Tsavo
National Park, comprising of Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks,
form the biggest game sanctuary in Kenya occupying 21,000 Kmē. The
open grasslands and plenty of water makes Tsavo one of the best
place to view wildlife. The Tsavo National park is the home to the man-eaters
of Tsavo, the lions that almost paralyzed the construction of Uganda
Railway. By the time they were killed by Col. Patterson, they had
already devoured 28 Indian labourers and about 100 Africans. The
remains of the lions are exhibited at Field Museum of Natural
History in Chicago.
Tsavo
East Game Park occupy a total of
11,747
Kmē, making it the largest conservation block in the country.
Getting
to Tsavo East National Park- Gates & Distance Nairobi
Tsavo:
The drive from Nairobi to Tsavo East
National Park can
be very interesting especially if your guide knows the history of
the various towns and shopping centres that you drive by. From
Nairobi the first significant town is Athi River, followed by Salama,
Email, Kiboko, Kibwezi, Mtito Adei, Tsavo, Manyani and finally Voi.
Voi is only 160Km from Mombasa. Travel from Nairobi will take
at most 4 hours depending on the gate that you use. Tsavo East
National Park requires a smart card. The park headquarters are
at Voi gate.
Gates and Distances
from Main Towns(Naiorbi, Mombasa, Malindi:
From Nairobi one can access Tsavo East
Game Park through Mtito Adei Gate(240Km
from Nairobi ), Tsavo gate (
290Km), Manyani Gate
(307 Km) or Voi gate (340Km).
From Mombasa the park can be accessed through Bachuma
gate. From Malindi, park can be
reached via Sala gate (118Km
from Malindi) .
Flying options are available
from Nairobi, Mombasa and Malindi. Tsavo East is served by several
air strips. There are airstrips at Galdessa and Satao.
Climate:
Tsavo East experiences a hot and dry climate.
Habitats:
Tsavo
East has a wide diversity of habitats ranging from bushy grasslands, open plains, rocky
outcrops, semi-arid acacia scrub and woodlands. Swampy marshlands
occur near Voi River. This has made it possible to host a wide
variety of wildlife. Though big in size, some parts of Tsavo
East are not open to tourist over the years but today, restricted
access is allowed. North
of Galana is a true wilderness.
Tsavo East
Attractions /Activities/What to do:
Diverse landscapes
and wild animal viewing are the main attraction in Tsavo East.
Most of the activities are concentrated along the Galana River with
its picturesque Lugard Falls. Bird watching, hiking and whitewater rafting are the main activities
one can undertake. Being on the bird migratory route, bird
watching is particularly ideal during Oct to January when migratory
birds from Eastern and Western Europe visit the park.
Mammals and other animals of Tsavo East.
Tsavo
East has a wide range of wildlife. Mammals species include:
lions, leopard, cheetah, zebras, giraffes, serval, antelopes,
kongoni, lesser kudu, oryx, klipspringer, impala, stripped hyena,
water buck, kudu, gerenuk, hunters hartebeest, gazelles, buffalos,
black rhinos, and elephants. Crocodiles
occupy the river banks.
Tsavo East is a bird watchers'
paradise with some 500 species recorded including the ostrich,
kestrels, buzzards, African skimmers, goshawks, red and yellow
bishops, palm nut vultures and the white-headed buffalo weavers.
Physical Features
/Attractions in Tsavo East National Park:
The main features of include the following
-
Lugard
Falls- on the River Galana.
-
Crocodile Point on the Galana River.
-
Mudanda
Rock
- Near Manyani gate>> this is a 1.6 Km long and has a natural dam at the base that attracts
animals. One can walk along the rock and observer animals at the
base.
-
Yatta
plateau.
-
Athi River/ River Galana
-
Aruba
dam- This was built in 1952 across the Tsavo River. It
attracts large number of animals.
Tsavo East Accommodation/
Tsavo East Lodges/ Tented Camps and Public Campsites:
Accommodation
in the Park is available at first class lodges,
tented camps and public campsites. -
Tsavo East
Safari Lodges
There are several safari
lodges in Tsavo East National park. These include.
Tented camps/
campsites.
Camping is one of the main
activities in Tsavo East National Park. Below are some
of the luxury tented camps in Tsavo East.
-
Galdessa Safari camp (16
beds
), This airy and delightful tented camp 15 Km west of
Lugard falls, offers expansive views of River Galana and Yatta
Plateau. The Bandas, rested on wooden platforms, are
separately sited hence giving ultimate privacy. Tents have
en-suite showers, flush toilets and solar heating. This
eco- camp is near the rhino sanctuary. The camp offers day
and night game drives and guided nature walks.
-
Epiya Chapeyu Camp (22
beds)
-
Tsavo Safari Camp (Cottars) (40
beds)
-
Satao Camp (20
beds) Located 45 km from Bachuma gate, Satao is ideal for
visitors arriving from Mombasa. Next to Satao is a
floodlit waterhole where animals come to drink daily. The
tents offer en suite showers and flush toilets. It is in
budget category.
-
Patterson Safari camp
(20 tents) Located 8 Km from Tsavo Gate and 9 Km from
Manyani gate, Patterson's sits at the place where Patterson managed to Kill the famous man
eaters of Tsavo. This budget property enjoys a relaxed setting
under the doum palms. The tents are self contained with
en-suite showers and flush toilets.
-
Crocodile Camp.
