Tsavo East & West: vast, wild and beautiful
Tsavo East & West: vast, wild and beautiful
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Once infamous for its man-eating lions, much of the vastness of Tsavo remains undiscovered. Elsewhere it contrasts towering dormant volcanos with wide palm-fringed rivers where huge herds of elephants wallow. Wild, beautiful and rugged, this is Africa as she used to be.
The last great wilderness frontier
The joint 20,000 sq km of Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks forms one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the world. Tsavo East is famous for its rolling plains and towering escarpments, Tsavo West for its views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the volcanic coils of the Chyulu Hills.
Hippo home, elephant kingdom
Tsavo is patrolled by huge elephant herds; while in the melt-water pools of Mzima Springs wallow hundreds of hippos. The panoramic plains are home to buffalo, zebra, giraffe, kudu, and eland and the abundance of plains game attracts plenty of predators.
The man-eaters of Tsavo
Notorious for the man-eating lions that preyed on the builders of the East African Railway, these days Tsavo is famous for its mane-less lions, thought to be some of the most intelligent in the world.
Steeped in history
Inspiration for ‘Out of Africa’, it was to Tsavo that Denys Finch Hatton and Bror Blixen brought their royal clients; and in Tsavo that some of Hollywood’s greatest epics were filmed.
Essential Tsavo
Tsavo offers visitors a wide range of thrilling experiences.
> Spot all the members of the Big Five (rhino, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and elephant)
> Follow the nature trail around the hippo filled pools of Mzima Springs, Tsavo West
> Visit the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary amid the towering crags of the Ngulia mountains
> Take a trip to the nearby Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary, both vital migration corridors.
> Climb the volcanic hills or traverse the white-water rapids of Lugard’s Falls
> Enjoy guided game walks, go rock climbing, spot 600 species of birds
> Climb the massive Mudanda Rock in Tsavo East - Kenya’s answer to Australia’s Ayers Rock
> Explore the lava caves of the Chyulu Hills
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Factfile
Location: The Parks of Tsavo are equidistant between Nairobi and the Indian Ocean (approx. 240kms from each).
Accommodation: Choices range from classic safari lodges to bespoke tented camps with plenty of budget-friendly options in terms of campsites and self-catering chalets.
How to get there: Tsavo is easily accessed by road and by air (from Nairobi’s Wilson and Jomo Kenyatta International airports and from Moi International Airport, Mombasa). Tsavo can also be swiftly and easily accessed via Kenya’s stunning new Single Gauge Railway which runs from Nairobi to Mombasa.
Tsavo East & West tours
Simba Safari – KS8A
‘Simba’ means ‘lion’ in Swahili. A budget safari that delivers optimum variety in the minimum time without…
Masai Mara Safari – KS4
For those with limited time looking for a value-added safari that highlights Kenya’s most famous sights, this…
SkySafari Kenya Classic – SSKC
This exclusive flying safari showcases some of Kenya’s most famous and most diverse wilderness areas, while travelling…
Tsavo East & West features
How Kenya is saving the African Wild Dog
African wild dogs, also known as painted wolves or Cape hunting dogs, have seen drastic population declines over recent decades. In this article from 2017, we looked at Kenya’s efforts to save the African wild dog from extinction, and discovered how these endangered animals are beginning to recover here. Painted wolves in the morning The…
Kristin Davis – Why I Love Kenya
American actress Kristin Davis is perhaps best-known for her role as Charlotte York Goldenblatt in the American TV series Sex and the City for which she received a 2004 Emmy Award nomination. She also starred in the films Sex and the City 2008 and 2010. A Global Ambassador for Oxfam, Kristin is also a ‘High…
Friends with benefits: taking a ride with an oxpecker
It’s a common sight: a small bird with a bright red beak is taking a ride on a zebra. It might be perched on its neck or riding between its ears. The zebra doesn’t seem to mind and the bird seems to be having fun. With good reason. Bed and breakfast The bird, which is…
A Mother’s Love
Elephants are expressive creatures. They display joy, anger, grief, compassion and love. But a mother’s love for her calf is the strongest emotion of all. Elephant mothers carry their babies for almost two years before giving birth. Mother and child remain in constant touch, the calf never straying more than a trunk’s length from its…
Kenya’s conservancies, the new safari experience
Ask any motorcyclist why they prefer a bike to a car and they’ll probably tell you that they prefer to be IN the moment rather than looking at life through a window. It’s the same with the safari experience and that’s where Kenya’s conservancies come in. The majority of visitors explore Kenya’s globally-renowned national parks…
A visit to Mzima Springs
Travel writer and author, Jane Barsby, takes a dive into Mzima Springs, one of Tsavo West’s greatest tourist attractions. Mzima Springs is a world unto itself. Here in this magical bubble of an oasis, the air is filled with birdsong and the water bursts out of the ground literally gurgling with laughter. And so it…
How the Maasai Olympics have aided lion conservation in the Amboseli-Tsavo region
In this article, we learn how the Maasai community has worked with the Big Life Foundation to establish the Maasai Olympics. And we see how this has had a profound impact, not only on lion conservation, but also on community empowerment. A decade ago, a deputation of Maasai elders strode onto the ranch of a…
Climbing in Kenya
Climbing in Kenya has a long history and there are many wild and beautiful locations and routes for both beginners and experienced climbers alike. For a family-friendly climb, Mount Longonot is perfect. Kenya also offers excellent cragging and sport climbing. Here are some ideas for a day-out climbing. Mount Longonot Best of the volcano climbs…
Mudanda Rock, Tsavo East
In this feature a member of our travel writing team visits Mudanda Rock, Tsavo East. Kenya’s answer to Australia’s Ayers Rock, Mudanda is a place steeped in ancient history. It’s also very popular with the local elephants. There’s a stunned silence as we arrive at Mudanda Rock. It’s taken us five hours to get here….
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