AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK – AWESOME AMBOSELI!! – By GARETH JONES

The alarm clock buzzed at 04h00, we rapidly awoke and packed a few remaining items into our car and left Nairobi just after 05H00. I always try to plan safari trips out of Nairobi to leave very early in the morning to avoid the early morning traffic “jam”. We progressed quite well, and after leaving Athi river, soon we began to feel that we were actually on leave. We were excited to be on our way to the Amboseli National Park. Slowly it began to get light. I had decided to travel along the Mombasa highway and then turn right just after Emali on the new tar road. After a short drive, we reached the turnoff to the park and drove the last 15km or so on a dirt road. The distance depending on where you are located in Nairobi is about 220km and takes about 3.5 hours to the Iremito gate. It is also possible to drive to the Amboseli National Park, turning-off at Athi River and then turning left at Namanga border post. However, in recent years I prefer the Emali route. Please also note that there are many trucks on the main Mombasa highway, so it is best not to get stressed by trying to drive fast, just be calm and take it as easy as possible, it is only 145km to the turn-off at Emali.

There was not much of a queue at the entrance gate, as we paid our entrance fees a number of Masai women tried to sell their local artwork mainly in the form of beadwork and wood carvings. We always support in some way, to assist the local community and then give what we buy to others as gifts.

It was just before 9 am as we drove into the park on a partly cloudy morning. The weather was cool enough for a lively game drive as the wildlife was still very active and alert. Soon we came to a marshy area and stopped for a while as we watched many birds of different species all trying to get their breakfast meals. As we drove along a windy marsh track we saw a beautiful sight as a breeding herd of elephants stood closeby and slightly below us. The elephants seemed to be very relaxed, and the many babies played various games of tag with each other. I repeatedly looked up towards the slopes of the famous Mount Kilimanjaro (aka Kili) to see if the clouds had revealed the mountain. But the top remained covered in clouds.

At about midday we arrived at our accommodation, we had chosen to stay at the bandas at the KWS – HQ located near Kimana gate. The bandas are basic but fully furnished and clean with electricity and gas stoves. Take care for scorpions, my wife was stung under the soft part of her foot while in the shower area of one of the bandas. Thankfully the scorpion was not one of the highly venomous species (the general rule is large pincers, small tail = less dangerous/small pincers, large tail = very dangerous). Take special care if you have small children, wear closed shoes.

After resting and relaxing around the banda, we went on an afternoon drive and saw a pride of lions with tiny cubs. We also saw many Bohor reedbuck and buffalo in the various marshy areas. Soon we returned back to the comfort of the banda and prepared an early meal in the form of a braai (barbeque) with salad and enjoyed sitting around the campfire under the stars telling wonderful family stories and just chatting.

The next morning we were up very early before sunrise, the sky was already looking beautiful with various shades of pinks and purple to reddish colours. Soon the sun rose, just as the sky clear and we had a magnificent clear view of Mount Kili with the early morning soft light just making everything look really awesome. The snow-capped glaciers have significantly reduced but are still clearly visible. We were also very glad to have a herd of elephants classically posing with Mount Kili as a backdrop. As we drove along we saw some spotted hyenas, and then a bit later some bat-eared foxes. We had a wonderful early morning drive and enjoyed having a packed breakfast with coffee at the Observation hill viewpoint. After breakfast, we took a slow game drive back to the banda, seeing many species including giraffe, fringe-eared oryx, Thompson’s gazelle, and zebra, then relaxed until the late afternoon.

On our last morning, we packed up very early and left for an early morning drive with the intention of having a late breakfast at the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge. We always enjoy this “brunch” meal as it is really good food and is very satisfying. Just after brunch as we left the Serena Lodge, we saw a vehicle stopped next to the road seemingly looking at something interesting. We could not see anything, so I asked them, and they said they had just seen a cheetah being chased by two hyenas. Wow, we excitedly drove to a position on another track in the hope that the cheetah might appear. After waiting a few minutes we were rewarded as the female cheetah emerged from the long grass and crossed the road in front of us as she headed towards the palm trees, suddenly three semi-grown cheetah cubs ran from their cover and greeted their mother. What a fantastic sighting as they walked back together and crossed the road to climb up a dead tree in order to survey the area.

Thinking back on the amazingly awesome Amboseli now, I already want to return in the near future, if possible. The Park is indeed a really great escape for a weekend or longer, with a number of accommodation options both inside and just outside the park. Truly one of Kenya’s iconic wildlife and scenic gems that need to be conserved for the future.

The park is open daily from 06h00 to 21h00.

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