Amboseli & Tsavo

See the famous Amboseli elephant herds move across the plains against the backdrop of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro...

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Year round - perhaps avoid the long rains in April

Overview

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 easily link them in one safari. But each area is different.

Amboseli National Park

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

Towards the centre of Amboseli are a series of marshes fed by underground channels. These carry melt water from the glaciers of Kilimanjaro. And 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, they have countered 47 raptors, including the rare taita falcon and southern banded harrier eagle.

Mount Kilimanjaro as backdrop to a Amboseli safari

Our recommended Amboseli safari camps include Tortilis Camp and Amboseli Porini Camp.

Safaris in Tsavo West & East

Travel further and you reach the Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks. Yes, the Tsavo area is so vast that it is divided into two separate parks. The Nairobi highway bissects them on its way to the coast. As well as the famous railway linking Nairobi with Mombasa.

Nearby, in the Chyulu Hills, is one of the best safari experiences in Kenya, Ol Donyo Lodge. As well as the much-loved Camp Ya Kanzi.

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Features

Why you may love it

  • See the famous Amboseli elephant herds move across the plains against the backdrop of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro
  • Best place from which to view Africa’s highest freestanding mountain (at 5985m or 19,340ft)
  • One of the most popular game parks in Kenya - only one hour flight from Nairobi
  • Game is abundant and wildlife eat the grasses so low that it’s easy to spot them
  • Amboseli’s water source supports some 1500 elephants, plus the local Masai community and their livestock
  • Marshland is home to a prolific number of bird species – perfect for birders

When to visit Amboseli & Tsavo

Mid-Dec to mid-March

Summer in Amboseli & Tsavo

Amboseli lies on the edge of the inland plateau at 1180m (3,700ft). However this lower altitude means that it is hotter and drier than the Masai Mara. This yields the characteristic dry savanna plains. Overall it rains less here (700mm less annually than the Masai Mara). The summer has hot 30C days and pleasantly warm nights with only occasional afternoon showers.
AVG RAINFALL 69 mm
MAX TEMP 30 ℃ / 86 ℉
MIN TEMP 16 ℃ / 61 ℉

Mid-March to May

Autumn in Amboseli & Tsavo

The long rains here take the form of hard afternoon showers and they make park roads more tricky to navigate. It is not the ideal time to visit, though there is less rain than in the Mara.
AVG RAINFALL 204 mm
MAX TEMP 27 ℃ / 81 ℉
MIN TEMP 17 ℃ / 63 ℉

June to mid-Oct

Winter in Amboseli & Tsavo

This is the best time to visit for your safari. This is the slightly cooler and driest time of the year with pleasant daytime temperatures but cool nights. Though it is generally dry, it can rain at any time in the Mara.
AVG RAINFALL 23 mm
MAX TEMP 24 ℃ / 75 ℉
MIN TEMP 14 ℃ / 57 ℉

Mid-Oct to mid-Dec

Spring in Amboseli & Tsavo

November is the time of the less intense short rains. However the rain comes as afternoon or night showers so there’s plenty of sunshine as well.
AVG RAINFALL 88 mm
MAX TEMP 28 ℃ / 82 ℉
MIN TEMP 16 ℃ / 61 ℉

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Natasha Jantjies

Africa Travel Specialist

Hi I'm Natasha, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience
 
Did you know
  • Size39,206 ha in size
  • CultureLocal people are mainly Maasai 

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