Tsavo West National Park
Highlight
Also known as “Land of the magical sunsets and lava” Tsavo West National Park got its popularity during the construction of the Kenya to Uganda Railway in colonial times, where lions killed hundreds of Indian and African workers.
Tsavo West national park is the second largest national park in Kenya covering an area of 9,065 square kilometers. It’s separated from Tsavo East national by the A109 highway that connects Nairobi to Mombasa.
The park is also a home of over fifty million gallons of crystal clear water that comes from under parched lava rock. The park is more scenic than Tsavo East national park with rouged mountainous areas.
The Mazima springs and the Shetani lava flows are unique attractions found at the park. Tsavo West national park is wetter than Tsavo East national park.
The park is adjoining the great wildlife ranches where the Black and White Rhinos are found. The park is covered by the open savannah grassland dotted with Acacia woodlands, Scrublands, Rocky ridges, and the Riverine vegetation.
Wildlife: The Park is regarded as the true wilderness of Africa, a land of Man-eaters the lions. It’s a home of large herds of African big game like lions, leopards, black and white Rhinos, yellow baboons, giraffes, gazelles, hyenas, impala, jackals, foxes, wildebeest, cheetahs, Elephants, buffalo, African wild dogs, and others. The parks also host a good number of bird species especially the rare birds like Corncrake, Basra reed warbler, secretary bird, and many others.
Best time to visit: Tsavo West is best visited in the dry months from June to October and January to February. Although the park can be visited any time of year, wildlife viewing during the height of the Wet season (November, April, and May) is not recommended. In the wet months, animals tend to spread out due to the abundance of water.
The government body responsible for managing the Tsavo West National Park is the Kenya Tourism Board with support from several wildlife conservation Agencies. The Park entry of the Tsavo West is €54, and the main activities on this national park are birding, game drives, and of course hiking is very possible here.
The greatest health risks in Kenya like all the other East African are accidents and malaria. Much of Kenya lies at too high an elevation for malaria to be a major concern, but the disease is present and prophylactic drugs are recommended. Travelers should seek professional medical advice on taking anti-malarial medicines and take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, especially between dawn and dusk.
Travelers should ensure they are up to date with vaccinations, following the advice of their local healthcare provider, and should consider bringing a small first aid kit. A certificate of yellow fever vaccination is required.
Tsavo West National Park can be reached by air and road. The nearest airport and link to the park is Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Uganda Airline, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and KLM all have flights to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. From Nairobi Wilson Airport, one would need to book a smaller plane to Kilaguni airstrip or Finch Hottons airstrip which can be booked with the help of a tour operator or you can still reach the park by driving on a road a distance that takes up 5 to 6 hours depending on the traffic.
For further advice on planning your Tsavo West National Park, simply enquire with one of our local Safari Experts.
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Visa Costs
A single-entry tourist visa costs US $50 (exclusions apply for select countries and is valid for 90 days)
A multiple Tourist Visa US $100 (exclusions apply for select countries and is valid for 12 months)
The East African Tourist Visa (EATV) covers Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda costs US $100 and is valid for 90 days.