Tsavo National Parks

As the biggest park in Kenya, ranging an impressive 22,000 km², Tsavo National Park offers a combination of big game including the Big 5 and varied landscapes in the southeast of the country.

Nestled between Nairobi and Mombasa, Tsavo is the perfect option to combine with a beach escape to the Kenyan Coast and is often less crowded than other Kenyan parks such as the Masai Mara or Amboseli National Park. Tsavo is also the site of many fascinating historical events, including the notorious man-eating lions of Tsavo from the late 1800s, World War 1 battlefields and Stone Age archaeological sites.

Tsavo National Park is divided into two separate parks by a railway line: Tsavo East and Tsavo West.

Tsavo East is the slightly bigger of the two sections and boasts large plains that are cut through by the Galana River, whose banks attract elephants that have a deceptive red hue thanks to the ochre sands that they dust themselves with. The Galana tumbles down to Lugard Falls, a network of white rapids and beautiful water-worn volcanic rocks. Yatta Plateau is another unique feature of the East, as the longest lava flow in the world, it sets the stage for big game encounters and abundant birdlife.

Tsavo West’s natural beauty compliments its plethora of wildlife. In the west, you will find various game, including the Big 5, hippos, gerenuk and Maasai giraffe. There are also plenty of unique species such as cheetahs, lesser kudu, wild dogs and 600 species of birdlife. This part of Tsavo also boasts scenic natural landscapes such as mountains, swamps, the clear waters of Mzima Springs and Lake Jipe which borders Tanzania.