Tsavo National Park

Tsavo National Park is a huge park. It´s Kenya´s largest park and includes Tsavo East and West National Park. Tsavo National Park is easily accessible and borders to Amboseli National Park and Tanzania, but is also close to Indian Ocean. That makes Tsavo a popular destination. Bushy grasslands, open plains and semi-arid acacia scrub make up biodiversity strongholds. The landscape is dominated, especially off the hills, by the giant baobab, a tree which is reputed to live a 1000 years. There are only two permanent rivers in this vast area. The Tsavo river which begins its life on Kilimanjaro and is greatly supplemented by a huge underground river flowing from Mzima Springs in Tsavo West and the Athi river in Tsavo East which begins near Nairobi. Tsavo receives very little rain, and the brilliant sunshine and fantastic scenery is a good platform for game viewing. And especially elephants. There are nearly 7000 elephant in Tsavo - by far the largest population in any Kenyan park. The big ones as buffalo, giraffe, cheetah, leopard and lion are also seen as well as waterbuck, gazelle, grevy zebra and kudu. Birdlife is also excellent - more than 400 species of birds. Among these are hornbill, heron, ostrich and vulture. The park offers also excellent views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Some of the popular destinations within Tsavo East National Park include the Mudanda Rock and the Yatta Plateau, one of the world's longest lava flows. Lugard Falls on the Galana River is a favourite haunt for sunbathing crocodiles. Visitors can view a wide range of plains game, including elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, waterbuck, kudu, gerenuk, zebra and hartebeest.

Bordering the South Serengeti Plains in Tanzania lies the Tsavo West National Park. A major attraction for visitors is Mzima Springs (and the stretch from Tsavo Gate to Mzima Springs you will enjoy a lot of game). The Springs forms a haven for a rich wildlife as crocodiles, hippo and on the bank elephant, giraffe, gazelles and zebra. West of the Mzima Springs you will find the Chaimu crater, a voulcanic crater. Not far from Mzima Springs, along a well-marked track, lies the precipitous magnificence of the Ngulia escarpment at the foot of the Ngulia Hills which rise to 1825 m. The Ngulia rhino sanctuary is another safe haven for rhinos.

This feast of wildlife, flora and birds combines to make Tsavo of special interest - an interest perhaps made greater by geological activity evidenced by a mass of recently extinct volcanoes and massive lava flows. It is also possible to make an excursion to the Chyulu Hills National Park. The Chyulus are one of the world's newest mountain ranges; the most recent volcanic peak was formed only 500 years ago. A four wheel drive track leads to this peak -Shaitani- and it is simple to walk to the caves on the side of the volcano.

Tsavo National Park has a dramatic past. During the late 1890s there were two man-eating lions who killed 130 railroad construction workers in only two months. The lions were finally killed, but you can still see lions in this area, and you can also see the movie about the drama (called The Ghost and the darkness)!

More about parks. See Kenya Tourist Board or
Kenyan Wildlife Service