Tsavo East National Park 

It’s a vast, semi-arid wilderness populated by elephants, sometimes in large herds and caked in the red Tsavo dust, and unique maneless lions.

Introducing Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East is generally flat with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau, Lugards Falls, Mudanda Rock and Aruba Dam. The reserve is popular for short safaris from the Kenya coast, like Mombasa. Tsavo East National park is a vast park and guests will often have to be patient during game viewing activities, but the reward is great. The experienced safari guides are familiar with the game movements and season migration paths and times of Tsavo's wildlife. Some of Tsavo East's popular attractions are Mudanda Rock, Yatta Plateau and Lugard Falls. The surface of this part of Tsavo is essentially flat and covered with low, dry vegetation. The reserve is popular for short safaris from the Kenya coast, such as Mombasa, which makes for a stunning East Africa beach and bush vacation.

Experience the Tsavo East National Park

  • Wildlife
  • Birdlife

Wildlife at the Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East National Park offers great wildlife viewing in pristine wilderness. Four of the Big Five are here (no rhino). Elephants are common, and their red dust coating makes them stand out against the arid environment. Of the big cats, lions are most easily spotted, but cheetahs are also possible out on the plains. Buffalo, zebra and plenty of Masai giraffes are some of the other animals you can expect to see. Tsavo East has a good range of unusual antelope. This is one of few places to see the fringe-eared oryx. The lesser kudu is very shy but is sometimes seen darting off into the bushes. The long-necked gerenuk can be found standing on its hind legs to reach sparse foliage. With luck, you might spot the critically endangered Hunter's hartebeest (hirola) out in the remote far east of the park.

Birdlife at the Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East National Park has an impressive checklist of more than 500 bird species. It has many dry-country specials that can be easy to spot, including the magnificent golden-breasted starling, golden pipit and vulturine guineafowl. The park is also the southernmost stronghold for the Somali ostrich. The park’s huge area is a significant wintering ground for migrant species from Europe. Migrant birds are present from November to April. Tsavo East offers great bird watching at any time of year. A lot of unusual specials are resident, making it easier to spot them with regularity year-round. Migratory birds call the park home from November to April. Heavy rain is a possibility (but by no means guaranteed) in November and April, which can disrupt bird-watching activities.

Best time to visit Tsavo East National Park

A trip to Tsavo East National Park is best planned in June to October and January to February, when conditions in the park are favorable for wildlife watching. In ‘normal’ years, during the peak of the short rains (November) and the long rains (April) conditions can be more challenging: with water and food more widely available, the animals spread out across a wider area, which makes spotting them more difficult.



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Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo West National Park