TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK:.

Tsavo National Park, comprising of Tsavo East and West national parks, form the biggest game sanctuary in Kenya occupying 21,000 Kmē. The open grasslands and plenty of water makes Tsavo one of the best place to view wildlife. The Tsavo park is the home to the man-eaters of Tsavo, the lions that almost paralyzed the construction of Uganda Railway. By the time they were killed by Col. Patterson, they had already devoured 28 Indian labourers and about 100 Africans. The remains of the lions are exhibited at Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Tsavo East National Park occupies a total of 11,747 Kmē, making it the largest conservation block in the country.

Getting to Tsavo East National Park/ Gates in Tsavo East/Distance Nairobi Tsavo:
The drive from Nairobi to Tsavo can be very interesting especially if your guide knows the history of the various towns and shopping centres that you drive by.  From Nairobi the first significant town is Athi River, followed by Salama, Email, Kiboko, Kibwezi, Mtito Adei, Tsavo, Manyani and finally Voi.   Voi is only 160Km from Mombasa.

Gates and Distances from Main Towns(Naiorbi, Mombasa, Malindi:

From Nairobi one can access Tsavo East through Mtito Adei Gate(240Km from Nairobi ), Tsavo gate ( 290Km),  Manyani Gate (307 Km) or Voi gate (340Km)  

From Mombasa the park can be accessed through Bachuma gate( 

From Malindi, Tsavo East  can be reached via Sala gate(118Km from Malindi) . Flying options are available from Nairobi, Mombasa and Malindi.

Climate:

Tsavo East National Park experiences a hot and dry climate.

Habitats:

Tsavo East has a wide diversity of habitats ranging from bushy grasslands, open plains, rocky outcrops, semi-arid acacia scrub and woodlands. Swampy marshlands occur near Voi River. This has made it possible to host a wide variety of wildlife.  Though big in size, some parts of Tsavo East are not open to tourist over the years but today, restricted access is allowed.  North of Galana is a true wilderness.

Attractions/Activities/What to do in TSavo East National Park:

Diverse landscapes  and wild animal viewing are the main attraction in Tsavo East.  Most of the activities are concentrated along the Galana River with its picturesque Lugard Falls.  Bird watching, hiking and whitewater rafting are the main activities one can undertake.  Being on the bird migratory route, bird watching is particularly ideal during Oct to January when migratory birds from Eastern and Western Europe visit the park.

Mammals and other animals of Tsavo East National park

Tsavo East has a wide range of wildlife.  Mammals species include: lions, leopard, cheetah, zebras, giraffes, serval, antelopes, kongoni, lesser kudu, oryx, klipspringer, impala, stripped hyena, water buck, kudu, gerenuk, hunters hartebeest, gazelles, buffalos, black rhinos, and elephants. Crocodiles occupy the river banks.

Tsavo East is a bird watchers' paradise with some 500 species recorded including the ostrich, kestrels, buzzards, African skimmers, goshawks, red and yellow bishops, palm nut vultures and the white-headed buffalo weavers.
 

Physical Features /Attractions in Tsavo East National Park: