Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East has an undeniable wild and primordial charm and is a terrific wildlife-watching destination. It is located mid-way between Mombasa and Nairobi at Mtito-Andei. The main entrance gate to the park is the Mtito Andei gate. Tsavo East is a diverse park with many features and it is home to the largest elephant herds in the country, as well as a good population of giraffes, many zebra, impala and gazelles, as well as irascible buffalo. Predators are represented by large prides of lions, elusive leopards, and the fastest animal on land – the cheetah. One of my highlights from the game drive was the huge herds of Elephants covered in red dust from wallowing and dust bathing. The entrance fee for adult resident is 1200KES, children resident is 600KES , adult non-resident goes for US$75 and children non resident is US$40. Apart from the game drives there are other activities like bush walks, horse riding, hiking and rock climbing. One of the Park’s most recognisable features is the Yatta Plateau which is the longest lava flow in the world, stretching for over 300Km. The Park offers the quintessential safari experience, and the game viewing is usually best around water sources such as the Aruba Dam. Tsavo East National Park also offers camping and accommodation. We once stayed at Satao camp which is at the heart of the park. I had an out of Africa style safari experience with guided game drives led by knowledgeable local guides. Accommodation is offered in luxury tented suites that have verandas from which you can watch Elephants come down to drink. We had a lovely time, we were there for two days and enjoyed it. The lions were tricky because they blend in to the grass but we got lucky on the last day when a whole pride came and laid down in front of our car. Tips: take a good camera, carry snacks & drinks and if you are planning to stay over in the camps take insect repellent. I highly recommend Tsavo East National Park to local and foreign tourists.