alldaytravel

Hi There - I keep going back and forth on whether I should include Amboseli in my Kenya/Tanzania itinerary in Sept of this year...

I will also be visiting Masai Mara, Samburu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Eyasi, Lake Manyara & Tarangire. I may be rushed squeezing in Amboseli and/or it will cause me to rework my itinerary all over again.

What do you think? Is Amboseli a must see?

HariS

If you can add on days, then go for it!!!

Masai and Serengeti are huge game rich areas, so wont advice you to reduce days there........

Calo

It's so easy to fall into the "have to see it all" mentality when planning an itinerary. I guess your answer will have to be based on whether you have the time to go to Amboseli without compromising other parts of your trip.

alldaytravel

In order to do Amboseli, we would lose 1 day in the Masai Mara (we would go from 3 1/2 days down to 2 1/2 days in the Mara instead)and we would cut out Lake Manyara. I am less concerned about Lake Manyara, but I know the Mara is at its prime in September.

Is it worth it to squeeze in Amboseli with these tradeoffs?

HariS

Nope....stick to your time in the Mara.

atravelynn

The tradeoff is not worth it unless you will be forever disappointed you did not see Kilimanjaro. The animals will be more plentiful in the Mara. Except for the rare gerenuk siting in Amboseli, they'll be the same. No Amboseli on the first trip for me.

sandi

You have Samburu and Tarangire for your elephant experiences. While there re ellees in Amboseli and known for these herds and the work done by Cynthia Moss, you also have a possibility of views of Kili.

However, I wouldn't take time from the Mara to visit Amboseli. If time were to be taken from anywhere, when traveling in Sept, I'd take it from the Serengeti if you're stopping in the Central area. This park is part of the same eco-system as the Mara and what you'd see in the Serengeti, you will have already (or will) see in the Mara. Unless, you're going to the very north of the Serengeti.

Now's the time to be planning your next visit so you can stop at areas you missed on this upcoming trip.

hausfrau

I'd just like to offer an alternative perspective - elephants are among my favorite animals and I was absolutely thrilled with our elephant experiences in Amboseli. Nowhere else on our trip (Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, or Masai Mara) did we see nearly as many elephants, up close, engaging in such a wide variety of interactions and activities. It was an absolute highlight of our trip. (NOTE: This was in February, so the Mara was NOT at its prime.)

waynehazle

I love elephants too. The view of Kili is awesome in the morning BUT I really would not recommend taking a day away from the Mara for Amboseli. And yes I got into that "I gotta see everything" trap.

The elephants are not just good in Amboseli, they are amazing and often very close to the road. I am glad I saw them, but I still would not shortchange other parts of your trip. I was there in early October.

waynehazle.com/eastafrica/amboseli/