Amboseli National Park 2.81° S, 37.50° E 3675 ft

-
Maybe it was the sight of Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in the continent of Africa,clearing up on the day we arrived after 4 days of hide and seek! It could be the sighting of a mommy and young adult cheetah, a first for me. The parade of tens of African Elephants of all sizes just made it even better or was it the moment when we were greeted by the handsome fella the Gerenuk as we entered the park, what ever the reason, Amboseli is the best! A 97000 acres park, translates to Salty dust in Masai. Wish we had tasted the dust longer!

But first we had to make a long journey of 404 kms from Sweet waters to Amboseli. A stipulated 7 hour journey turned out to be a 9 hour journey without any breaks. It also meant we could not go on the evening game drive which was very disappointing. But then as we approached Amboseli sopa lodge , we were greeted by the sighting of Gerenuks. The slender animal with its doe eyes was a sight to tired eyes. I would move gerenuks high on my list of attractive animals maybe just after the tigers.Loved them!

On arrival at the resort, we were thrilled to checked out the Masai market run by the most friendly local women. An evening well spent browsing through trinkets and conversing with these beautiful women.It was a good finish to a tiring and a long day.

Sopa lodge has rustic looking but luxurious cottages set in  beautiful grounds..The gardens are a perfect place to relax and very inviting to the local fauna . But the first task on my list as I stepped out the cottage early morning was to check out if Kilimanjaro was in sight. I eagerly followed the groundsman who told me it was and took me to the location from where it could be spotted. And there it was , the tallest peak in Africa peeping out behind the clouds. We waited patiently for the clouds to move away and the light to get better. And Voila! we had Kilimanjaro in its full glory. The white cap was missing but it still was a sight that would remain in our memories forever.


Kilimanjaro- Volcanic cone Kibo


Two of three volcanic cones - Mawenzi ( left) and Kibo ( Right)


Masai Ladies at their market

As we started the drive towards the Amboseli national park, we encountered a group of about 10 elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. This kind of situation is considered to be ideal for a good photograph. Though we were not in the plains of the national park, it did make a good picture. What do you think?  

As we continued into the park, our guide picked up the speed and we knew something amazing was waiting for us. After about a good 10 minutes drive, we saw a bunch of safari vans and jeeps and our heart started beating faster. The guide refused to tell us what it was. We started scouting the vast landscape. My friend finally spotted movement at a distance of about 500 meters and we jumped with joy. We saw a cheetah for the very first time in our lives. We patiently waited and guide figured out its path and took us there. More waiting and then the mom and young adult cheetah got close to our vehicle. Another amazingly beautiful animal , I didn't know if I should admire her or take her photographs. Creations of nature, Cant get enough of the same.


African elephant with a backdrop of Kilimanjaro



African elephants against Mawenzi


African elephants against Mawenzi and Kibo





African Cheetah

As we continued our safari , we had many more encounters with its residents. I just loved Amboseli. Amboseli's most loved residents are its elephants. And we saw elephants after elephants. I was in heaven! Its a feeling like none other. Wish every one could experience Amboseli. Here are some of the fauna we encountered in Amboseli.

African Elephants
East African Cheetah or Tanzanian Cheetah
White bellied go away bird
Common Zebra
Blue wildebeest
Masai Giraffe
African Fish Eagle
Fork tailed or common Drongo
Thomson's gazelle
Common ostrich
Baboon
Egret
Gerenuk
Egyptian Goose
Purple heron
Gray crowned crane
Vervet Monkey
Blacksmith Plover
Starling
Sandpiper
Secretary Bird
Cape Buffalo

I wish i could go back and experience Amboseli all over again



Amboseli 


African Elephant


Common Zebra


Masai Giraffe and common zebra


Thomson's gazelle


Common Ostrich


 Common Zebra

Baboon













African Elephants



August 2016
Amboseli National Park Kenya
The Travel Connection: Love for Elephants
Tip: Stay 2 nights here










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Destination Great Rift Valley

-
Image
The one Sunday we had during the visit did not allow us to visit Masai Mara but the trip to Lake Nakuru more than made up for it. I have always associated Africa with a lone tree standing majestically in never ending expanse of openness. My excitement on the possibility of seeing such a tree was limitless.We started the drive from Nairobi early morning and slowly started leaving the buildings behind. The buildings were slowly and steadily replaced with species of trees I was seeing for the first time. Maybe it was that lonesome tree in my dreams, but the changing landscape was something I had never experience before. Yes! I was in Africa! We were told by our driver cum guide that we had to drive through the Great Rift Valley to reach Lake Nakuru National park. I was clueless what it was till the plains showed itself through Acacia trees. The breath taking expanse of nothingness is broken only by the escarpments. We were told it contains multitude lakes, active and dormant  vol
Read more

Destination Aihole

-
Image
The cradle of Hindu temple architecture, Aihole or Aryapura was the destination to learn and experiment on the temple architecture. Under the patronage of early Chalukyan kings, the Chalukyan style of temple architecture was refined here between  the 5th and 8th century.  The preview of Aihole given to us by the guide at Pattadakal was enough to excite me about visiting the ancient school of architecture, You wonder if you have arrived at Aihole as the narrow lanes leads you into the chaos of a village life but the complex of ancient structures in various states of disintegration  make you think you have time traveled. The proximity of the timeworn stone monuments and the present day village dwellings raised a lot of questions. The encroachment of these temples was even more intriguing. Be it the cattle housed in these structures, smoke bellowing out or the colorful clothes drying on a line between intricate carved column, all of it just amazed me. When we arrived at one of the b
Read more

Destination Punakha Dzong

-
Image
If I had to choose my favorite structure, It would be the bridges without any hesitation. Bhutan renewed my fascination for bridges with their traditional cantilever bridge called the Bazam. Tintin's knowledge about architecture was limited. My questions on the location of  the toilets, kitchens inside the Dzong  or how the water supply/ drainage worked  and other queries must have driven him mad or made him think that the mountain air had made me go bonkers. So my hopes of understanding the bridge through Tintin was futile. Punakha Dzong is undoubtedly one of the most elegant structures in Bhutan.  To get to the main building , one has to cross Mo chhu through one of the most beautiful bridges I have come across so far. Most buildings in Bhutan are a replica of their ancient self. Due to natural calamities or fire, almost all the prominent sites in Bhutan have been rebuilt in the recent years. The Punakha bridge is no different. You can read more about it here. http:/
Read more