Tsavo West National Park

Tsavo West National Park is located in the coastal province of Kenya, covering an area of 9,065km2. The road to Nairobi Mombasa and a railway divides it from the adjoining Tsavo east national park, together with adjoining ranches and protected areas comprising the Tsavo Conservation Area. Tsavo West is a popular destination due to its magnificent scenery, mzima springs and varied wildlife, good road system, rhino reserve, rock climbing potential and guided walks along tsavo river, and the park is operated by Kenya wildlife service.

The setting for climbers is superb with elephant roaming the plains below the cliffs and eagles, vultures and falcons circling around the crags, and Kilimanjaro frequently visible on a clear day. The rock-climbing is one of the best in Kenya, with solid gneiss walls often covered in holds and free of vegetation. The most impressive piece of rock is the 300m high east face of Kichwa Tembo, attracted the first explorers and resulted in the ascent of the Great Tsavo Chimney. Mastodon took three visits before it was completed and Ivory Tower on Elephant Rocks ranks as the best and hardest bush climb in Kenya.

Tsavo West National Park consists of a variety of wildlife, for example; eastern black rhinoceros, hippos, cape buffalos, elephants, leopards and lions, with also smaller animals that can be spotted in the park such as; bush baby, hartebeest, lesser kudu and Masai giraffe.

Tsavo remained the homeland for Orma and Masai pastoralists and Waata hunter-gatherers until 1948 when it was gazetted a national park and the indigenous populations were relocated to Voi and Mtito Andei and other locations within the nearby Taita Hills. The Kenyan independence in 1963, hunting was banned in the park and management of Tsavo was turned over to the authorities that eventually became the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Attractions in the park

Tsavo national park is a combined national park with two parks namely; tsavo west and tsavo east national park making it the second largest park in Kenya covering an area of 9,065km2. The national park is surrounded by various tourism attractions that make the tourists’ safaris spectacular and enjoyable. The park consists of attractions like; wildlife, birds, Mzima springs, hills, sanctuaries, lava and a lot more.

Wildlife

The national park consists of crystal-clear water gushing out from under parched lava rock called mzima springs. The park is a beautiful and rugged wilderness with savannah ecosystem comprising of open grasslands, scrublands, riverine vegetation and acacia woodlands, which contains a variety of wildlife with smaller animals in the park. Some of the animals include; elephants, cape buffalos, leopards, lions, hartebeest, bush baby, crocodiles, giraffes and a lot more, which brings tourists yearly for a safari in Kenya.

Mzima springs

Mzima springs is one of Tsavo’s most popular wildlife attractions being a resident to populations of hippos and Nile crocodiles, and its isolation makes both species dependent on the waters. The hippos sustain an entire food chain and browse the surrounding savannah by night and returning to Mzima’s pools by day, and their dung fertilises the water.

Mzima Springs are a series of four natural springs in tsavo national park located in the west of the Park, 48 km from Mtito Andei. The source of the springs is a natural reserve under the Chyulu hills to the north, composed of volcanic lava rock and ash, which is too porous to allow rivers to flow. The springs attract wildlife to come around looking for water, making it one of the main attractions in the park.

Taita hills wildlife sanctuary

It is a privately-owned wildlife sanctuary and national park in Kenya, established in 1972 by Hilton international, located in Taita Taveta county, 220 kilometres from Mombasa and 360 km south of Nairobi. The sanctuary covers an area of 28,000 acres, and it is adjacent to the park and the LUMO community wildlife sanctuary, hosting: cape buffalos, African bush elephants, leopards, lions, cheetah, impala, waterbuck, hyena among others with smaller animals and birds.

Five sister’s hills

These are one of the viewing points in the park offering stunning sceneries with low ridge of black lava outcrop, long luscious grass and conical hills that make five sisters and these five identical cone shaped hills are located in one area and resemble one another which bring tourists to experience these beautiful attractions with scenic views for the park.

Birds

Tsavo National Park is surrounded by 500 bird species which are recorded including the migratory ones and rare ones like ortolan bunting and savi’s warbler among others. Birds in tsavo west national park are the second famous attractions in the park attracting tourists after wildlife and both game viewing and birding can be done together. Some of the birds in the park include; Somalia ostrich, martial eagle, African finfot, papyrus gonolek, lesser kestrel, taita fiscal, Masai, ostrich, secretary bird, golden pitpit, hamer kop, little egret, mourning dove, love birds and a lot more. The location of the park in the former semi desert area of Taru desert contributes to a large space for a peaceful place for birds.

