Things to do in Tsavo
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tsavo
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Long dry season. Game concentrates at the Galana River, Aruba Dam and waterholes, roads are at their best and malaria risk is lowest.
Short dry season. Hot and quieter, with good viewing at water and a strong safari plus coast combination.
Long rains. Mud can close tracks, game disperses into green bush, and the compensations are birds, empty parks and low prices.
Short rains. The bush greens up, migrant birds arrive, and Ngulia's migration ringing season runs in November and December.
What's on
- Ngulia migratory bird ringing season November to December
Palearctic migrant birds are ringed at Ngulia in Tsavo West, a niche season birders plan around.
Best things to do in Tsavo
Galana River
The permanent river through dry Tsavo East, where red dusted elephants, lion and buffalo come to drink.
Aruba Dam
A dam on the Voi River and the east park's most reliable waterhole for elephants, buffalo and lions.
Lugard Falls
The Galana River squeezes through sculpted rock into rapids and crocodile pools below.
Mudanda Rock
A whale backed rock you can climb, with a natural dam below that draws elephants to drink.
Yatta Plateau
A roughly 300 km ancient lava flow with long views, good birding and a true sense of scale.
Kanderi Swamp
A green swamp near Voi Gate where elephants, buffalo and waterbirds gather around permanent moisture.
Mzima Springs
Crystal clear pools fed through volcanic rock, with a walking trail and an underwater viewing chamber.
Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary
A fenced, guarded sanctuary holding an important black rhino population, visited in the late afternoon.
Where to stay in Tsavo
Tsavo East, inside the park
red elephants, the Galana River and Aruba Dam
Lodges and camps along the Voi River and Galana side, plus the KWS campsite near Voi Gate.
Voi
SGR arrivals, self drivers and gateway value
The East's gateway town with the SGR station, park edge tents and simple town hotels.
Tsavo West, inside the park
Mzima Springs, scenery and the rhino sanctuary
Beds cluster around Kilaguni and Finch Hattons in the north, Ngulia in the centre and Ziwani in the south.
Taita Hills
night drives and a night between the parks
A private sanctuary between East and West, home to Salt Lick and its sister resort, not inside the national parks.
Mtito Andei
Tsavo West staging by SGR and highway
The West's gateway town at Mtito Andei Gate, served by the Kamboyo Guesthouse inside the park.
Think twice about
- Northern and eastern Tsavo East beyond the Galana River
Remote country largely closed to general tourism and far from any visitor circuit.
- Driving the Nairobi to Mombasa highway at night
Heavy truck traffic and unlit sections make the long highway leg a daylight drive. The SGR train is the better option.
Best restaurants in Tsavo
Soroi Lions Bluff Lodge
A bluff top dining terrace over the Tsavo plains in the Lumo conservancy, primarily for its guests.
Taita Hills Safari Resort & Spa
The sanctuary's big resort restaurant, shared with Salt Lick guests, with a First World War museum.
Man Eaters Camp
A river camp restaurant at the historic Tsavo bridge site, the natural meal stop between the parks.
Voi Wildlife Lodge
A park boundary lodge restaurant and terrace in Voi, the most safari flavoured meal without a park ticket.
Vacani Resort Bar & Restaurant
The best rated of Voi town's own eating options, Kenyan staples and grill food at town prices.
RoseWood Hotel & Grill
A small Voi hotel grill for cheap grilled meats and Kenyan hotel standards on a town night.
Outdoor things to do in Tsavo
Chaimu Crater
A young black lava cone you can climb in about an hour for a full circle view over Tsavo West.
Roaring Rocks
A roughly 100 metre rock face reached by stairs, with views over Rhino Valley and the Ngulia Hills.
Lake Jipe
A border lake for birding, hippos and boat trips, with Kilimanjaro on the horizon in clear early light.
Kitani Wildlife Area
A riverine strip in Tsavo West where lodges run guided bush walks booked in advance.
Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
A private sanctuary between the parks where night drives are legal, with aardvark, genets and hunting cats.
Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary
A community owned conservancy bordering Tsavo West, with guided walks from its bluff top lodge.
Best hotels in Tsavo
Galdessa Camp
A small Sheldrick Wildlife Trust lodge on the Galana River, tents and decks a few feet from the water.
Satao Tented Camp
Tents in tamarind trees around a busy waterhole, the camp Tsavo East repeat visitors name first.
Ashnil Aruba Lodge
A solid lodge of rooms and tents beside Aruba Dam, with a pool and family friendly interconnected rooms.
Voi Safari Lodge
A hilltop lodge inside Voi Gate built over a waterhole, dated rooms traded for an unbeatable position.
Ndololo Campsite
The KWS public campsite near Voi Gate, the honest budget floor inside Tsavo East for self drivers.
Manyatta Camp
Luxury tents by the Voi River just outside the park, each with a private plunge pool and patio.
Impala Safari Lodge
A simple town lodge near Voi SGR station with a pool and garden, an honest staging bed.
Finch Hattons Luxury Tented Camp
Tsavo's one true ultra luxury camp, tented suites around spring fed pools with a spa and fine dining.
Is Tsavo expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | KES 22,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | KES 45,000 a person |
| Splurge | KES 110,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary: weeks ahead
- Lake Jipe: a few days ahead
- Kitani Wildlife Area: weeks ahead
- Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary: weeks ahead
- Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary: weeks ahead
- Galdessa Camp: months ahead
- Satao Tented Camp: weeks ahead
- Ashnil Aruba Lodge: weeks ahead
- Small camps such as Galdessa and Satao and Finch Hattons book ahead in the dry seasons. Book the bed first.
- Pay KWS fees in advance through KWSPay on eCitizen where you can, and carry passport or ID for the fee category check.
- Book SGR seats ahead in holiday periods, and tell lodges dietary needs when you book, not on arrival.
Is Tsavo safe?
- Tsavo is a malaria area, with risk higher after the rains. Take medical advice on prophylaxis and cover up from dusk.
- Stay in the vehicle except at designated viewpoints, picnic sites and the Mzima trail, and never swim in park water.
- Treat any fever during or after the trip as possible malaria until a test says otherwise.
- Carry medical evacuation cover that explicitly includes safari and air evacuation.
Tsavo travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- A one day dash from the coast buys the worst hours of the day for a full park fee. Sleep inside if you can.
- One night East and one night West spends both days transferring. Three nights minimum for both parks.
- Salt Lick Safari Lodge is in its own Taita Hills sanctuary, not inside a national park. Park days from it pay park fees.
- Do not expect Mara densities. Tsavo trades density for scale, solitude and scenery.
Getting around Tsavo: public transport and more
- Take the SGR Madaraka Express to Voi for Tsavo East or Mtito Andei for Tsavo West, and have a lodge or operator collect you.
- Inside the parks, plan one zone per day: Voi Gate to the Galana River sights is a half day of murram driving.
- There is no fuel inside the parks. Fill up in Voi or Mtito Andei and carry water, a spare tyre and offline maps.
- A high clearance vehicle is strongly recommended, and a 4x4 is essential in the wet season.
Who Tsavo suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Tsavo your trip
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