Private Amboseli 2-Day Safari by 4x4 from Nairobi

Amboseli National Park and the view of Kilimanjaro

Amboseli National Park covers about 392 square kilometres of dry lake bed, grassland, acacia woodland and spring-fed swamps at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, whose snow-capped summit at 5,895 metres rises just across the Tanzanian border. The mountain is clearest at dawn and in the late afternoon, when the clouds that hide it by midday have not yet gathered or have lifted, which is exactly why this safari schedules an evening and an early-morning game drive.

The name Amboseli comes from a Maa word for salty dust, and in the dry season the old lake bed shimmers with mirages while the swamps stay green and full of animals. Is Amboseli worth visiting on a two-day trip from Nairobi? For most travellers it is the most rewarding short safari in Kenya because the game is concentrated around the swamps and the backdrop is unlike anywhere else.

The elephants of Amboseli

Amboseli is known for its elephants, studied here continuously for decades, and the herds include some of the largest-tusked bulls in Africa. Family groups walk daily from the woodland to the Enkongo Narok and Ol Okenya swamps to drink, wade and feed, often passing close to the tracks with calves between the adults. Because the vegetation is open, you watch them for long periods, which is why photographers love the park.

Our driver-guide positions the jeep at a respectful distance with the engine off, and the pop-up roof lets every seat see over the grass. Sightings are never guaranteed in a wild park, but elephants are seen on almost every Amboseli game drive, together with buffalo, hippo in the swamp channels and the long lines of zebra and wildebeest heading to water.

Lions, cheetah and the plains around the swamps

The grassland between the swamps and the dry lake holds lions, which rest in the shade of the acacias and hunt at dusk, as well as cheetah on the open plains, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal and, in the woodland, Maasai giraffe and gerenuk, the long-necked antelope that stands on its hind legs to browse. Zebra, wildebeest, Grant's and Thomson's gazelle, impala and warthog cover the flats, and baboon troops patrol the edges.

Birdlife is exceptional with some 400 species, from pelicans, herons and crowned cranes in the swamps to raptors over the plains and the ostrich of the dry lake. The morning game drive on day two, starting after an early breakfast, is the longest of the trip, about three to four hours, and the best time to visit Amboseli is the dry season from June to October and January to February when animals crowd the water.

Observation Hill and the dry lake

Observation Hill is one of the few places in the park where you may leave the vehicle: a short climb up a pyramid-shaped hill with a path and a shelter, giving a 360-degree view over the swamps, the elephant herds moving below, the pale expanse of Lake Amboseli and, on a clear morning, the full profile of Kilimanjaro. It is the classic photo stop of the safari and takes about half an hour.

The dry lake itself is a vast flat that floods only in heavy rains and otherwise shows dust devils and mirages, with Maasai cattle on the fringes and the occasional herd crossing to the woodland. From the hill the tracks lead back towards the gate, and on the private programme we time the stop to suit the light and your interest.

The drive from Nairobi and the night in Amboseli

Amboseli lies about 240 kilometres south-east of Nairobi, and how to get to Amboseli from Nairobi on this safari is simple: we drive the Mombasa road to Emali and then south through Maasai country to the Kimana Gate, about four to five hours with a comfort stop, arriving for lunch. The road passes Maasai homesteads and herds, and the mountain appears ahead on clear days long before the gate.

Your night is at a standard camp or lodge inside or beside the park on full board, with dinner and breakfast included and a mid-range tented upgrade available. Evenings bring the sounds of the bush, and the early breakfast puts you in the park at first light. After the morning drive we return to Nairobi with lunch at a transit stop, arriving in the late afternoon.