Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo West National Park, together with Chyulu Hills National Reserve and South Kitui National Reserve, make up part of the Tsavo conservation area of Kenya and Tanzania. Tsavo West was created when a road was built bisecting the park into two parts: Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks.
Tsavo East National Park is found in Taita Taveta County of the former Coastal Province of Kenya. The park covers an area of 13,747 square kilometers, making it one of the largest national parks in Kenya. On the other hand, Tsavo West National Park is situated in the Coast Province of Kenya, covering an area of 9,065 square kilometers.
Tsavo national parks are less visited compared to other crowded national parks but nevertheless provide pristine wilderness with many wildlife and bird viewing opportunities to offer.
Entry Fee The entry fee to Tsavo West and East national parks is 300 Kshs for East African and Kenyan citizens, 215 Kshs for East African and Kenyan citizen children, $60 for foreign non-resident adults, $20 for foreign non-resident children, and foreign resident adults will pay Kshs 500, while their children will pay Kshs 215. Entry fees are subject to change from year to year by the Kenya Wildlife Service, but the above rates are for 2022 – 2023.
History Tsavo conservation area was home to Wartha hunter-gatherers and Orma pastoralists for thousands of years until it was established as national parks in 1948. These tribes were documented by 19th-century travelers from Britain and Germany. Although the people were hostile towards the travelers, the British began to build a railway through Tsavo in 1898. The railway building was led by Lt. Col Patterson, but there was a problem: two male lions tormented and ate about 135 local and Indian workers working on the railway, forcing Patterson to shoot the lions.
Tsavo national parks are one of the archaeological sites in Kenya with some late Stone Age findings dating from 6000 to 1300 years ago. There is also some small evidence of the early Stone Age and Middle Stone Age. There is also evidence of cowry shells and beads discovered dating back to the early Swahili period. This implies that they used to trade ivory, slaves, and cat skins in exchange for beads, mirrors, and cowry shells.
The former warden of Tsavo West national park, known as Bill Woodley, invited the Mountain Club of Kenya (MCK) to do cave exploration in the park in 1978.
Location Tsavo East National Park is situated in the Taru desert bordering Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania and Chyulu Hills National Reserve. Tsavo West National Park is located 250 kilometers from Mombasa and 240 kilometers from Nairobi. By air, you can fly to one of the three airstrips in the park.
Best Time to Visit The best time to visit Tsavo West and Tsavo East national parks is during the dry seasons of June to September and December to February when the weather is favorable for wildlife viewing. The vegetation is not thick, making it easy to spot wildlife, and the roads are also in good condition.
Accommodation Tsavo West national park accommodation includes Taita Hill Safari Resort, River Lumi Resort, Voyager Safari Camp, Teen Ranch Kenya, Rhino Valley Lodge, Lavender Garden Hotel, Taita Lick Safari Lodge, Paran Resort, Loyk Tsavo Camp, Kudu Camp Tsavo East, Voi Wildlife Lodge, Tsavo Lodge, Ashnil Aruba Lodge, and many others. Tourists visiting Tsavo West national park can sleep in Lake Hope Cottages, Kamboyo Guest House, Kitani Self-catering Bandas, Ngulia Safari Lodge, Severin Safari Camp, Rhino Valley Lodge, Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, Finch Hatton’s Camps, Camp Ya Kanzi, Salt Lick Safari Lodge, Lake Jipe Safari Camp, Lions Buff Lodge, Babylon Lodge, and many others.
Animals Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks are some of the best tourist destinations in Kenya, boasting several wildlife species, including the African Big Five. Some of the animals you will see in the parks include elephants, lions, buffaloes, rhinos, leopards, aardwolf, East African hedgehogs, spotted and striped hyenas, black-backed jackals, banded mongooses, yellow-spotted rock hyraxes, springhares, Coke’s hartebeests, hunter’s hartebeests, blue duikers, African wild dogs, Senegal bush babies, African wild cats, yellow baboons, bushbucks, caracals, African civets, Kirk’s dik-diks, African dormice, Harvey’s duikers, bush duikers, blue duikers, common elands, rusty-spotted genets, gerenuks, Grant’s gazelles, common genets, southern tree hyraxes, Syke’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, naked mole rats, honey badgers, Bohor reedbucks, Suni, warthogs, plains and Grevy’s zebras, and ellipsen waterbucks, among many others.
