Located near the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro, Amboseli Bush Camp is a private and rustic property located just a few kilometres outside Amboseli national park. Overlooking a watering hole, it also boasts panoramic views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Guests have exclusive use of the property.
WHERE:
Amboseli Bush Camp is 229 kilometres from Nairobi (approximately a four-hour drive) and around 15 km from Kimana town. It’s pretty easy to find as the owners provide clear directions, and you can also find it on Google maps. It is around 10 km from Amboseli’s Kimana gate, but can feel slightly longer as the corrugation on that road is pretty bad.
AMENITIES:
The camp has three large rustic tents (one ensuite). Two of the tents have king beds, the third a queen bed. If you’re a big group, they can fit four floor mattresses into the lounge, allowing a maximum of 10 guests to stay at this property. There is a shared shower (where hot water is boiled for you on request) and a toilet. The lounge area is dotted with quirky artefacts and books, perfect for sitting back, enjoying the breeze and taking in the view of the watering hole. The kitchen contains a gas cooker, a fridge with a freezer (a real life-saver, considering how hot Amboseli is) and all the cooking utensils you need. The property is selfStarts from $95 for the whole property (prices vary on the weekends). Overall rating 9/10 catering, so bring your own food, but filtered drinking water is provided. If you love your pizza or roast, these guys have a wonderful wood-fired clay oven, and the camp attendants will even make the pizzas for you. They also have a small cast-iron barbecue.
PROS:
• A classic safari camp for a fraction of the cost.
• A constant electricity connection to keep your phones and cameras charged, and the fridge cold.
• The lounge deck is perfect for watching kudus and dik diks meander over for a drink at the water hole, or to just sit back and relax, or tuck into a delicious dinner.
• It’s close enough to Amboseli national park for an easy full-day safari.
• On a clear day, you have marvellous views of Mount Kilimanjaro from anywhere in the camp.
CONS:
• The ensuite tent has a bucket shower, which, if you’re not used to it, can be tricky to ensure you have enough water for your soap-down and rinse off. This tent is also a little further away from the camp so It can be scary walking to it on your own, especially with hyenas whooping not too far away.
• If you’re a larger group, you may have to wait a little bit for the bathrooms and showers to free up.
WHAT TO DO:
Take in the views of the majestic Mt Kilimanjaro or watch the animals come to the watering hole from the comfort of the lounge deck.
Meanwhile, cook up a storm in the fully stocked kitchen or chill out and have a BBQ.
Don’t miss a visit to Amboseli national park, one of the best parks in Kenya to see large herds of elephants. It’s a diverse park, from dried-up lake beds to wet marshlands.
HOW TO BOOK:
Book via Airbnb by searching for “Amboseli Bush Camp.”
Photos taken by The Travel Dote
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This review is independent and unbiased. The authors of this piece pay for their own accommodation.
Starts from $95 for the whole property (prices vary on the weekends).
Overall rating 9/10
