to the water in search of prey. This means that you will have a greater chance of seeing a hunt this season.

Lots of elephants

The Amboseli national park has a population of about 1200 elephants and the elephants there are some of the most studied in the world. Due to the fact that it’s a small park, you will run into a lot of elephants along your way. Views of the elephants are some of my most poignant memories when I think about Kenyan National Parks. The Amboseli is where these memories were made.

View of the Kilimanjaro

Amboseli is located at the foot of Kilimanjaro and you will occasionally catch a glimpse of the magnificent mountain once in a while. The view is not guaranteed since the Kilimanjaro is usually covered by thick clouds all year round so look out for it but temper your expectations.

Cons of Visiting the Amboseli National Park

Distance from Nairobi

The Amboseli is about 4 hours from Nairobi and this drive may be uncomfortable for some. the road into the Amboseli from the Namanga junction is rough and dusty and this may also be a bit of a turn-off. If you’re looking for a national park that is a bit closer to Nairobi consider the Nairobi national park or the Lake Nakuru national park. they are closer to Nairobi and would provide a bit of a similar experience to what you would find in the Amboseli.

You won’t get to see all the Big 5

There are no rhinos in the Amboseli national park. this means that if seeing all the big five was in your bucket list, then the Amboseli may not be the best place to visit. other members of the big five are also a bit rare to find in the Amboseli. These are the lion and leopards and this makes this park less attractive for those who are keen on seeing all the big five.

A higher cost of entry

The entry fee for accessing the Amboseli national park is higher than most other national parks apart from Mara. At the time of writing this article, the entry fee for foreigners is $60 per person per day. Adding this to the other costs of the Safari, the cost of visiting the Amboseli is higher than that of other national parks nearer Nairobi.

Not a very big park

The Amboseli national park is not as big as some of the other parks in Kenya. This means that you will spend less time in this park. You need to put this into consideration when thinking about whether this spark is worth visiting. I personally visited the park for one day and felt that I could see but the feeling was not the same when I visited the Maasai Mara.

So is the Amboseli Worth Visiting?

I think the park is worth visiting if you have some extra time and money after visiting the Masai Mara. however, this should not be the only park you visit when in Kenya because you will not get to see all that there is to see in terms of wildlife. I personally enjoyed the Masai Mara more than there Amboseli and I am a bit biased towards the Mara.

Alternatives to the Amboseli National Park

If you will not be visiting the Amboseli National Park, below are a few alternatives. These are either nearer Nairobi or provide greater wildlife variety for you as a tourist.

1. The Nairobi National Park:. This park is just a few minutes from the central business district of Nairobi and offers a large variety of wildlife and a few interesting views.
2. Lake Nakuru National Park: This is another popular national park in Kenya that boasts a number of the big five with the most notable being the White and Black Rhino. It is also home to the rare spectacle of flamingos.
3. Hells Gate National Park: This park is more common for its nature walk than its wildlife. It does not have a lot of wildlife and is home to only one of the Big 5 (the Buffalo). However, I have been to this park 2 times and would go back again because of the views and challenging hike.
4. The Masai Mara: This park offers the greatest variety of wildlife and is home to all the Big 5. It is the most popular national park in Kenya this is mainly due to the Great migration that Attracts thousands of tourists every year.