Amboseli National Park, Kenya
KWS | Amboseli National Park - Kenya Wildlife
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Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, is in Kajiado District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares (392 km2; 151 sq mi)[1] in size at the core of an 8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi) ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The local people are mainly Maasai, but people from other parts of the country have settled there attracted by the successful tourist-driven economy and intensive agriculture along the system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area (average 350 mm (14 in)) one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds, pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hammerkops and 47 types of raptor.
The park protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake and semi-arid vegetation.
240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast from the capital city Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is the second most popular national park in Kenya after Maasai Mara National Reserve.
History
================
In 1883, Joseph Thompson was the first European to penetrate the feared Maasai region known as Empusel (meaning 'salty, dusty place' in Maa). He, too, was astonished by the fantastic array of wildlife and the contrast between the arid areas of the dry-lake bed and the oasis of the swamps, a contrast that persists today.
Amboseli was set aside as the 'Southern Reserve' for Maasai in 1906 but returned to local control as a Game Reserve in 1948. Gazetted a National Park in 1974 to protect the core this unique ecosystem, it was declared a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1991. The park earned $3.5 m (€2.9 m) in 2005. On 29 September 2005, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared that control of the park should pass from the Kenya Wildlife Service to the Olkejuado County Council and the Maasai tribe. Some observers saw this as a political favour in advance of a vote on a new Kenyan constitution: legal challenges are currently in court. The degazetting would divert park admission fees directly to the County Council with shared benefits to the Maasai immediately surrounding the park.
Fauna
==========
The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants.[3] Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet Maasai and visit a Maasai village. The park also offers spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
Amboseli offers some of the best opportunities to see African animals because its vegetation is sparse due to the long dry months. Amboseli National Park is home to wild animals, which include the African elephant, cape buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, hyena, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest among other African animals. There is also a host of Kenyan birds, both large and small, to see if you keep your eyes open and stop at every sighting.
The park has several rules to protect the wildlife: do not get out of your vehicle, except at designated spots; do not harass the animals in any way; keep to the tracks; no off-road driving; and animals always have the right of way. The roads in Amboseli have a loose surface of volcanic soil that is dusty in the dry season and impassable in the wet season.
12 Best Tourist Attractions in Kenya Africa
12 Top Rated - Best Tourist Attractions in Kenya Africa
1. Maasai Mara National Reserve - One of the most popular game reserves in Africa
2. Amboseli National Reserve - There are dry areas that resemble deserts, especially in the dry season. Then there are marshes and tropical landscapes, with plenty of acacia trees in the park. The backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro is amazing, although you can't be guaranteed visibility at all times.
3. Tsavo National Park - Tsavo East is huge and if you have an excellent guide, can be a magical experience. There's a huge difference between watching a nature channel and seeing all these amazing animals in front of you.
4. Samburu, Buffalo Springs, and Shaba National Reserves
5. Lake Nakuru National Park - If you want a chance to see both the white and black Rhinos, Lake Nakuru is your best. There is also a large population of baboons here and they are hilarious trouble makers.
6. Lamu - A small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya.
7. Lake Naivasha - Great lake, great nature, great hippos and birds colonies!
8. Nairobi - the capital and largest city of Kenya
9. Mombasa - a city on the coast of Kenya. It is the country's second-largest city, after the capital Nairobi
10. Malindi (once known as Melinde) - a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya.
11. Mount Kenya National Park - With the beauty of sceneries, one can afford to have a good holiday
12. Hell's Gate National Park - Hells Gate is a beautiful getaway from Nairobi.
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12 Top Rated - Best Tourist Attractions in Kenya Africa
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Amboseli National Park, Kenya HD
Amboseli National Park, Kenya HD
Amboseli National Park, formerly Maasai Amboseli Game Reserve, is in Kajiado District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares (392 km2; 151 sq mi) in size at the core of an 8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi) ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The local people are mainly Maasai, but people from other parts of the country have settled there attracted by the successful tourist-driven economy and intensive agriculture along the system of swamps that makes this low-rainfall area (average 350 mm (14 in)) one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds, pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hammerkops and 47 types of raptor.
