Tsavo East
Where to Stay While Visiting Tsavo East:Satao Camp |
Voi Safari Lodge |
Tsavo-East is one of Kenya's oldest and largest National
Parks covering almost 40% of the total area of Kenya's National Parks. The
combined area of Tsavo East and West form one of the world's largest game
reserves- 13,000 sq. km. practically all of Kenya's wildlife is represented in
the two Tsavo parks, with generous portions of elephant herds.
Its
beautiful landscape and proximity to the coast make it a popular safari
destination. It is accredited as one of the world's leading biodiversity
strongholds, bushy grassland and open plains alternate with semi-arid acacia
scrub and woodlands. Green swathes cross the park where the river banks give
raise to lush vegetation. North of Galana is a true wilderness. A number of
leading tour guides offer private safaris across this area, camel safaris are a
feature.
Tsavo-East is recommended for photographers with its fabulous
light and unbelievable views, in particular the Mudanda Rock and the Yatta
Plateau, the world's largest lava flow. Lugard Fall on the Galana River are
remarkable for the shaped water-worn rocks.

Game includes: elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, crocodile,
waterbuck, kudu, gerenuk and zebra and Hunter's Hartebeest can be seen with its
lyre-shaped horns. Home to some of the largest herds in Kenya, the elephants
glow red after dust baths, blowing the vivid red dust through their trunks over
their bodies.
Some 500 bird species have been recorded in the
area, including ostrich and some migratory kestrels, while buzzards stop at
Tsavo-East during their long flight south.
The vegetation around Tsavo
East National Park is savannah grassland with thorny bushes and some swampy
marshland near Voi River. The landscape is unique because of the Yatta Plateau
formed from the lava that oozed from Ol Doinyo Sabuk Mountain.
The main
river that passes through this park is the River Galana. A variety of animals
can
be seen: lions, leopard, cheetah, zebras, giraffes, serval,
antelopes, kongoni, lesser kudu, oryx, klipspringer, impala, stripped hyena,
gazelles, buffalos, and elephants.
A variety of migratory and native
birds are seen. The birds are viewed between late October and early January, and
come from as far as Eastern and Western Europe. Commonly seen birds are African
skimmers, goshawks, red and yellow bishops, palm nut vultures and the
white-headed buffalo weavers.
Some places of interest near the park are:
Lugard Falls named after Lord Lugard, who volunteered for the British Diplomatic
Services in East Africa.
Crocodile Point on the Galana River. Mudanda
Rock, a 2 mile stretch of an Ayers type of rock, which acts as a water catchment
area supplying water to the dam below. Large numbers of Elephants congregate
there during the dry season.
Kenya Parks
Aberdares | Amboseli | Barack Obama | Bomas of Kenya | Great Rift Valley | Kisumu Museum | Kisumu Town | Lake Baringo | Lake Bogoria | Lake Naivasha | Lake Nakuru | Lake Victoria - Ke | Lewa | Maasai Mara | Mombasa | Mount Kenya | Mount Meru | Nairobi City | Nairobi Nat. Park | Nairobi National Museum | Nakuru Town | Nyangoma Kogelo | Odinga Mausoleum | Railway Museum | Samburu | Shaba | Shimba Hills | Siaya Town | Sweetwaters | Tsavo East | Tsavo West |