Ngulia rhino sanctuary

The sanctuary is located on the foothills of Ngulia hills with an area of 80km2 fenced with 1 high electric fence protected by game rangers. The sanctuary is a home to rare rhinos and it was put up to protect the rare black rhinos in the park and it is a stronghold bleeding place for black rhinos in the park. Tourists will not only spot back rhinos but also spot the rest of the animals in the sanctuary and the rhinos in the sanctuary are mainly nocturnal which are more active at night. In the sanctuary, 80 rhino individuals are easily spotted although the number inside the sanctuary is more than 80, with 5 waterholes supporting 70 black rhinos.

Shetani lava

The attraction is the main reason why tourists come to tsavo west national park as a way of experiencing the national park. Tsavo national park is a combined park consisting of two national parks making it the 2^nd largest in Kenya covering an area of 9,065 km2 and tsavo east park is the largest park with an area of 13747km2 considered as a land of great wilderness experience. The lava is about 4km west of Chyulu gate of the Tsavo west national park on the road to Amboseli where Shetani lava flows, and Shetani means devil in Kiswahili and they were formed a hundred years ago with the belief of local people that it was the devil himself emerging from earth. Tourists can visit the lava for walking safari, hikes and also cave and volcanic cone experiences.

Tourism activities in the park.

The national park is the 2^nd largest national park in Kenya with a variety of attractions that attract tourists yearly to visit the park, with also a variety of activities that tourists can participate in order to spice up their safari in the national park. These activities offer the unforgettable experience for the park to travelers for example; hiking, game viewing, birding, camping and a lot more in the national park, making it important to visit.

Wildlife viewing

Tsavo west national park consists of beautiful and rugged wilderness with savannah ecosystem comprising of open grasslands, scrublands, riverine vegetation and acacia woodlands consisting of a variety of animals, with the rare black rhinos and small animals and some are nocturnal and active at night. The national park consists of Mzima springs that is a water area for these animals making them get attracted to the springs in large numbers, which becomes the best spot for wildlife in the park. Some of the animals in the park include; elephants, cape buffalos, leopards, lions, hartebeest, bush baby, crocodiles, giraffes, Nile crocodiles, buffalos.

Nature walks

Tsavo national park is the 2^nd largest park in Kenya, consisting of rugged wilderness with savannah ecosystem with open grasslands, acacia grasslands, riverine vegetation that give a spectacular beauty of the park. Morning nature walks give a natural, fresh, breathtaking experience of the park. During this activity, tourists are given a close experience with animals on foot around the Mzima springs, park birds that are over 500. During this activity, tourists also experience the Mzima springs, five sister’s hills that are beautifully formed and also give a scenic view of the park. Tourists can also participate in a night nature walk with rangers where you will spot nocturnal animals in the park.

Birdwatching

Tsavo west national park is surrounded by over 500 bird species which are recorded, migratory and rare ones making the park a destination for by bird watching especially by birders. The location of the park in the former semi desert area of Taru desert contributes to a large space for a peaceful place for birds.

Some of the animals in the national park include; Somalia ostrich, martial eagle, African finfot, papyrus gonolek, lesser kestrel, taita fiscal, Masai, ostrich, secretary bird, golden pitpit, hamer kop, little egret, mourning dove, love birds and a lot more.

Rock climbing

Tsavo West National Park offers the best rock-climbing adventures in Kenya and the most impressive rock climb is a 300m Kichwa Tembo rock which attracted the first adventure and the second expedition to conquer the impressive Tsavo Chimney. Other hiking and rock climbing areas the Ngulia Hills, Mastodon and Ivory tower. The viewpoints allow you to experience a panoramic view of the landscapes, large herds of elephants roaming the vast plains and flocks of birds in the park, and the activity usually happens in the morning hours before the heat of the sun becomes intense.

Cave exploration

The Shetani caves are located next to the Shetani lava flows which were formed as a result of volcanicity. Visitors visit these caves to learn about their attached history, experience seeing hyenas and other small mammals and cave experiencing requires one to carry a torch for lighting since it gets dark when in there.

Visiting Ngulia rhino sanctuary

Best months to visit the park.

The recommended seasons to visit the tsavo national park are dry seasons from the months of July to September and December to march which allow the best wildlife experience and tourism activities in the park. These dry months allow hiking experiences since the months are dry making roads and routes accessible in the park. The park is a semi-arid climate, and the rainfall is more frequent than other parks making it good for your safari in Kenya.

March, May and October to November are not advisable for your safari since they are long rainy seasons which make the park routes and roads slippery not suitable for park activities. These wet seasons make animals migrate due to the scattered water in the park making it hard for tourists to spot them during these seasons.

Camps in tsavo west national park.

These are suited in the wilderness for tourists to sleep outdoor as an experience in the nature of the national park where tourists are provided with tents to sleep in while experiencing sounds of birds and animals in the wilderness and tourists are provided with meals but in special campsites and those in public campsites are provided with a chef who cooks for the tourists. Below are some of the camps in the park.

Voyager ziwani camp.

