"Full of wild beasts, such as rhinoceros, buffaloes and elephants" from a missionary's diary written in 1848.

 

Later in 1900 the notorious "Man Eaters of Tsavo", man eating lions preyed on the railway linesman building the great Uganda Railway. The carriage from which they pulled a traveller is on display in Nairobi Railway Museum. Tsavo West has important historic connections as a major battleground in World War I where British and German troops battled for supremacy.

 

The Park is easy to reach, located off the main Nairobi-Mombasa road. It offers tremendous views with diverse habitats ranging from mountains, river forest, lakes and wooded grassland. Its plains border with the Southern Serengeti plains in Tanzania. Game includes: leopard, cheetah, buffalo, rhino, elephant, giraffe, zebra, lion, plains game, crocodile and small mammals including mongoose, hyrax, dik dik and the nocturnal procupine.

 

It is an excellent park for visitors who enjoy walking, offering a number of nature trails and the opportunity to explore the Chaimu volcanic crater and guides are available.

Mzima Springs is a star attraction, a pool of natural spring water with underwater viewing hides for observing hippos.

Accommodation: three lodges inside the park (total 276 beds), four tented lodges (154 beds), three public campsites and one special campsite (advance booking required) and three self-help banda sites (total 72 beds).

 

Chyulu Hills National Park is an extension of Tsavo West National Park. It was opened in January 1983 to protect its unique habitat and role as a vital water catchment area. The Chyulus are a volcanic mountain range with a mix of volcanic cones and barren lava flows, of which the most interesting is Shetani, meaning "Devil" in Swahili. Game includes: buffalo, zebra, giraffe, oryx, lion, leopard and many species of bird and plant.

 

The Park allows a number of activities: horse riding, hiking, camping, archeological and geological safaris with caves to explore and fantstic views accross Amboseli and Tsavo Plains. Only one small tented lodge with 8 beds.