Tsavo East & West
Red elephants and lava country.
Size
22,000 km²
Best months
Jan, Feb, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Signature wildlife
Elephant · Lion · Leopard
Why Go
The reason to be here.
Tsavo is roughly the size of Wales. It is older, drier and wilder than the Mara, with elephants that dust-bathe in iron-rich soil and emerge stained dark red — Tsavo's signature image. Lion are present but harder to spot than in the Mara; that's the point.
Tsavo West contains Mzima Springs, where a chain of pools fed by underground rivers from the Chyulu Hills hosts hippos and crocodiles visible through an underwater observation chamber. The Shetani lava flow nearby is geologically recent and walkable.
Tsavo East's Yatta Plateau is the longest lava flow on earth. The eastern park is open and dust-coloured — the contrast with the lush vegetation around Mzima in the west is the reason to do both parks in a single visit.
What You'll See
Headline species.
Elephant
Red-stained from iron-rich Tsavo soil.
Lion
Famously maneless males in some Tsavo prides.
Lesser Kudu
Striking dry-country antelope, easy to miss.
Hirola
Critically endangered antelope; Tsavo conservation programme.
Hippo
Visible underwater at Mzima Springs.
Crocodile
Mzima Springs holds a large breeding population.
Best Time to Visit
Month by month.
Wildlife-viewing quality, scored from off-season to peak. Rains, migrations and water levels all shape what you'll see when.
Safaris