The park protects two of the five main swamps, and includes a dried-up Pleistocene lake and semi-arid vegetation.
240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast from the capital city Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is the second most popular national park in Kenya after Maasai Mara National Reserve and the visit can easily be done in a weekend.
History Amboseli National Park, Kenya
==========================
In 1883, Joseph Thompson was the first European to penetrate the feared Maasai region known as Empusel (meaning 'salty, dusty place' in Maa). He, too, was astonished by the fantastic array of wildlife and the contrast between the arid areas of the dry-lake bed and the oasis of the swamps, a contrast that persists today.
Amboseli was set aside as the 'Southern Reserve' for Maasai in 1906 but returned to local control as a Game Reserve in 1948. Gazetted a National Park in 1974 to protect the core this unique ecosystem, it was declared a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1991. The park earned $3.5 m (€2.9 m) in 2005. On 29 September 2005, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared that control of the park should pass from the Kenya Wildlife Service to the Olkejuado County Council and the Maasai tribe. Some observers saw this as a political favour in advance of a vote on a new Kenyan constitution: legal challenges are currently in court. The degazetting would divert park admission fees directly to the County Council with shared benefits to the Maasai immediately surrounding the park.
Fauna Amboseli National Park, Kenya
==========================
The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants. Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet Maasai and visit a Maasai village. The park also offers spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
Amboseli offers some of the best opportunities to see African animals because its vegetation is sparse due to the long dry months. Amboseli National Park is home to wild animals, which include the African elephant, cape buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, hyena, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest among other African animals. There is also a host of Kenyan birds, both large and small, to see if you keep your eyes open and stop at every sighting.
The park has several rules to protect the wildlife: do not get out of your vehicle, except at designated spots; do not harass the animals in any way; keep to the tracks; no off-road driving; and animals always have the right of way. The roads in Amboseli have a loose surface of volcanic soil that is dusty in the dry season and impassable in the wet season.
There is a small airport in Amboseli, the Amboseli Airport (HKAM).
===============
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Western Kenya: As You've Never Seen It Before
An aerial exploration of the beautiful environments, amazing sights and scenic accommodations only found in western Kenya, as seen from a new perspective: through the lens of a flying camera.
Produced, filmed and edited by Ben Kreimer for African SkyCAM and the Kenya Tourism Board.
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Scenic Treasures of Kenya | Grand Wilderness Itinerary | 8 Day Incentive
Day 1: Arrival Nairobi
Day 2: Nairobi -- Amboseli
Day 3: Amboseli
Day 4: Amboseli -- Naivasha
Day 5: Naivasha -- Masai Mara
Day 6-7: Masai Mara
Day 8: Masai Mara -- Nairobi -- Departure
Journey into winding roads of a real safari amidst the backdrop of Africa's tallest mountain, the Kilimanjaro into the floor of the rift valley lakes and into the rolling savannas of the Masai Mara. In 8 days Kenya's finest presents its self with adventure, pure wilderness, culture and the finest hospitality. It's a journey that will inspire you, take you back in time and leave you with unforgettable moments. This is Kenya, where the safari first originated and where your next scenic treasure awaits you....
A trip to Lemak Conservancy Masaimara -Mara River Lodge - Off season Kenya Africa travel vlog
Mara River Lodge is a safari lodge situated on the bank of the Mara River. Overlooking the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, the lodge offers guests a view of the world's largest animal migration and a close up view of some of the big five.
All the rooms are well-furnished and feature wooden floor boards and African print bedding. Each room is fitted with an air-conditioner, tea making facilities, a wardrobe, and features an en suite bathroom.
