10 Jan 2023
We spent three days with African Beast Tours at Amboseli National Park and it was a fantastic start right off the bat for our Africa trip. Our guide was Peter Oyugi. Our exit out from Nairobi airport was delayed but he was there patiently waiting to pick us up for the 4-hour drive to Amboseli.
We stayed at AA Lodge there, which is just outside the park, and an oasis in the midst of a dry and barren savannah. Our cottage was nice and clean, and my word the place was a haven for all kinds of beautiful birds, such as sunbirds, weavers, starlings, etc. Food was pretty decent too. Would be better if the rooms had electric fans for better ventilation though.
We were incredibly fortunate to have Peter as our guide, as he was very knowledgeable about the behaviours and names of the various animals and birds in the park. He is also very fluent in English (native fluency). We also had plenty of luck with him, getting front-row views of elephants, zebras, giraffes, and lions (twice)! We are avid birders as well so it was a big bonus for us seeing so many different kinds of East African birds in the park, and being told what their names were. Took hundreds of photos there!
The biggest attraction of Amboseli is its view of the majestic Kilimanjaro. The weather was not the best, but we still managed to get several nice pictures of the peak.
I also want to commend the organization by Shadrack from African Beast Tours. It was very straightforward, clear, and hassle-free. They even managed to accomodate our itinerary by dropping us off at the Namanga border with Tanzania.
We highly recommend this tour to anyone with a few days to spare in Kenya. Too under-rated!