Amboseli: In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro

Amboseli National Park has always been one of my favorite parks in Kenya. It is a dry, arid savannah landscape, punctuated by intense green marshes. These marshes are fed by underground springs due to the snow melt of nearby Kilimanjaro volcano. These ever-present waters provide a lifeblood for an amazing amount of wildlife in the area. We found elephants up to their ears in the cool, marshy waters as well as buffalo, zebra, and all kinds of antelope. Herds of animals grazed on the grassy plains surrounding the marsh as they kept a wary eye out for lions.

As we entered the park we were greeted by five different herds of elephants emerging out of the forest. They ambled right by our vehicle on their way down to the water. We checked into our wilderness lodge, Amboseli Serena Lodge, which would be our home base for safaris for three days and two nights. A local Maasai warrior patroled the ground as security, but not with a gun for robbers or a knife for big cats, rather a homemade slingshot to keep the small vervet monkeys at bay. Our lodge butted up against some of the green marsh and provided plenty of wildlife sightings as we lounged by the pool with a tusker beer or a dawa,a local alcohol concoction of vodka, honey, sugar, and lime. Here on safari we often take the time at night to sit around the campfire and chat about the wild encounters from the days game drives.

But to really see the animals we entrusted our safari drives to James and the pop-top landcruiser. We set off each morning and each afternoon on extended drives to maximize our sighting potential. You can do game drives through the lodge, but they are often limited to two hours and can be crowded. Having your own car, driver, and guide can almost double the amount of time spent out with the animals.

Our highlights were plentiful, but I'll jot down a few here to help us remember in the years to come. Amboseli seemed to be the place for babies during our stay. We saw baby crowned cranes snacking on ants with their mom, baby elephants nursing, baby spotted hyenas snoozing, and one of my best baby lion encounters to date. On our first afternoon game drive we came across two lionesses resting in the grass. As we watched a bunch of baby lion cubs came tumbling out of the taller shrubs nearby. It turned out to be seven cubs in all. They would tussle with each other, then with one of the lionesses, then head back under cover. We left the scene vowing to come back by in case they woke up closer to sunset time and got more active. We timed it just right and on our way back the lionesses stood up, gazed intently at the herds of zebra and wildebeest, and started moving. The cubs came rushing out to keep up, continuing to play and wrestle on their way. The entire family walked right by us, giving us an amazing view in the fading light.

The seasonal lake was filled with water, which brings a fun pink treat to our viewing pleasure... flamingos! There were probably five hundred lesser flamingos spread out around the lake. Many stood on one leg with their heads tucked into their chest feathers. Others had their heads underwater, scooping up the cyanobacteria that will eventually give the flamingos their pink color. Every once in a while a flamingo would put its head up, looking around, and give us the perfect picture opportunity of how a flamingo should look in our minds.

Hiking up Observation Hill

The rarest animal we spotted was definitely the honey badger, which was actually right at our lodge. We saw it ambling around one evening, but we were unable to identify it. During our pre-morning game drive coffee the next morning we saw it again, and one of the guides told us what we were seeing. It was a first for me. One of the best things for me as a guide is to see a place through everyone else's eyes and remembering how it feels when everything you are seeing is for the first time. It is a wonderful part of what I get to do.

But as far as rare behaviors go, there was one that stood out above the rest. While watching the flamingos in the lake on our last morning, I saw two elephants break away from their herd and take off running across the savanna. We drove to get a closer look as the continued to race around. Finally the bigger elephant in front caught up to the one in front, jumped onto her back, and started mating. I was a little worried the male was going to crush the female as he was about twice her size, but all seemed to go well. Thirty seconds later the male slid back to all fours and both animals lazed around.

I also wanted everyone to have the opportunity and experience of visiting a traditional Maasai village. We only had to drive about five minutes to a village where we were greeted by Joel, a Maasai elder. His village of 160 people, greeted us with songs and chants before taking the seven of us on an intimate tour. It is a powerful thing to see how people can live such a different life to us, relying on their animals as their livelihood and living in handmade huts made of dung, wood, and straw. It always makes me reprioritize what is important in my life. I'll have another post about this experience to follow.

I believe that Amboseli has a place on every Kenyan safari and is not to be missed. To see classic African wildlife in big numbers with the massive Kilimanjaro in the background is a scene that this group will not soon forget.