Tsavo National Park

Tsavo National Park is one of the most diverse and beautiful ecosystems and conservation areas in Kenya and Africa as well, the area has its own vibrant and rich history just like other national parks and reserves in Kenya and Africa as well.

Tsavo national parks have been shaped by the history of Kenya as a county including the blood, sweat and hard work of passionate conservationists. The complex histories of Tsavo add a kind of mystique to Tsavo East and West National Parks.

Tsavo is made up of two separate parks that is Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National park located in Coast Province of Kenya in between Nairobi City and Mombasa, Tsavo is the largest national park in Kenya and one of the largest protected areas in the world covering an area of approximately 22,000 square kilometers. The park is split into two by a railway going from Mombasa to the interior of Kenya.

Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East National Park is the larger park of the two of the parks covering 13,700 square kilometers (13,700 hectares) and is also the more arid of the two. Tsavo East national park consists of mostly of plains of grasslands and savanna that stretches as far as the eye can see, there are also crags around Voi and gorges around the Galana River.

When compared to Tsavo West, Tsavo East National park receives fewer visitors and it is easily possible to spend a day exploring this beautiful park. Tsavo East is one of the oldest parks in Kenya and is located South East of Kenya near the Town of Voi in the Taita – Taveta District of Coast Province.

Geologically, Tsavo East is a home to the Yatta Plateu – the longest lava flow in the world which begins bar Nairobi and stretches for over 300 kilometers and Mudada Rock which acts as a water catchment and offers visitors a perfect outlook to watch animals as they congregate to drink water and Lugard Falls.

Tsavo East National Park is a perfect spot wildlife enthusiasts as you are guaranteed sightings of several wildlife including the long-necked gerenuks – one of the most peculiar looking antelope in Africa, keep an eye for the lesser Kudu and fringe – eared oryx.

Apart from the Kenyan – Somali border, Tsavo East National Park is the only other place to see the critically endangered hirola antelope which were introduced here to help save the species, you will also enjoy sights of black rhinos which are rare and sightings of striped hyena.

Tsavo East National Park hosts diverse birdlife with over 500 recorded bird species including apyrus Gonolek, Acrocephalus griseldis, Somolia Ostrich, Martial Eagle, Anhinga rufa, African Finfot, Casmerodius albus, Lesser Kestrel,Red-Bellied parrot, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, Fischer’ starling, Golden Pitpit, Polemaetus bellicosus, Black-faced sangrouse, Rufous chatterer, Taita fiscal, Masai ostrich, Secretary bird, Vulturine guineafowl, Shelkley’s starling, Slender-tailed nightjar,Golden-breasted starling, Vultures, common bul bul, Hamer kop, Little egret, Mourning Dove, Love birds, trigonoceps occipitalis and many others.

Tsavo West National Park

Tsavo West National Park is a more developed part than Tsavo East particularly the accessible area between the Tsavo River and Mombasa highway and runs to the Tanzanian border, close to Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tsavo West national park has a fascinating topography consisting of dramatic mountains, inselbergs and sheer cliffs faces courtesy of ancient and recent tectonic shifts and volcanic eruption. Tsavo West National Park is dominated by dense vegetation cover thanks to fertile volcanic soils and higher rainfall levels, sometimes most especially during the wet season the vegetation makes wildlife viewing slightly challenging but the scenery is more spectacular.

Some of the attractions in Tsavo West National Park is the Mzima Springs , these springs are a natural reservoir of water situated below the Volcanic Chyulu Hills and percolates through the porous rock before eventually emerging, filtered at the Mzima Springs. At the Mzima Springs you get good sightings of schools of fish, crocodiles and the resident hippos through the crystal clear pool.

The dense date and raffia palms and an assortment of various other fruiting trees attract a variety of bird and primate species making Mzima Springs a veritable oasis most especially during the drier months.

Shetani lava flow is another attraction in Tsavo West National Park situated not far from the Chyulu Gate, Shetani lava flow is a vast expanse of folded black lava from an eruption believed to have occurred only 200 years ago. The lava flow is believed to have erupted only 200 years ago now it is inhabited by nimble Klipspringers and ubiquitous hyraxes, leopards among others, Shetani translates as devil in Swahili giving some insight into how the original residents felt as they watched the lava flows across the earth.

Map Of Tsavo National Park