{"id":320,"date":"2023-10-02T11:23:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T11:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbuinzaukenyasafaris.com\/?p=320"},"modified":"2023-10-02T11:33:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T11:33:40","slug":"9-facts-about-tsavo-east-national-park-kenya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webscreationsdesign.co.uk\/kenyaholidays\/9-facts-about-tsavo-east-national-park-kenya\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Facts About Tsavo East National Park Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Guide To Tsavo East National Park Kenya<\/h2><\/div>
The joint mass of Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Park Kenya forms one of the largest National Parks in the world and covers a massive 4% of\u00a0Kenya\u2019s\u00a0total\u00a0land\u00a0area.<\/p>\n

Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest and largest African safari parks in Kenya. It was established in 1948 and covers 11,747 km\u00b2, although not all of the park is open to the public.<\/p>\n

Some areas are designated as \u201cremote animal wilderness\u201d for the Kenyan animals, but there is still a massive area for visitors to tour around and enjoy viewing the Kenyan wildlife. Key attractions include the\u00a0Galana River<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0Yatta plateau<\/strong>, as well as several pools and dams used as watering holes by both birds and animals.<\/p>\n

Tsavo East, the larger of the two, lies to the east of the Nairobi \u2013 Mombasa road, equidistant between Nairobi and Mombasa, and offers a vast and untapped arena of arid bush which is washed by the azure and emerald meanderings of the Galana River, guarded by the limitless lava reaches of the Yatta Plateau and patrolled by some of the largest elephant herds in Kenya.<\/div><\/div>[vc_single_image image=”325″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” image_hovers=”false”]

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Facts About Tsavo East National Park Kenya<\/h2><\/div>
Area<\/strong>: 11,747 sq. km.
\nAltitude<\/strong>: 150-1,200 metres above sea level
\nLocation<\/strong>: Southeast Kenya, inland from the coast.
\nClimate<\/strong>: The Kenya safari travel climate is warm and dry, temperatures ranging from 20-40 degrees C, rainfall from 200mm-700mm per annum (the \u2018long rains\u2019 falling between March and May and the \u2018short rains\u2019 between October and December).
\nVegetation<\/strong>: One of the globe\u2019s last biodiversity strong holds, this Kenyan safari park features bushy grasslands, open plains, semi-arid acacia scrub and woodlands.
\nMammals:<\/strong>\u00a0Kenya wildlife safari sightings include lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino, hippo, giraffe, lesser kudu, oryx, Cape buffalo, zebra, yellow baboon, waterbuck, gemsbok, Coke\u2019s hartebeest, gerenuk, and gazelle.
\nBirds:<\/strong>\u00a0The prolific bird life features 500 recorded species.<\/div><\/div>
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Tsavo East history and overview<\/h2><\/div>
In 1898, long before\u00a0Tsavo National Park<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was created, a pair of maneless male lions terrorized the area. They reputedly killed 135 railway workers who were building the Kenya-Uganda railway. These man-eating lions dragged men from their tents, despite the thorn fences (bomas<\/em>) built to keep them out. The maneless lions evaded traps and ambushes and were finally shot by Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson.<\/p>\n

Tsavo East National Park is 333km south-east of Nairobi, and 173km north-west of Mombasa. Its relative\u00a0closeness to the beaches<\/strong>\u00a0and tourist attractions around Malindi and Mombasa make it an ideal one-day wildlife safari destination for those who do not want to stay overnight.<\/p>\n

Tsavo East National Park is a natural area of\u00a0flat, dry plains, with thorny bushe<\/strong>s and\u00a0swampy marshland<\/strong>\u00a0near the river. It is teeming with diverse Kenyan animals including large families of giraffes, gazelles, hartebeests and zebras, as well as the \u201cBig Five<\/a>\u201d must-see animals \u2013\u00a0buffalo, African elephants, lions, rhinos and leopards<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although it is a popular African safari wildlife park, it is very rare to see other traffic except under certain circumstances when viewing the wildlife. The guides communicate with each other by radio if they find something unusual, such as a pride of lions, and there may be a sudden convergence of vehicles to the site, but they soon disperse again. The best time to view the wildlife is early or late in the day, as the animals tend to sleep in the hot midday sun.<\/p>\n

