Amboseli, Chyulu Hills and Tsavo are three separate and distinct game parks in the south-east of Kenya. All have fabulous views of Mount Kilimanjaro, and you can link all of them in one safari. But each is different. And so you can treat each one as a stand-alone destination as well.

Amboseli National Park is generally flat savanna grassland dotted with acacia shrub and stands of fever trees. Game is plentiful with buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, giraffe, lion and cheetah all here. Plus you can see the smaller mammals such as the ever-present black backed jackals, spotted hyena and bat eared foxes.

Towards the centre of the park are a series of marshes fed by underground channels carrying melt water from the glaciers of Kilimanjaro. These waters are the only permanent water source for miles around.

Marshland birds include pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, egrets, hammerkops and even the rare Madagascar squacco heron. So far, 47 raptors have been identified, including the rare taita falcon and southern banded harrier eagle.

Our recommended Amboseli safari camps include Tortilis Camp and Amboseli Porini Camp. Nearby, in the Chyulu Hills, is one of the best safari experiences in Kenya, Ol Donyo Lodge.

Safaris in Tsavo West & East

Travel further and you reach the Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks. Tsavo is so vast that it is separated into two separate parks. These are bisected by the Nairobi highway to the coast. And also the famous railway linking Nairobi with Mombasa