Amboseli - a land of giants

Amboseli is a land of giants. This is a place of wide dry plains, where the horizons stretch into the furthest distance and become one with the sky.

Amboseli is renowned for its elephant populations and large herds, including some impressively tusked bulls are drawn to a series of large, lush swamplands. But the most impressive giant of all is Mt Kilimanjaro.

Africa’s largest mountain lies just over the border in Tanzania, but the most impressive views of its snow-capped peak are to be found in Amboseli. The early light of dawn turns the mountain a dark hue of purple, and its snows into an ethereal pink.

The sight of Kilimanjaro high above herds of elephant crossing the plains of Amboseli is a timeless African image.

This area is home to many Maasai communities, centred around the Amboseli National Park. The park is 400 sq kms, with its southern boundary along the Tanzanian border.

The park is home to more than just Elephants, and herds of wildebeest, zebra and impala graze on the open plains.. There are areas of acacia forest that make for good birding, and are home to many small mammals. Cheetah are also often sighted here.

The park is centred around a large hill, with fantastic views of the surrounding plains, often crossed by whirlwinds that send winding columns of dust into the sky. This open country is good walking territory, and many camps and lodges organise game walks, or trips to spend time in local Maasai villages.

Ethiopian Airlines resumes flights

Ethiopian Airlines announced on Wednesday 15^th June that it had resumed flights to some of the destinations affected by volcanic ash from a volcanic eruption in Eritrea Monday morning.

“The volcanic ash cloud in the Northern part of Ethiopia is clearing. Therefore, Ethiopian flights to Djibouti will resume 15 June," the Airlines said in a press statement Wednesday afternoon.

However, “Flights to Khartoum and some destinations in the Northern part of Ethiopia are still suspended.”

The eruption of a long-dormant volcano in northeastern Africa disrupted air traffic since Monday night. The Dubbi volcano erupted on Sunday night following a series of minor earthquakes, spewing ash up to eight miles into the air.

The eruption was its first in 150 years.

Dubbi is located 219 miles south of the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and 146 miles east of the Ethiopian city of Mekelle.

US officials were quoted as saying that Ethiopia was considering shutting down Addis Ababa's main international airport as the ash cloud headed toward the capital, though this was not confirmed by Ethiopia's Civil Aviation Authority.

Nevertheless, a press statement by Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday 14 June, stated that northern Ethiopia, neighboring Djibouti and the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, had been affected.

Germany's Lufthansa had said that it had canceled a flight out of Asmara on Monday and another flight into Addis Ababa.

According to most African weather services, the cloud was moving in the direction of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

ETT- African Safaris Desk

Etton Travel and Tours