The campsite has an amazing spectacular view of Mount Kilimanjaro and also easy to access wilderness attraction in the park. The park is located on a private sanctuary on the western edge of tsavo a d it is convenient and affordable to tourists accessing the park. It provides beautiful views of the park, animals and the spectacular wilderness. It is also under heritage that offers unique and best accommodation in Kenya.

Severin camp

The Severine safari camp is located at tsavo west national park integrated into their natural surroundings, 50km from Mtiti Andei railway station. Accommodation in the camp offers tents, junior suites, suites and self-catering cottages, outdoor pools and spa, free Wi-Fi. The camp also offers a restaurant and fitness center with a shared lounge, luggage storage and free parking.

Lake Jipe Safari Camp

This camp is located near lake jipe in voi railway station in tsavo west national park and also 24-hour front desk, providing guests with an outdoor pool, restaurant as well as children’s play ground offering best moments of viewing elephants swim in lake jipe during your stay. The camp provides free Wi-Fi, free parking, dry cleaning facilities, and a tv in each room of the camp, giving you a comfortable experience in your stay.

Man, eater camp.

The camp comprises of 31 fully furnished ensuite tents with a view of the tsavo river, 8 family tents with facilities such as balconies, lounge chairs, showers, four poster beds and mosquito nets. Man eater camp offers facilities like a restaurant, a bar, and a rock pool which are located close to the tents making it easy for tourists to access the facilities. The restaurant at the camp offers culinary experience with meals like 5 course meals to cater for all guests as they enjoy the sounds of the river.

Kudu safari camp

The safari camp is a luxurious tented camp located in the park next to the entrance Sala gate, rising on the banks of the Galana river which is a peaceful place where animals, nature and human live together. The camp has an infinity pool and a restaurant making it a perfect location for tourists and guests looking for an area of peace and a relaxed environment in the Kenya savannah.

Ngulia safari lodge

Ngulia Safari Lodge stands is suited within the Tsavo West National Park, on the Ndawe Escarpment overlooking the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, lying 232km from Nairobi and can be reached by road or air. The Lodge has 52 standard rooms, all with bath, shower and a balcony with a view of the wilderness and floodlit water holes. The camp welcomes children and also has one meeting room which hosts 20 to 25 people.

Kiwanjani Eco lodge

Kiwanjani Eco lodge is located in the middle of the two Tsavo east and west and it’s the perfect choice for any tourist looking for a wildlife and bush experience in a remote part of Kenya. the lodge has magnificent wild views of the game reserves making it ideal for game visits, nature walks and bird watching and the secluded and spacious thatched cottages are a reflection of contemporary Africa, portraying a combination of the traditional African building style with modern luxuries to create a true eco lodge in all aspects.

How to access the park.

By road.

The national park consists of 5 gates with good roads that are used to reach the tsavo west national park depending on the location of the tourist. The Mtito Andei gate is the main gate of the park found along Nairobi Mombasa highway.

Mtito Andei gate.

This is the main gate located on the western part of tsavo west national park and it got its name from the village name Mtito Andei, which is located in Makueni county in the village of Mtito Andei making it a direct gate that can be accessed by both road, railway and flight. The nearest town to the gate is Mtito Andei town which is south east of Nairobi, and it is a home park head offices of Kenya wildlife services, with public toilets and a small gift shop.

Maktau north gate

This is one of the most popular entrance gates of the park located along the highway near Maktau town and it is few kilometers off the famous voi Taveta highway however with limited tourists’ facilities. The gate is located in the south eastern part of the park and it can be accessed by road through voi Taveta highway, and domestic flight to Maktau airstrip.

Maktau south gate

This is one of the developed gates of tsavo west national park and it is larger than maktau north gate, covered with tourist facilities like toilets and refreshing center hosting Kenya wildlife service ranger outpost as well as Kenya wildlife services headquarters for the southern part in a walkable distance crossing the Voi Taveta road.

Tsavo gate

The tsavo gate is located on the north eastern part of the park few minutes’ drive off the famous Nairobi Mombasa highway and with mtito andei, are two key gates that most tourists use and it is located south of the main gate Mtiti Andei gate. This gate has facilities and the Kenya wildlife services offices, tourists can make payments at the gate using credit cards and get any assistance from the park rangers incase on are on a self-drive safari.

Lake jipe gate.

This is the list used gate in the park and remotely located in the shores of jipe lake. The gate has ranger post, tourist facilities and mostly used by tourists who fly in the park through jipe airstrip which is located at the gate and tourists can be cleared before being picked up by their guide drivers.

By air.

The national park can be accessed through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) which is 15km/9mi southeast of Nairobi and the country’s largest transport hub. Kenya’s second international airport, Moi International Airport (MBA) which is 9km/6mi west of Mombasa. The tourists can also use domestic flights that fly directly in the park through the 5 gates of the national park.