Tsavo West National Park

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Philip Briggs –

Visited: Dry season

Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.

3 people found this review helpful.

Kenya’s Best-Known Wilderness Park

Overall rating

3/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

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Birding:

Situated immediately southwest of the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, Tsavo West is a smaller national park than its eastern namesake, but slightly better for general game viewing. Most people end up in the so-called ‘developed area’ close to Mtito Andei Gate, and this probably hosts the densest wildlife populations, including elephant, giraffe, lion, spotted hyena and the lovely but very skittish lesser kudu. This area also offers access to the 95 sq km Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, which was created in 1986 to protect the few black rhinos that survived the intensive poaching of the 1970s and now supports around 150 individuals. The sanctuary only opens to day visitors from 4pm to 6pm, when you stand a very good chance of seeing rhino come to drink at a pair of waterholes overlooked by a viewing platform that can also be booked on an overnight basis. Another favourite spot in Tsavo West is Mzima Springs, where fish and sometimes hippo can be seen from an underwater viewing tank. The developed area also hosts several impressive landmarks of recent volcanic origin, notably the Shetani Lava Flow, an area of bare black boulders whose Swahili name means ‘devil’. On a clear day, the views of Kilimanjaro are stunning. A lesser known part of Tsavo West that I have always enjoyed is Lake Jipe, which lies on the border with Tanzania and hosts plenty of hippo, elephant and waterbirds.

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Expert

Ariadne van Zandbergen –

Visited: Wet season

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

4 people found this review helpful.

Tsavo West: the only place to see hippos underwater

Overall rating

3/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

Tsavo West is slightly less wild and remote as its sister park Tsavo East. Being close to the coast it gets its fair share of tourists on add-on safaris to a beach holiday. There is a fair number of game around, but don’t expect anything like the more well known parks like Masai Mara or Amboseli. Luckily there are some landmarks to visit here. Worthwhile is a visit to the rhino sanctuary. I haven’t been lucky enough to see a rhino here, but sightings are quite common. In any case, there seems to be a slightly bigger concentration of general game within the sanctuary than outside.

Not to miss is the underwater viewing chamber at Mzima Springs. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to look a swimming hippo in the eyes. The springs itself are a beautiful oasis with yellow fever trees. Blue monkeys seem to love this place.

Shetani lava flow is another spot to visit: this arid moon landscape doesn’t look like much in the middle of the day, but glows in the late afternoon light. Wildlife wise, the park is good for elephants and giraffes and you might be lucky to see a lesser kudu.

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