Tsavo West National Park

Tsavo West National Park in Kenya covers an area of about 9,065 sq. km, and is located about 200 km south - east of Nairobi and 220 kilometer from Mombasa.

Dramatic landscape - Tsavo West National Park, Kenya

With Mount Kilimanjaro sitting on its flank, Tsavo West National Park - a recent volcanic area, abounds in hills/mountains (like the Chyulu or Ngulia hills and Chaimu crater), in lake/rivers/springs (Jipe lake, Tsavo river and Mzima springs) and other geological particularities such as lava flows (Shetani flow), caves (Shetani caves) and outcrops rock and ridges (Roaring rocks).

Mzima Springs - Tsavo West National Park, Kenya

The 'Big Five' - Lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino can be found in the park along with a fine range of antelope and bird species. With its proximity to Mombasa Tsavo West National Park is a great safari option for those planning to relax on Kenya's beaches after safari.

Elephants at a waterhole - Tsavo West National Park, Kenya 

Major Attractions in Tsavo West National Park

  • Recent volcanoes, lava flows and caves with potential for geological and cave exploration, and hiking. Mzima Springs and underwater hippo and fish watching, Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, Lake Jipe, Mount Kilimanjaro, elephant, diverse bird and plant species.
  • Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary: as 90-sq-km area is surrounded by a 1 m-high electric fence set up at the base of Ngulia Hills to provide a measure of security for the park’s highly endangered black rhinos.
  • Ngulia Hills: Ngulia Hills rises more than 600m above the valley floor and to a height of over 1800 m above sea level. This jagged ridgeline ranks among the prettiest of all Tsavo landforms, providing a backdrop to Rhino Valley.
  • Rhino Valley is one of the best areas for wildlife watching, with plenty of antelope species keeping a careful eye out for the resident lions, leopards and cheetahs. You can also see elephants, giraffes, and black rhinos. Birdlife is also particularly diverse here.
  • Mzima Springs is an oasis of green in the west of the park and produces an incredible 250 million litres of fresh water a day. The springs, whose source rises in the Chyulu Hills, provides the bulk of Mombasa’s fresh water. The springs for a pool that is inhabited by hippos, crocodiles and fish. A wide variety of birdlife abound near the springs.
  • The plains, rocky outcrops and light woodland between Kilaguni Serena Lodge and the Chyulu gate are good for zebras and other herbivores, and sustains a healthy population of lions, leopards and spotted hyenas.
  • Just southeast of Kilaguni Serena Lodge, these two natural features: Roaring Rocks and Chaimu Crater offer stunning views of the Chyulu Hills and birds of prey circling high above the plains.

  • Shetani Lava Flows. ‘Shetani’ means ‘devil’ in Kiswahili: the flows were formed only a few hundred years ago and local peoples believed that it was the devil himself emerging from the earth. This vast expanse of folded black lava spreads for 50 sq km across the savannah at the foot of the Chyulu Hills.

  • Running west-east through the park, the lovely year-round Tsavo River is green-shaded and surrounded for much of its path by doum palms. Along with

Safari Tours to Tsavo West National Park, Kenya

Tsavo West National Park is 240km away from both Mombasa and Nairobi

Safari to Tsavo West National Park combines well with the nearby Tsavo East National Park, Taita Hills Game Sanctuary or Amboseli National Park

Sample Safaris to Tsavo West National Park;

Safaris to Tsavo West National Park (or any of the parks in the Southern Kenya Safari Circuit) can begin from;

Experiences at Tsavo West National Park

  • Safari Game Drives: Experience the breathtaking beauty and adventures of the “Land of Lions and Lava”, visti landmarks and enjoy both bird and big game birdwatching
  • Mzima Springs: “Mzima,” meaning alive in Kiswahili, is a peaceful oasis at the heart of red-dusty Tsavo, here pure water of three pools filtered by the porous sponge-like soil of the Chyulu and the Shetani lava flow brings life to a unique ecosystem. With a daily supply of more than 250 million litres of fresh water, the pool provides an oasis of green. It’s a haven for fishes, birds, monkeys, crocodiles and hippos. The main attractions are the two nature trails leading to an underwater viewing tank built to allow visitors to watch hippos, crocodile and fish!
  • Roaring Rocks - once climbed, the Roaring Rocks will give you magnificent panoramic views over the plain called Rhino Valley and the Ngulia, the Roaring Rocks, located near the Rhino Sanctuary, has long been an observation point for the protection of black rhinoceros and the fight against poaching. The eerie Roaring Rocks are named after the buzz of cicadas that inhabit them and the howl of wind that hits the bare rocks.
  • The Shetani Lava Flow - a black lava flow of eight kilometres, 1.6 kilometres wide and five meters deep, is the remains of volcanic eruptions. They were subject of tales among local communities who named the flow "shetani," meaning evil in Kiswahili, after it spewed from the earth when it was just 240 years old.