Mara River Lodge has a restaurant styled with open walls that allow guests soak up the beautiful views of the Mara River while dining. Local and continental dishes are served and the lodge also organizes sun-downers and bush dinners on request. Guests can order a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from the bar which can be enjoyed by the poolside.
The hotel's sparkling swimming pool is open to all guests who enjoy swimming. Balloon rides, safaris, nighttime and daytime game drives are organized by the lodge.
Maasai Village, Kenya, Africa - Maasai people HD
Maasai Village, Kenya, Africa - Maasai people HD
Maasai Village - Kenya - Africa Travel Guide, Tourism
World Travel
Experience how the Masai people live in the middle of the bush with zebras grazing and lions roaring just outside their homes and get to know their culture and customs on a visit to the traditional Maasai village, the local primary school or the busy market day
The majority of Maasai still practice their traditional way of life and live as pastoralists with cattle at the centre of their culture and social life. They are very proud to welcome guests and tell about their everyday life in the bush.
Karen Blixen Camp supports the local Maasai community and guests are able to visit the Mararienda Village, the local primary school and the busy Maasai market.
Traditional Maasai village
The traditional Masai village is called a Manyatta and consists of a number of small cow dung made huts with thatched roofs. The huts are placed in a circle with livestock in the middle and a thick thorny fence for protection against the nightly predators.
The Mararienda Village has around inhabitants and guests visiting this traditional Maasai Manyatta will spend time learning about their life, culture and customs. Mornings are cool and usually busy for the women and girls with milking of cows and goats; later the herders take the cattle for grazing on the Mara plains.
Guests of Karen Blixen Camp are kindly requested to obtain a ticket before visiting the village. The proceeds are forwarded directly to the villagers through a transparent ticketing system ensuring them a decent income to provide for basic necessities as food stuffs, clothing or school fees.
Karen Blixen Camp is working with Tribal Voice Communications Ltd. to ensure transparent revenue distribution for the Maasai local communities. Please visit tribal-voice.co.uk for more information.
Local primary school
All over the world, children go to school, sit in class rooms and listen to the teachers. The Masai children are no exception. They get up very early in the morning, pack their books and pencils and walk through the bush in their blue and white uniforms to the school.
The local Aitong Primary School in Aitong Village has around 700 pupils and 15 teachers with 8 classes. Each teacher teaches 60-70 pupils so classrooms are filled with little boys and girls sitting next to each other on the school benches, eager to learn.
The Aitong Primary School is a Kenyan Governmental school and provides free education for the Maasai children. However, governmental funding has not been sufficient and well-wishers as well as parents are contributing with financial support for teachers' salaries, school fees, construction of classrooms and basic learning aids.
Karen Blixen Camp has fundraised 140,000 USD for building a boarding unit, purchasing tables and chairs, employing teachers and buying learning equipment as text books, exercise books, pens and pencils for Aitong Primary School. The donation was given by the Danish Obel Family Fund.
Busy market days
The market days are full of life with women trying to sell their goods to other women. Tomatoes, onions, potatoes, kangas, Masai shukas, and small toys are all neatly laid out on the straw mats placed on the ground with the mamas sitting patiently waiting for their prospective customers.
The Maasai women are dressed in their very best; red and blue dresses with pretty jewelry around the forehead, neck, arms and ankles. Many come from afar and have been looking forward to this festive happening to gossip and hear news of friends and families.
Most of the women only speak Maa, but this won't stop them from bargaining and haggling over prices with the interested buyer. Guests are welcome to come to a Masai market day in Mararienda Village or in Aitong Village. Your Maasai guide will accompany you, tell you more about the Maasai culture and translate should you wish to buy any product.
The wedding necklace
The Maasai women form the base of the Maasai society. They take care of children and co-wives' children. They fetch water and firewood from far away. They milk and tend to the cattle in the early mornings and late afternoons when the cattle returns from grazing the savannah.