What to Do
Birding
Tsavo East National Park is a birder’s paradise with over 500 species of birds, and Tsavo West is home to 400 recorded species. Both national parks have birds in common, and some of these include black-headed lapwing, Somali ostriches, Somali bunting, rufous chatterer, Taita fiscal, Somali bee-eater, slender-tailed nightjar, African finfoot, Fischer’s starling, black-faced sandgrouse, Taita falcon, eastern black-headed oriole, Basra reed warbler, thrush nightingale, river warbler, Shelley’s starling, red-bellied parrot, martial eagle, golden-breasted starling, common whitethroat, collared sand martin, European bee-eater, Egyptian vulture, Savi’s warbler, isabelline shrike, ortolan bunting, bat-like spinetail, house crow, house sparrow, Eurasian sparrowhawk, knob-billed duck, quail, laughing dove, Kori bustard, African emerald cuckoo, freckled nightjar, African palm swift, water thick-knee, Senegal lapwing, Marabou stork, great egret, black-cheeked snake eagle, African fish eagle, Verreaux’s eagle owl, yellow hornbill, gray-headed kingfisher, red-fronted barbet, and yellow-spotted bush sparrow, among the rest.
Rhino Tracking
Tsavo West National Park had an estimated number of 20,000 rhinos in the 1940s, but poaching dramatically reduced the numbers to less than 20 by 1989. Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary was later established and fenced to protect the remaining black rhinos. You can track these rhinos in their natural habitat while at Tsavo West National Park today.
What to See/Attractions
Mudanda Rock
Mudanda Rock is an Isenberg of 1.6 kilometers acting as a water catchment area that attracts hundreds of elephants and other wildlife. It’s the best place for guided nature walks and also provides scenic views of the park.
Lugard Falls
Lugard Falls are also unique tourist attractions in the park, named after Sir Frederick Lugard. They are located on the Galana River. The falls derive their name from Captain Luggard, the first European explorer to visit the falls. The Galana River hosts numerous crocodiles, attracts large numbers of wildlife, and aquatic birds.
Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau is the longest lava flow in the world, formed from eruptions of Mount Oldonyio Sabuk. It runs along the western park boundaries with a length of 290 kilometers and a width of 1.3 kilometers, extending from Tsavo East National Park to the north parts of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
Mzima Springs
Mzima Springs originate from underground lava rocks bursting into 50 million gallons of water. The source of the springs is a natural reservoir under Chyulu Hills. Mzima Springs came to be known when Alan and Joan Roots filmed a nature documentary known as “Mzima” in 1969.
Cave Exploration
Tsavo West National Park offers some of the best cave exploration opportunities in Kenya.
Shetani Lava
Years ago, molten lava erupted from underground at Tsavo West National Park, and the locals then thought it was the work of the devil, hence the name “Shetani,” meaning devil.
Lake Jipe
Lake Jipe is a birder’s paradise as well as a sanctuary for crocodiles and hippos, plus zebras that were translocated in 1977. The lake is situated at the border of Kenya and Tanzania, providing spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro. You can explore the flora and fauna of Lake Jipe by taking a boat cruise.
First World War Site
Tsavo is also a historical site for the First World War. Unexploded 12-pounder shells, rifles, odd bullets, smoking pipes, and old German cartridges have been found in areas of Tsavo National Park. Although the war wasn’t fought in Kenya, the British turned out in large numbers ready for war to protect their interests, specifically the Uganda-Kenya railway, against the Germans.
Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary
Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary is situated within Tsavo West National Park. Several years ago, there was an estimated population of about 20,000 rhinos at Tsavo, but uncontrolled poaching led to a dramatic decrease to less than 20 individuals by the 1980s. In 1986, an area within the park was secured and fenced to protect the remaining rhinos at Ngulia Sanctuary. The numbers are steadily increasing, and it’s one of the best places for viewing black rhinos in Kenya.
Ngulia Hills
Ngulia Hills are located at Tsavo West National Park, rising at an elevation of 600 meters above the Rift Valley floor and 1,800 meters above sea level. They provide the most spectacular views of the park with beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
Other attractions in Tsavo West National Park include Poachers Lookout, Aruba Dam, and Kanderi Swamp.
