TSAVO NATIONAL PARK KENYA

Tsavo is the largest park in Kenya its sliced into two; Tsavo west and Tsavo East, it comprises of 4% of the country’s total area. Tsavo is nearly 22,000sq-km, the park is Kenya’s largest protected game area with great game viewing safaris in the south East. The park became infamous in 1890’s because of the “man Eaters of Tsavo” a pride of lions that preyed the Indian migrant laborers that where building the railway line and more than 130 men where killed by the man eaters, the incident was retold in 1996 thriller.

Tsavo East national park is covered with an area of 13,747sq-km its the largest of the two Tsavos, It was established in April 1948 and covers a semi-Arid area previously known as the Taru Desert. The East Tsavo is known for the Big Five, It is flatter with scattered bush on more open plains dotted with huge baobab trees, the oasis banks of the Voi and Galana rivers and the enormos Aruba Dam, built across the Voi attract game and birdlife galore that revel the adventure where you get to see elephants, buffalos, waterbucks and lots of animals crossing to drink at the dam. the Lugard falls on the Galan river is more a serie of rapids thanactual waterfalls walk along the riverbank to catch a glimps of the water sculptted rocks.

Tsavo west national park covers 7,065 sq-km(2,728sq miles), a little less than the third of the total area of Kenya’s national park with its diverse habitats of rivers, forests, palm thickets , rocky outcrops, ridges, mountains and plains which is more attractive and accessible than Tsavo East.

Magnificent landscapes of heavily wooded hills dominate north where game viewing tracks concentrates, the flatter south of Tsavo west is more open plains but access is tricky as parts of the park are disjointed and crossed by a highway between Voi and Taveta. Tsavo west spots out the hyena, buffalos, the beautiful Masai giraffe and all kinds of antelopes including the thomsons and grant’s gazelle the prettiest of them, and the birdlife of the park is outstanding with more than 400 species including eight types of horn bills.

The park has an evidence of volcanic activity everywhere mainly in the ancient lava with absorbs the rainfall. In one spectacular spot this rainfall having traveled underground for 40km(25 miles) gashes up in a pair of pools at Mzima springs in the north of the park, there’s a submerged hippos which often move to the far side of the the pools. Because of the fertile volcanic soils and abundance of water the park is brimming with animals, birds and plant life, there large number of elephants and you may see lions and cheetahs especially in the dry seasons when the grass is low.

The park is stronghold for elephants where you commonly find then with reddish appearance from the the distinctive red soils of the area.

Best time to visit Tsavo

Tsavo doesn’t look its best in the Dry seasons(June to October), when the sky is hazy from the dust, but its the best time to spot animals, the dry hot months of January and February are also good where the grass is much shorter than in the wet seasons(November to may) which makes the wild not able to disappear into the bush when vehicles approach.

Routes to the Park

Tsavo west; its 240 km(150 miles) from Nairobi to Tsavo Wests Mtito Andei Gate, which takes around 5 hours drive. The parks Tsavo Gate in the southeast is approximately 200 km (125 miles) north of Mombasa and takes about 4 hours. There is no public transport to or in the park and if you drive yourself keep an eye on the parks signposts(cairns at numbered junctions) or use GPS, The park has three airstrips and you can fly from Nairobi Wilson Airport, Mombasa’s Moi International, and the Ukunda airstrip at Dian Beach.

Tsavo East; There are several gates to Tsavo east and Mtito Andei Gate is 233 km(148 miles) southeast of Nairobi. Voi Gate 157 km ( 98 miles) northwest of Mombasa and Buchuma Gate 100 km(62 miles) northwest of Mombasa are often used on organized safaris from the coast . There are nine airstrips but no scheduled flights most visitors drive up from Mombasa or charter flights are an option.

NOTE; There are no public transport used within the park.