Photo courtesy of Kopsahl
If you enjoyed the African Lion Safari you haven’t seen anything yet. While Africa isn’t considered a huge tourist destination like the Caribbean there’s plenty of beautiful scenery and wildlife unlike anything in the Western Hemisphere. The Amboseli National Park in Kenya has a developed ecosystem flourishing with wildlife.
This park is 392 square kilometers and has some contrasting ecosystems within its limits. With areas that have dry lake beds typical of what you think of when you picture Africa, but it also has a number of lush swamps that are an oasis to the wildlife that calls this park home. This contradicting landscape is what has made this park a success tourist attraction.
The Amboseli Park is famous for being THE place in Africa to get up-close to free-ranging elephants as well as the views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in the World. Apart from elephants, there are a number of animals to be seen: lions, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, zebras and wildebeests, just to name a few. The park also has over 400 species of birds both big and small.
While you’re in the area you’ll definitely want to visit a nearby Maasai village. The Maasai people are known for their culture and are a welcoming people. The Maasai have been pressured by the government to modernize their traditional lifestyle as a semi-nomadic people, but have continued their traditions.
Maasai Welcome Dance – Photo courtesy of Harvey Barrison
