Best of Africa Tours and Safaris Limited | Tsavo East National Park

Background Information
Tsavo East National Park covers an area of about 12,000 km2, 40% of Kenya's parks' total area. This vast park lies in low semi arid country at the eastern edge of the inland plateau, north of the main Mombasa-Nairobi road and railway. Much of the park is level, open country with scattered rocky ridges and outcrops. Due to its size, the park is one of the world's wildlife and biodiversity strongholds.

The Yatta plateau, a long, flat topped lava ridge, runs along the western boundary of the park. Beneath it flows the Athi river which joins the Tsavo river, just above the Lugard falls, to become the Galana river, a permanent river that cuts right across the park. The seasonal Tiva and Voi rivers are important features of the Northern and Southern sectors respectively. There are scattered seasonal pools, swamps and dams, but relatively few sources of permanent water.

One of the great spectacles of the park is the Mudanda rock between Voi and Manyani. This 1 1/2 km long outcrop is a water catchment area which supplies a natural dam at its base. In the dry season, hundreds of elephants come to drink and bathe here.

Location:
Southeast Kenya, inland from Mombasa; Taita District of Coast Province.
Climate:
The weather in Tsavo is pleasant most of the year. There are two rain seasons. The long rains generally come in March - May and the short rains from October - December.

HOW TO GET THERE
Roads:
From Nairobi via Voi through the Voi gate or Manyani gate. Similarly, from Mombasa via Bachuma gate. From Malindi, via Sala gate.
Airstrips:
There are six airstrips in the southern part of the park and thirteen in the Northern part.
There are no scheduled flights to the park but chartered light planes can be used.
Park gates:
Bachuma, Sala, Manyani.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS
• Large herds of elephants and other wildlife.
• Popular legend of Tsavo "The man-eaters of Tsavo".
• Yatta plateau - it is about 290 Km long and is one of the worlds longest lava flows.
• Lugards Falls on the Galana river - This is not a true falls but a series of rapids. Visitors can walk down to the river to view the rapids.
• Mudanda rock - This is a long rock outcrop that is about 1.6Km long. There is a dam at the base. Animals can be seen drinking. Visitors can walk along the rock and enjoy a cool breeze as well as view wildlife at the base.
• Aruba Dam - was built in 1952 across the Voi river. The dam attracts many animals and water birds can be seen at this dam.
• Tsavo/Athi rivers confluence - when the two rivers join they form the Galana river.

FACILITIES
Lodges:
Voi Safari Lodge.
Tented Camps:
Sala; Westerveld; Galdessa Camp; Epiya Chapeyu; Tsavo Safari; Mukwanju.
Campsites:
Kanderi; Sobo; Roka; Ndololo; Aruba; Ithumba; Rhino Bend; Kyulu Lugga; Tundari; Makoka; Mukwanju
ACTIVITIES
Game viewing; Walking Safaris along the Galana; Bird watching.

WILDLIFE
Reptiles:
Crocodile, Python, Gecko, Lizard, Puff Adder.
Insects:
Grasshopper, Butterfly, Beetle, Bee.
Major Animals:
Aardwolf; Ant Bear; Baboon, yellow; Bats (several); Buffalo; BushBaby; Bushbuck; Caracal; Cat, African Wild; Cheetah; Civet, African; Dik-dik, Kirk's; Dog, Hunting; Dormouse, African; Duiker, Blue; Duiker, Bush; Duiker, Red; Eland; Elephant, African; Fox, Bat-eared; Galago, Greater; Gazelle, Grant's; Genet, Large-spotted; Genet, Small-spotted; Gerenuk; Giraffe, Masai; Hare, African; Hare, Spring; Hartebeest, Coke's; Hartebeest, Hunter's; Hedgehog, East African; Hyaena, Spotted; Hyaena, Striped; Hyrax, Rock; Hyrax, Tree; Impala; Jackal, Black-backed; Jackal, Side-striped; Klipspringer; Kudu, Lesser; Leopard; Lion; Mongoose, Banded; Mongoose, Dwarf; Mongoose, Large Grey; Mongoose, Marsh; Mongoose, Slender; Mongoose, White-tailed; Monkey, Black faced Vervet; Monkey, Sykes; Oryx, Fringe-eared; Otter, Clawless; Pangolin, Lesser Ground; Porcupine, Crested; Rat, Cane; Rat, Giant; Rat, Naked Mole; Ratel; Reedbuck, Bohor; Rhinoceros, Black; Serval; Shrew, Spectacled Elephant; Squirrel, Bush; Squirrel, East African Red; Squirrel, Striped Ground; Squirrel, Unstriped Ground; Steinbok; Suni; Warthog; Waterbuck, Common; Zebra, Common; Zebra, Grevy's.

Major Birds:
Starlings, weaver birds, kingfishers, hornbills secretary bird and other raptors, rollers, herons, and stocks.

COMMON VEGETATION
Though the vegetation can generally be categorised as bushed grassland, the park has open plains alternating with savanna bush and semi-arid acacia scrub and woodlands. There are also belts of riverine vegetation. The vegetation is generally denser in the west where rainfall is around 450mm per year than in the drier east, which may receive only around 250mm. Along the rivers is a narrow fringe of woodland and thicket dominated by Acacia elatior, the Doum palm - Hyphaene compressa and the shrub, Suaeda monoica. The northern part of the park is predominantly more or less dense Acacia commiphora woodland. South of the Galana, the park has been opened out over the years by fire and elephants to form open bushed grassland. Common shrubs here include species of Premna, bauhinia and sericocomopsis and scattered trees such as Delonix elata and Melia volkensii. The Yatta plateau has a cover of dense bushland with strands of Baobab - Adansonia digitata.