Background Information

Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest and largest African safari parks in Kenya. It was established in 1948 and covers 11,747 km², although not all of the park is open to the public. Some areas are designated as "remote animal wilderness" for the Kenyan animals, but there is still a massive area for visitors to tour around and enjoy viewing the Kenyan wildlife. Key attractions include the Galana River and the Yatta plateau, as well as several pools and dams used as watering holes by both birds and animals.

The Tsavo East National Park is a vast park and guests will often have to be patient during game viewing activities, but the reward is great. The experienced safari guides are familiar with the game movements and season migration paths and times of Tsavo's wildlife. Some of Tsavo East's popular attractions are Mudanda Rock, Yatta Plateau and Lugard Falls. The surface of this part of Tsavo is essentially flat and covered with low, dry vegetation. The reserve is popular for short safaris from the Kenya coast, such as Mombasa, which makes for a stunning East Africa beach and bush vacation.

What to see and do

Game in Tsavo East includes the famous Big 5. Other sought after species are black rhino, hirola antelope, mongoose, giraffe, bat-eared fox, hyrax, Grevy's zebra, ground pangolin, Sykes's monkey, black-faced vervet monkey and dik dik, to name but a few. Over 500 species of bird have been recorded in the area, including ostrich, kestrel, starling, weaver bird, kingfisher, buzzard, hornbill, secretary bird and heron. Tsavo lions are historically famous for not having manes (even the males), and as a result of this uncommonness, many lions have been hunted and killed in Tsavo. Kenya has banned hunting for many years now, but the closeness of Kenyan villages to its game reserves means that human-wildlife conflict has to be carefully managed.

Best time to visit

January and February are good months to visit, as well as June to September. Avoid visiting between March and May as this is the heavy rainy season. There may also be some rain from October to December. Temperatures year round are 27-31°C (81-88°F) during the day and 22-24°C (72-75°F) at night. For birdwatchers, the best months to see Kenya’s migratory birds are October to January. The best times to view wildlife are early and late in the day, as animals tend to sleep in the hot midday sun.