Tsavo West National Park

Tsavo West is part of the larger Tsavo ecosystem that is divided into two and is more popular than Tsavo East. Its popularity is based on the man eating lions that killed hundreds of people during the construction of the Kenya – Uganda railway and the highway during the colonial period. It is the second largest national park in Kenya with an area of 9,065km². It’s separated from Tsavo East by the highway that links Nairobi to Mombasa. It is more scenic than Tsavo East with rugged mountainous areas. The park is also home to over fifty million gallons of crystal clear water that comes from under parched lava rock and is called Mzima Springs. The Shetani lava flow is a dark layer that was left after volcanic eruptions happened in the park many years ago and is a unique attraction to the park.

The park is covered by the open savannah grassland dotted with acacia woodlands, scrublands, rocky ridges and riverine vegetation making it highly scenic and eye catching. It is home to Africa’s big five which include: Lions, Elephants, Buffalo, Rhinos and Leopards. Other wildlife found in the park are: giraffes, zebras, hyenas, cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles, gerenuk, lesser kudu, waterbucks, wildebeests and others. The park also has an abundance of birdlife including the rare corncrake, basra reed warbler, secretary bird and the noisy hornbills. Lodges and luxurious tented camps are present in the park for the guest to relax after a long day safari. It is accessible by air through daily scheduled flights departing Nairobi from Wilson Airport.