The Ultimate Tsavo East Destination Guide

Tsavo East is Kenya’s largest national park and home to the famous “red elephants” of Tsavo. At approximately 13,747 square kilometres, it is larger than Northern Ireland, and together with Tsavo West it forms one of the largest protected wildlife areas in Africa. The scale is the point. You can drive for hours on open plains and hardly see another vehicle.

The park lies in south-eastern Kenya, between Nairobi and the coast, making it the most accessible safari park from Mombasa, Diani and Watamu. For UK travellers planning a beach holiday with a safari, Tsavo East is often the first choice.

Why visit Tsavo East?

• Vast open spaces and a real sense of wilderness.
• Big herds of elephants coated in red dust.
• Easy access from the Kenyan coast and by train from Nairobi.
• Good value lodges and camps compared with the Mara.
• Fewer vehicles at sightings.

The red elephants

Tsavo’s elephants are not naturally red. They spray and dust themselves with the region’s iron-rich red soil to protect their skin from the sun and insects, which gives them a rusty colour that stands out against green bush and blue sky.

The wider Tsavo ecosystem is home to Kenya’s largest elephant population, estimated at more than 14,000 animals. Big herds gather at waterholes and along the Galana River, especially in the dry season. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust runs reintegration units at Voi and Ithumba, where orphaned elephants raised in Nairobi are slowly returned to the wild.

Other wildlife

• Lions: Tsavo’s male lions are known for having little or no mane. The park is also famous for the “Man-Eaters of Tsavo”, two lions that killed railway workers building the Uganda Railway bridge over the Tsavo River in 1898. Their story was told by Lt Col John Henry Patterson and later in the film The Ghost and the Darkness.
• Leopards and cheetahs: both are present, with cheetahs found on the open plains south of the Galana.
• Buffalo: large herds, often close to water.
• Plains game: zebra, Coke’s hartebeest, eland, Grant’s gazelle, impala, waterbuck and Masai giraffe.
• Dry-country species: gerenuk, lesser kudu, fringe-eared oryx and the rare hirola (Hunter’s hartebeest), one of the world’s most endangered antelopes.
• Hippos and crocodiles: in the Galana River, particularly at Crocodile Point.
• Birds: more than 500 species have been recorded, including golden-breasted starlings, secretary birds, several hornbills and many raptors.

The best places to visit in Tsavo East

• Galana River: the lifeline of the park. Game drives along its banks reward you with elephants, buffalo, crocodiles and hippos.
• Lugard Falls: a series of rapids where the Galana River rushes through channels of striated rock. You can walk along the rocks with a ranger.
• Crocodile Point: just downstream of Lugard Falls, where large Nile crocodiles bask on the sandbanks.
• Mudanda Rock: a 1.6km-long rock outcrop that collects rainwater in a natural dam at its base. In the dry season, elephants come to drink below you as you watch from the top.
• Yatta Plateau: one of the longest lava flows in the world, extending for approximately 290km along the western side of the park.
• Aruba Dam: a reservoir on the Voi River built in 1952. In the dry season, it draws large numbers of animals and birds.
• Kanderi Swamp: a permanent water source near Voi Gate, good for elephants and buffalo.

Other activities

• Game drives: the main activity. Given the size of the park, full-day drives with a picnic lunch are popular.
• Sheldrick reintegration unit visits: donors who foster an orphan can arrange a visit to the Voi or Ithumba unit. Please ask about this when booking.
• Guided walks: available at some camps outside the park or on private land.
• Tsavo River railway bridge: near Tsavo Gate, the setting of the man-eaters story. A popular stop with history lovers.

Where to stay in Tsavo East

Upper range

• Galdessa Camp: on the banks of the Galana River, with open thatched bandas and a relaxed, remote atmosphere.
• Ithumba Camp: a small eco camp in the northern part of the park, close to the Sheldrick Ithumba unit and well away from other visitors.

Mid-range

• Satao Camp: a tented camp set around a busy waterhole in the south-east of the park. Elephants often drink right in front of the tents.
• Ashnil Aruba Lodge: near Aruba Dam, with rooms and tents looking onto the water.
• Voi Safari Lodge: built into a rocky hillside near Voi Gate, with sweeping views and an underground hide at the waterhole.
• Man Eaters Camp: on the Tsavo River close to where the man-eating lions were hunted, between Tsavo East and Tsavo West.

Value

• Voi Wildlife Lodge: just outside Voi Gate, with a waterhole in front of the lodge.
• Sentrim Tsavo Camp: a tented camp close to the park boundary, ideal for short safaris from the coast.

When to go

• June to October: the long dry season. The vegetation thins out and animals gather around water. This is the best time for game viewing.
• January to February: hot and dry, with excellent wildlife and fewer visitors.
• March to May and November: the rains. The park turns green and many animals give birth, but some tracks may become impassable.

Tsavo East is hot, with daytime temperatures of 28 to 34°C. Bring light clothing, a hat and sun cream.

Getting there

• From the coast: approximately 2.5 to 3 hours by road from Mombasa or Diani to Bachuma Gate. Many beach hotels offer one, two and three-day safaris.
• By train: the Madaraka Express (SGR) runs from Nairobi to Voi in approximately 5 hours. Your guide will meet you at Voi station, a few minutes from the park.
• By road from Nairobi: approximately 5 to 6 hours along the Mombasa Road to Voi or Manyani Gate.
• By air: airstrips throughout the park take charter flights, and some camps connect with scheduled services.

Park fees

Tsavo East is managed by Kenya Wildlife Service and falls under its wilderness category. At the time of writing, non-resident adults pay US$80 (about £60) per day, and children pay less. Payment is cashless. Each of our Tsavo packages includes park fees. Sterling figures are indicative and subject to exchange rate fluctuations.

Practical tips

• Distances are long. Choose a camp near the areas you most want to explore.
• Bring a dust cover for your camera equipment and a scarf for yourself.
• Tsavo is an ideal partner for a beach holiday. One of our most popular trips for UK families is three nights on safari followed by a week on Diani Beach.
• Discuss malaria protection with your GP. Both Tsavo and the coast are low-altitude areas.

How long to stay

Two nights is the minimum to enjoy Tsavo East. Add two nights in Tsavo West for the complete Tsavo experience, or head inland to Amboseli National Park for elephants beneath Kilimanjaro.