Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East 400
Tsavo East
Photo by: smudger888, Creative Commons

Airstrips in the park allow guests to come in via light charter planes. But for those who will visit the park through land transportation, they can access the park through three main gates: the Bachuma gate from Mombasa, Sala Gate from Malindi and the Manyani gate from Voi. Actually, the park’s name was derived from the Tsavo River which converges with Athi River to form the Galana. The two rivers separate Tsavo East from Tsavo West.

The eastern part of the Tsavo National Park, slightly bigger than its western counterpart, is consisted mainly of grasslands which are generally flat and dry. Conservationists consider this area as one of the world’s strongholds when it comes to biodiversity, mainly due to the wildlife that proliferates here. Occasionally, you will see elephants and other wild animals walking along the roads. A mix of migratory and native birds can be seen especially in late October until early January. These include goshawks, palm nut vultures, African skimmers and white headed buffalo weavers.

Camping activities are regularly held inside the park. Among Tsavo East National Park’s attractions is the Yatta Plateau, billed as the world’s longest lava flow. It actually runs along the western portions of the park, slightly above the Athi River. With a 290-kilometer length, the plateau was formed from the lava that came from Ol Doinyo Sabuk Mountain.

The Mundanda Rock is yet another scenic spot inside the park. Here is where wild animals usually go to before embarking on a quest for water especially during the dry season. The Lugard Falls, on the other hand, is a long series of strong rapids on the river Galana, where crocodiles hunt for food.

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