Tsavo East National Park

Kenya’s largest national park. Tsavo is made up of two separate parks, Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park. Located in Coast Province of Kenya in between Nairobi City and Mombasa. Tsavo is nearly 22,000km2, being the largest national park in Kenya and one of the largest in the world. The park was split into two due to the railway going from Mombasa to the interior of Kenya.

Accommodation: There are plenty of places to stay in the two parks. These range greatly and most of them have a water hole close to the property making game viewing easier.

Size: Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest parks in Kenya, located South East of Kenya near the Town of Voi in the Taita-Taveta District of Coast Province, inland from the Coast, it is 13,747 sq.km.

While the Tsavo West National Park is also located in the Coast Province of Kenya covering an area of 9,065 sq.km. The park was opened in April 1948.

Tsavo East Features

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.

Tsavo West Features

Tsavo West National Park is more mountainous and wetter than its counterpart, with swamps, Lake Jipe and the Mzima Springs. It is known for bird life and for its large mammal’s e.g. black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, hippo and Masai lion. There are also other smaller animals that can be spotted in the park, such as the bush baby, hartebeest, lesser kudu and Maasai giraffe.

Access: The parks can be accessed through several gates. Tsavo East can be accessed trough Manyani Gate, Voi Gate, Buchuma Gate and Sala Gate. Tsavo West can be accessed through Mtito Gate, Man Eaters Gate, Chyulu Gate and one other near Maktau.

Tsavo Park – Attractions

• The spectacle Mzima Springs is the sight of fifty million gallons of crystal clear water gushing out of from the under parched lava rocks, forming the most welcoming and lovely scene in Africa
• Ancient lands of Lions, in 1898 the Uganda railway construction was abruptly halted by the two of the most voracious and insatiable man-eating lions appeared upon the scene, and for over nine month waged intermittent warfare against the railway and all those connected with it in the vicinity of Tsavo.
• A vibrant volcanic arena; molten lava that form Shetani lava spewed from the earth just about 200 years ago and its fiery fury was thought by locals to be work of the Devil.
• Poacher’s Lookout and roaring rocks; the Park abound the panoramic vintage point from which to view the movement of the herds.
• Glorious game drives; Tsavo west offers some of the most magnificent game viewing in the world
• Ngulia Sanctuary; this is where the growing population of highly endangered black rhino are inching from chasm of extinction forced upon them by rampant poaching in the 1960s.
• Lake Jipe, lies astride Kenya and Tanzania boarder and is teeming with aquatic life, Bird watching I also major activity around the lake.
• First World War Site-East African Campaign, Perhaps the most bizarre campaign of the world war was fought in the “Bundu” (Bush) – the barely explored wilderness of thorny scrub and dense forest of Tsavo west. This last ‘gentleman war’ was waged under the code of honor-sometimes; or under guerilla tactics adopted from African tribal fighters. The Guided tours of the Crater, Kichwa Tembo and Mzima fort will enable you trail the real footsteps of the world war veterans.