Tsavo East National Park is located along Nairobi to Mombasa highway. It’s relative closeness to the beaches and tourist attractions around Malindi and Mombasa make it an ideal one-day wildlife safari destination for those who do not want to stay overnight.
The vast park lies in semi-arid area of flat dry plains with thorny bushes and is one of the world's wildlife and biodiversity strongholds, established in 1948. It has a diverse wildlife including large families of giraffes, gazelles, hartebeests and zebras, as well as the "Big Five."
Bird watching is best between October and January with many migratory birds like African skimmers, red and yellow bishops, goshawks, buffalo weavers and palm nut vultures. Over 500 bird species have been recorded in the park, including ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weaverbirds, kingfishers, hornbills, secretary birds and herons. Other attractions includes:-
Lugards Falls - Named after Captain Lugard, the first proconsul to East Africa. The falls feature bizarrely eroded rocks through which the waters of the Galana River plunge into forming rapids and crocodile - infested pools.
Yatta plateau - The world's longest lava flow at 300 Km long and Mudanda Rock, a 1.6 km outcrop of rock, with a dam at its base. This is a popular drinking place for animals and an ornithological paradise that attract migrating birds from all over the world.
Aruba Dam also attracts animals and birds looking for a place to drink and is a great viewing destination.
Elephant in Eden - The sight of dust-red elephant wallowing, rolling and spraying each other with the midnight blue waters of palm-shaded Galana River is one of the most evocative images of Africa.
Tsavo East National Park is located about 233 Km from Nairobi and 250 Km from Mombasa and covers an area of about 13,700 sq Km. |
