Tsavo National Park
Big Red and Beautiful
Tsavo East & West National Park
Book A Mara Safari:
"Tsavo National Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya at 13,747 square kilometres."
Situated in a semi-arid area previously known as the Taru Desert it opened in April 1948, it is located near the town of Voi in the Taita-Taveta District of Coast Province. The park is divided into east and west sections by the A109 road and a railway. Named for the Tsavo River, which flows west to east through the national park, it borders the Chyulu Hills National Park, and the Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania. The park can be accessed by three main gates, from Voi through the Manyani gate, from Mombasa through the Bachuma gate or from Malindi through the Sala gate.
There are also several airstrips in the park that allow chartered light planes. Inside the park, the Athi and Tsavo rivers converge to form the Galana River. Most of the park consists of semi-arid grasslands and savanna. It is considered one of the world's biodiversity strongholds, and its popularity is mostly due to the vast amounts of diverse wildlife that can be seen, including the famous 'big five' consisting of masai lion, black rhino, cape buffalo, elephant and leopard. The park is also home to a great variety of bird life such as the black kite, Crowned crane, lovebird and the sacred ibis. The slightly larger Tsavo East is generally flat, with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau and Lugard Falls.
- Getting there: By road, Air & Railway
- Climate: between 20oC (68oF)&30oC (86oF)
- Operating Hours: daily from 06:00Hrs-18:00Hrs
- Accommodations:Lodges/tented camps
- Game viewing: The “Big Five” Game
When to go:
Tsavo West
Bordering the South Serengeti Plains in Tanzania lays the Tsavo West National Park in Kenya. Covering a large area consisting of diverse terrains, the park stretches 9,065 square kilometers at a distance of about 240 kms from Nairobi. It provides diverse habitats for its animals as altitude ranges from 500 ft to 6,000 ft above sea level. Thus there are rivers, forests, lakes, wooded grasslands and mountains, each harboring a distinct set of animals. The park became famous through the notorious "Man Eaters of Tsavo" incident at the turn of the century, when man-eating lions were preying on the workers building the great Uganda Railway. In fact, the carriage from which they pulled a traveler is now on display in the Nairobi Railway Museum. This incident was also depicted in the popular movie "Ghost and the Darkness."
Afternoon Safari Game Drive in the Tsavo East Park till sunset. Dinner and overnight at your safari lodge or tented camp.
Tsavo East
Located 333 km from Nairobi, the Tsavo East National Park is one of the largest national parks in Kenya. It covers an area of about 11,747 square kilometers. The park contains some fantastic terrain, including rivers, lakes, tarns, glaciers, and peaks with a wide variety of vegetation, including grasslands, acacia vegetation, open plains and savanna. It is therefore recognized as one of the world's leading bio-diversity strongholds. The park is also one of Kenya's oldest national parks - it was opened in April 1948. Covering an area of about 40% of all land covered by Kenyan National Parks, this park is a popular safari destination, especially due to easy accessibility from the coast.
Camel safaris are a unique feature of the park. Spectacular views are yet another reason why groups of photographers frequent the park. Visitors can stay at different types of accommodation offered. There are also 16 airstrips in the area.
Hiking down the mountain streams
The weather in Kenya is good for safaris at all times of year, though there is a greater chance of encountering rain from mid-April to the end of May and in November. Some people like to travel in these “rainy” months when dramatic cloud formations gather over the Mara plains, there is a sense of refreshment and grasslands are carpeted in new flowers.
Head out on safari around 4pm as it gets cooler and the animals start moving, remembering to take the fleece for when the sun has dipped below the horizon.