Tsavo National Park :Whether you are a newbie or an experienced traveler, trust me you will never regret being in Kenya for your entire holiday. This amazing East African country comes second after Tanzania when compared the likes of other East African countries. Within this territory, you have uncountable options for spending your holiday. Kenya is home to astonishing parks, national reserves, white-sand beaches of Mombasa and a rich cultural ethnicity.
Speaking of national parks, Kenya hosts about 24 amazing national parks and Tsavo National Park is like the father of all parks. Why? Because it is the largest national park in Kenya with an estimated area of 22,812 square kilometers. This incredible park is divided into two parts by the railway line which runs from Mombasa to the interior of Kenya. The first part is situated in the southeast of Kenya and is called Tsavo East National Park while the other part is located in the west and is called Tsavo West National Park. The former covers an area of 13,747 square kilometers while the latter covers an area of 9,065 square kilometers.
How to get to Tsavo National Park
Reaching to Tsavo National Park depends on the part of your interest, either Tsavo East or Tsavo West. If you want to access the Tsavo East, you need to know about the four gates, which are Manyani, Voi, Buchuma and Sala. Tsavo East is 300 kilometers away from Nairobi. It will take about five hours on a drive to reach Tsavo East through Manyani gate. If you landed in Mombasa, you will have to take 4-hour-drive to Tsavo East.
Tsavo West is 240 kilometers away from Nairobi and will take you about a five hours on a drive to reach its main gate, Mtito Andei Gate. Tsavo West is a little farther from Mombasa (250 kilometers) as compared to Tsavo East.
The best time to visit the Park is from June to September when the park is dry. Wild animals accumulate near few water sources making it easier for visitors to view them. Birders should plan their trip to this magnificent park between November and April.
Attractions in Tsavo West National Park
Shetani Lava Flow: This is an interesting lava flow with the length of 8 kilometers, width of 1.6 kilometers and a depth of 5 meters. It holds a significant history, as it has been flowing for more than 500 years. It was named after “shetani” (a Swahili word for devil). Long times ago, it was emitting fire, which the locals thought was ‘devil himself’, and they named it as “shetani”.
Wild animals: Tsavo West hosts a lot of wild animals, which makes it an incredible site for game viewing. Common encountered animals include elephants, gazelles, monkeys, giraffes, hippos, dik-diks, warthogs and buffalos.
Mzima springs: A guided walk will meet you with these stunningly attractive springs, Mzima springs. They release millions of litres of crystal-clear, which in turn herds of wild animals seeking to relieve thirst. Hippos, crocodiles, birds and other animals such as elephants, zebras and giraffes can be encountered there.
Five sister’s hills: These are among the iconic hills in the Tsavo West National Park. They are five cone-shaped hills neighboring each other thus making a resemblance when viewed.
Attractions in Tsavo East National Park
Yatta Plateau: This is an epic feature in Tsavo East National Park, the longest lava flow in the world with a length of 290 kilometers.
Lugard falls: Named after a British explorer, Fredrick Lugard, is an alluring feature for you.
Birds: Tsavo East exceeds the Tsavo West in richness of bird species with a count of over 500 bird species. These include ostriches, buzzards, secretary birds, African fin foot, herons, starlings, weavers, Martial eagle, hornbills, nightjars, kingfisher and goshawks. A pair of binoculars is must-take equipment when preparing for a birding safari.
Galana and Tsavo Rivers: Tsavo East national park is bisected by two great rivers; Galana River and Tsavo River. Along these two rivers are the riverine forests which hosts a number of birds and wild animals.
Tsavo Entrance fees
Although the administration of Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks is separate, the entrance fees do not vary from one park to another. An adult East African resident will be charged 515 KSH while a child of the age between 3 and 17 years will be charged 215 KSH. For non-East African residents, the fee is $52 for adults and $35 for children. Children below 3 years are excluded from any form of charge.
Visitors are always left mouth open after visiting Tsavo National Park. This is mainly due to a number of spectacular attractions that they encounter in Tsavo National Park which are hard to tell in full. For an unforgettable tour in Tsavo consider having Kenya safari.