The wedding necklace is an activity where you meet the Maasai women; learn about their everyday life and how to make the beautiful Masai beadwork. In return they learn about you and your cultural background. Since focus will be on the transition from girlhood to womanhood within the Maasai society, only female guests are able to take part in this activity.
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Maasai Village Travel Guide, Maasai Village Tours, Maasai Village Tourism, Kenya Travel, Kenya Vacation, Kenya Tours, Kenya Tourism, Africa Travel, Africa Tours, Trips 2014
Maasai people in Kenya
Maasai people in Kenya - Kenya Culture - Kenya Tourism & Vacations
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The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress. The Maasai speak Maa (ɔl Maa), a member of the Nilo-Saharan language family that is related to Dinka and Nuer. They are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania, Swahili and English. The Maasai population has been reported as numbering 841,622 in Kenya in the 2009 census, compared to 377,089 in the 1989 census.
The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, but the people have continued their age-old customs. Recently, Oxfam has claimed that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands. Many Maasai tribes throughout Tanzania and Kenya welcome visits to their village to experience their culture, traditions, and lifestyle.
Culture
======
Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. A full body of oral law covers many aspects of behavior. Formal execution is unknown, and normally payment in cattle will settle matters. An out-of-court process is also practiced called 'amitu', 'to make peace', or 'arop', which involves a substantial apology.[30] The Maasai are monotheistic, worshipping a single deity called Enkai or Engai. Engai has a dual nature: Engai Narok (Black God) is benevolent, and Engai Nanyokie (Red God) is vengeful. The Mountain of God, Ol Doinyo Lengai, is located in northernmost Tanzania. The central human figure in the Maasai religious system is the laibon whose roles include shamanistic healing, divination and prophecy, and ensuring success in war or adequate rainfall. Whatever power an individual laibon had was a function of personality rather than position. Many Maasai have also adopted Christianity. The Maasai are known for their intricate jewelry.
A high infant mortality rate among the Maasai has led to babies not truly being recognized until they reach an age of 3 moons, ilapaitin.[33] For Maasai living a traditional life, the end of life is virtually without ceremony, and the dead are left out for scavengers.[34] A corpse rejected by scavengers (mainly spotted hyenas, which are known as Ondilili or Oln'gojine in the Maasai language) is seen as having something wrong with it, and liable to cause social disgrace; therefore, it is not uncommon for bodies to be covered in fat and blood from a slaughtered ox. Burial has in the past been reserved for great chiefs, since it is believed to be harmful to the soil.
Traditional Maasai lifestyle centres around their cattle which constitute their primary source of food. The measure of a man's wealth is in terms of cattle and children. A herd of 50 cattle is respectable, and the more children the better. A man who has plenty of one but not the other is considered to be poor. A Maasai religious belief relates that God gave them all the cattle on earth, leading to the belief that rustling cattle from other tribes is a matter of taking back what is rightfully theirs, a practice that has become much less common.[38]
All of the Maasai’s needs for food are met by their cattle. They eat the meat, drink the milk and on occasion, drink the blood. Bulls, oxen and lambs are slaughtered for meat on special occasions and for ceremonies. [Though] the Maasai’s entire way of life has historically depended on their cattle... more recently, with their cattle dwindling, the Maasai have grown dependent on food such as sorghum, rice, potatoes and cabbage (known to the Maasai as goat leaves).
The men in the Maasai tribe are born and raised to be warriors. They don‘t marry when they are young but instead they stay in the woods.[citation needed] This is the reason[original research?] why there is a great age difference between husbands and their wives, because they are not allowed to marry until they are older (when they have become elders“) while the women marry when they are young.
Kenya, Masai Mara, Game Drive throgh Masai Grass Lands, www.safarifox.com
Kenya, Masai Mara, Game Drive throgh Masai Grass Lands, safarifox.com
Exploring New Land in Africa
We would have been lost if we didn't have the Africans guiding us.
Exploring new land to mine diamonds.