Tsavo west Safari

Red Elephants of Tsavo

Tsavo West National Park covers 7065 km2, approximately 30% of Kenya's area under parks, and contains a diversity of habitats, wildlife and a mountainous scenic landscape. Tsavo West has a more varied topography and a more diverse array of habitats than its neighbor Tsavo East, the park is a vast expanse of savanna stretching from Mtito Andei, along the Mombasa-Nairobi road and south to the Tanzanian border. The park is located on south eastern Kenya, 240km from Nairobi along the western side of Mombasa-Nairobi highway. The savannah ecosystem comprises of open grasslands, scrublands, and Acacia woodlands, belts of riverine vegetation and rocky ridges.

Major wildlife attractions include elephant, rhino, Hippos, lions, cheetah, leopards, Buffalos, diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near threatened Basra Reed Warbler. Other attractions include the Chyulu Hills which are porous peaks of volcanic ash, whose youngest cones formed about 500 years ago. Rising 7,000 feet (2,000 meters) above an arid plain, the vast black Shetani lava flows and ash cones spreads out at the foot of the Chyulu Hills. There is a walking trail amongst the lava flow and it is possible to climb up to the crater rim as well as into the caves.

The Hills trap up to three feet (one meter) of rain each year from moisture-laden winds, All that rain soaks into the sponge-like ash and percolates down until it hits impervious bedrock and begins its underground journey to Mzima Springs some 25 miles (40 kilometers) away in the Northern side of the park. Water that has filtered underground from the Chyulu Hills gushes from below a lava ridge into a series of clear pools. The cool and shallow spring offers buoyant relief to a herd of ponderous hippos, one of four groups that loll all day in the protected waters of Mzima’s three main pools. By night the hippos graze on nearby grasslands. 

The Park’s main access routes are through Chyulu Gate from Amboseli and Mtito Andei Gate from Nairobi (240 km) and Mombasa. Visitors from Mombasa also use Tsavo Gate near Manyani. The park can also be reached via Taveta - Voi road through Maktau, Ziwani and Jipe gates. The Parks Airstrips are Kamboyo, Kilaguni, Tsavo Gate, Jipe, Kasigau, Finch Hutton’s, Ziwani and Maktau
The best months to visit the Tsavo West National Park are in January and February as well as June to September. Game viewing is all year round. Visiting during the heavy rainy season of March to May should be avoided as the roads become very muddy. There may be some rain from October to December. Best time to visit Tsavo East National Park: September, October, January, February, March. It’s important to take with you some drinking water, binoculars, camera, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and guidebooks.

ETS- Kenya Safari
Edmac Tours and Safaris