The park is open from 6.30am to 6.30pm daily, and the wardens at the gate give visitors a few sensible rules: do not get out of your vehicle, except at designated spots; do not harass the animals in any way; keep to the tracks; no off-road driving; and remember that the animals always have the right of way.<\/p>\n

Suitable dress for a day\u2019s wildlife safari to Tsavo East National Park should include loose, cotton clothing and a sunhat. Binoculars, cameras and sunglasses are essential. It is also a good idea to carry a bottle of water, frozen overnight, for you to sip during the day. As it melts, it makes a delicious drink to help you avoid dehydration in the heat. Don\u2019t forget to enjoy the sights in real-life, not just through the lens of your camera or video recorder!<\/p>\n

There are rest areas with restrooms and water fountains. The safari viewing lodges also provide excellent buffet lunches while you enjoy watching the animals through the huge panoramic windows. There is also a camouflaged hideout where you can view the African elephants at the watering hole.<\/div><\/div>

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Climate and weather in Tsavo East Safari park<\/h2><\/div>
Kenya lies across the equator, and Tsavo East National Park is just a few degrees latitude south. The temperature is fairly constant year round, but the rainfall varies. The tropical temperature ranges from 27-31\u00b0C (81-88\u00b0F) in the daytime and 22-24\u00b0C (72-75\u00b0F) at night.<\/p>\n

The long rainy season in Kenya lasts from March to May and the rainfall is heavy, making this a bad time for wildlife safaris. The short rainy season lasts from October to December, but the weather during this period is still good enough to go on safari \u2013 just expect some afternoon showers. The humidity is high from December through April.<\/div><\/div>

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How to get to Tsavo East National park<\/h2><\/div>
By Road<\/strong>: Use your own vehicle, take public transportation, or book an open-topped minibus tour with a tour guide. Enter\u00a0from Nairobi<\/strong>\u00a0(333km) via Voi Gate or Manyani Gate; enter\u00a0from Mombasa<\/strong>\u00a0(173km) via Bachuma Gate; enter\u00a0from Malindi<\/strong>\u00a0or the north coast via Sala Gate.<\/p>\n

By Air<\/strong>: Chartered light aircrafts may land at any of the six airstrips in the south part of the park, or any of the 13 airstrips in the north.<\/p>\n

By Railway<\/strong>: The Nairobi-Mombasa railway runs right through the Tsavo East National Park.<\/div><\/div>[vc_single_image image=”324″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” image_hovers=”false”]

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What to see and do at Tsavo East National Park<\/h2><\/div>
The main purpose of a wildlife safari is to see Kenyan animals in their natural state. It never ceases to surprise people when they see birds perched near crocodiles, or gazelles grazing near big cats; however, the truth is that predators generally only kill to eat and, otherwise, the animals live together in harmony.<\/p>\n

These are the most common Kenyan animals you may see during your visit to\u00a0Tsavo East National Park<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0Cape buffalo, cheetahs, duikers, African elephants, gazelles, gerenuks, giraffes, hares, hartebeests, hyenas, impalas, leopards, lions, mongoose, black faced vervet monkeys, Sykes\u2019s monkeys, crested porcupines, giant rats, black rhinoceros, squirrels, warthogs, waterbucks, and zebras.<\/p>\n

Lugard\u2019s Falls<\/strong>\u00a0is a series of rapids on the Galana River where crocodiles love to bathe.<\/p>\n

Yatta Plateau<\/strong>\u00a0is the world\u2019s longest lava flow at 290km long.<\/p>\n

Mudanda Rock<\/strong>\u00a0is a 1.6km outcrop of rock, with a dam at its base. This is a popular drinking place for animals.<\/p>\n

Aruba Dam<\/strong>\u00a0also attracts animals and birds looking for a place to drink.<\/p>\n

Walking safaris<\/strong>\u00a0are offered by several guides along the Galana River.<\/p>\n

Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary<\/strong>\u00a0is saving the black rhino from extinction due to hunting by poachers.<\/p>\n

Bird watching<\/strong>\u00a0is best between October and January, with many migratory birds including: African skimmers, red and yellow bishops, goshawks, buffalo weavers and palm nut vultures, to name but a few. Over 500 bird species have been recorded in the park, including ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weaverbirds, kingfishers, hornbills, secretary birds and herons.<\/div><\/div>

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Map of Marsabit National Park<\/h3><\/div><\/div>[vc_gmaps link=”#E-8_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”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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