Located in Kenya, 140 mi/225 km southeast of Nairobi, Amboseli National Park lies in the shadow of 19,567-ft/5,964-m Mount Kilimanjaro (look for it before 10 am; after that, clouds usually shroud the mountain). The combination of salt flat and marshland provides one of the most dramatic settings in the country—and the mountain makes a great backdrop for animal photography. You get the best perspective of the landscape from atop Observation Hill (where you'll also usually find young Masai primed to have their pictures taken—for a fee).
We think anyone venturing to Kenya to see game should give high priority to this park—for the best animal viewing, it's a toss-up between Amboseli and the Masai Mara. Amboseli is known for its elephant herds, which are amazing to watch. You'll frequently see them and buffalo standing in the marshes to keep cool, drinking water and munching on vegetation. Other plains animals such as zebras and wildebeests can be seen. On our last trip we saw lions. The park is also a bird-watcher's paradise.
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