Amboseli & Tsavo
Exploring your destinations
Tsavo
Space, and plenty of it
Tsavo East and Tsavo West together form one of Africa's largest protected wildlife areas, covering a substantial part of southern Kenya.
Scale is the point here. You can drive for a long time without seeing another vehicle, which is a very different experience from the Mara in August.
Plan My SafariTsavo East
Tsavo East is flatter, more open and drier, with red volcanic soil that elephants dust themselves in until they take on the colour of the ground.
The Galana River runs through the park and draws wildlife during dry months. Lugard Falls is a series of rapids where the river pushes through worn rock. The Yatta Plateau, an ancient lava flow, runs along the western boundary and is among the longest lava flows in the world.
Game viewing is good rather than dense. You work a little harder, and see fewer vehicles doing it.
Tsavo West
Tsavo West is greener, more broken and more varied, with hills, lava flows and thicker vegetation.
Mzima Springs produces clear water filtered through the Chyulu Hills. There is an underwater viewing chamber where hippo, fish and crocodiles can sometimes be seen from below.
The Shetani lava flows remain bare black rock. The Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary is a fenced conservation area within the park and offers one of the better chances of seeing black rhino in Tsavo.
The History
Tsavo is known for the lions that killed railway workers during construction of the Uganda Railway in 1898, delaying work for months. The story remains part of the park's identity.
What Is There
Elephant, lion, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, eland and lesser kudu are all present. Tsavo lions are known for males that often have little or no mane.
Birding is particularly good in Tsavo West.
Getting There
Both parks lie between Nairobi and Mombasa, making them a natural stop on the way to or from the coast rather than a separate trip.
The SGR train stops at Voi, and we can arrange collection there.
How Long to Stay
Two nights in either park works well. Allow three nights if combining Tsavo East and Tsavo West.
Safaris
Trips that include Tsavo
Plan a Tsavo Safari
Build it into your route
Tell us whether you are travelling between Nairobi and the coast, or want Tsavo as a destination in its own right. We will build the route around it.