The vast dry plains, acacia woodland, marshes and rich swamplands of the international biosphere reserve that is Amboseli National Park are home to large herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebra and impala and over 400 species of birds including the bee-eater, African fish eagle and pygmy falcon. Amboseli’s bull elephants have some of the largest tusks in Africa, and the sight of these magnificent beasts is quite simply awe-inspiring.
At the centre of the park lies Observation Hill, from the top of which there are outstanding views over Amboseli’s 400 sq kms of natural beauty. And towering above everything, just across the border in Tanzania, is the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro. The unrivalled backdrop of the highest mountain in Africa gives a very special quality to Amboseli, and has made it one of the most popular parks in Kenya.
It is the perfect location to capture those quintessential images and memories of Africa –elephants and lions crossing the plains, cheetah sprinting across great expanses of sparse wilderness, vibrant birdsong in lush acacia forests, and the ever-changing natural light playing on the snow-capped peak.
Amboseli means ‘salty dust’ in Maasai; the dust in question being volcanic ash from eruptions of Mount Kilimanjaro centuries ago. But in spite of its name and largely arid appearance, Amboseli has a permanent water supply; the melting snow from the cap of Kilimanjaro. The clear springs flow through the park, ensuring a high population of game year-round.
