The savannah of the Amboseli National Park spreads across the Kenyan/Tanzanian border, about 240km south east of Nairobi. At just 392 square kilometres, it’s one of the smaller National Parks in Kenya. This can definitely be an advantage. It is famous for being one of the best places in Africa to see free-range herds of elephants up close in their natural habitat, and the Observation Hill at the south-east end of the Park gives spectacular views of the entire area. The swamp which lies at the base of the Observation Hill is also a great place to see elephants, as well as hippos and buffaloes, congregating to cool down in the mud and water.

Amboseli allows for myriad photo opportunities for the professional and amateur photographer alike. Imagine showing your friends and family a photo you took of Mount Kilimanjaro at dusk – that’s better than any postcard, surely? If you were planning on staying there, the Amboseli Serena Lodge offers uninterrupted views of the vast plains, with Kilimanjaro in the near distance.

One phenomenon of Amboseli you probably couldn’t capture on camera, however, is the mirages. They’re produced in the shimmering heat which rises from a vast, dried-up lake bed lying in the north-west of the park, and with a group of weary wildebeest sloping across the other side of the bed and the heat of the African sun beating down on your back, it really is an experience which can’t be reproduced.

Aside from the wildlife, Amboseli is one of the best places in Kenya to encounter the nomadic Masai people, who have occupied this land for centuries. Renowned for their fearlessness in battle and daring in fighting animals, these proud people rely on the grazing in these plains, and so must be attuned completely to their environment. Hastily throwing up huts made from poles and mud, the Masai abandon their temporary dwellings when the grazing is done and move to wherever the herds can feed. Amboseli is scattered with such dwellings, both occupied and abandoned.

Choosing an overnight summer camp for your child, teen or other children deserves a great deal of consideration and attention to even the smallest of details. There are summer camps that are specifically geared towards teen age children. The teen summer camps are set up differently than the other types of summer camps. Why you may ask? Well teen summer camps focus on things that are important to teens like growing up and learning about real life and gaining a sense of independence.

The teen age kids want to experience being out on their own and being an adult but appreciate the safe and controlled environment that teen summer camps offer. This is also a plus for the parents. Many teens that attend teen summer camps find that they are not as grown up as they thought they were. The teens sometimes experience trouble being away from home though that is all they talk about doing when they are home. The teen summer camps also take the child from their normal environment and force them to adapt and adjust to a new place that is highly different than what they are used to. The summer camps for teens also force the children to meet new types of people from walks of life they have never thought of. This allows the teen child to learn about different cultures and see that there is more to life than what they know from home.

Teen summer camps can allow teens to do things that their family does not normally do with them and in some cases cannot afford to let them try. Water skiing and horseback riding are two of the top activities that they do at teen summer camps that most children are not exposed to due to the specialized and expensive equipment needed. These also tend to be the teenagers favorite activities to do at teen summer camps around the world.

When considering what summer camp to send your teen to be sure to look into the teen summer camps in your area. Bring the teen into the decision and let them assist in the decision. They will not only enjoy the chance to pick their own summer camp but will appreciate you treating them as more of an adult which is the point of the teen summer camps anyway. Nothing is worse than a teenage child that feels like a baby because you refused to send them to a teen summer camp but instead sent them to a regular summer camp where they are truly treated as a child instead of the young adult they are.