Tsavo
East ~ TsavoWest & Chyulu Hills National Parks
Tsavo
East National Park |
 Tsavo
West National Park
|
 Tsavo
West National Park
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Tsavo
East, Tsavo West & Chyulu Hills
The
three reserves of Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Chyulu
Hills cover an enormous tract of land in southern
Kenya. The main Nairobi to Mombasa road and railway
splits Tsavo East and West right down the middle,
which neatly cuts the parks into two.
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all Tsavo East National Park Accommodation |
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all Chyulu National Park Accommodation |
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all Tsavo National Park & Chyulu Hills Safaris
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Tsavo
East National Park
Tsavo East is one of Kenya's oldest
and largest National Parks at the eastern edge of
the inland plateau. Here you find bushy grasslands
and rocky open plains alternating with semi-arid acacia
scrub and woodland, with the Galana River cutting
a green swathe across the park. The seasonal Voi and
Tiva rivers are important to the northern and southern
portions of the park, as there is little other surface
water.
Mudanda
Rock is a great spectacle of this park as this outcrop
is a water catchment area which feeds a natural dam
where hundreds of elephants come to drink and bathe
during the dry season. Views are exceptional and it
is a good place to sit and watch game. Ancient volcanic
activity is evident at the Yatta Plateau - a long
flat-topped lava ridge on the western border of Tsavo
East.
Tsavo
West National Park
Tsavo West offers tremendous views
and diverse habitats ranging from mountains, river
forests, plains, lakes and wooded grassland. It is
especially attractive at the end of the rains when
the countryside turns green. Mzima Springs is pool
of natural spring water that attracts a lot of game
and there is even an underwater hippo-viewing hide.
Tsavo West is known for its 'Roaring Rocks', which
if climbed gives views usually only seen by the eagles
and buzzards that whirl around these cliffs.
Chyulu
Hills National Park
The Chyulu Hills are a volcanic mountain
range pitted with volcanic cones and barren lava flows.
Surface water is rare, but nevertheless it is an important
water catchment area for Mombasa and was gazetted
in 1983 to protect this water source. Weird cylindrical
tunnels were formed shortly after volcanic eruption
and created the longest lava tube in the world.
Tsavo
East and Tsavo West Parks are popular for short visits
due to their proximity to the Mombasa coast, but the
Chyulu Hills is neglected on most tourist itineraries.
None of these parks get crowded.
Animals,
Birds of Tsavo & Chyulu
The
enormous size of these parks with many remote corners,
makes them important for their biodiversity. Wildlife
congregates around waterholes particularly in the
dry season. Game includes buffalo, zebra, giraffe,
oryx, lion and leopard. Tsavo East sees herds of elephants
up to a hundred strong and they often appear more
brown than grey from the rich red Tsavo dust. Chyulu
national park has Buffalo; Bushbuck; Eland; Elephant,
African; Leopard; Pig, Forest Bush; reedbuck, mountain;
Steinbok.
Some
500 species of birds have been recorded in the Tsavo
West area, including many migratory birds on their
flight south.
Seasons
The
weather in Tsavo is pleasant for most of the year.
Rainy
Season
There
are two rainy seasons. The long rains are generally
from March through to May and the weather is hot and
humid. The short rains arrive in the warm months of
October to December.
Dry Season
January
to March is hot and dry and July to October is warm
and dry.
Tsavo
Facts
Tsavo West area is 3,500miles²
(9,065km²) rising between 5000-6,000ft (152-183
metres) above sea level
Tsavo East area is 4,535miles² (11,747km²)
rising between 500-4,000ft (152-1,219 metres) above
sea level
Chyulu
Hills Area is 741 sq km Altitude: 1,500 - 2,160 meters
above sea level.
Highlights
of Tsavo & Chyulu
There
are some interesting geographical features in Tsavo,
including the Lugard Falls (this
is actually a misnomer as the 'falls' are in fact
a series of rapids on the Galana River), and the Mzima
Springs (the source of much of Mombasa's
fresh water).
At
Mzima you can walk down to a large
pool, a favourite hang out for hippos and crocodiles.
There is an underwater viewing chamber where you can
observe thousands of primordial looking fish. Sadly,
you are not going to spot crocodiles or hippos in
the chamber.
Breathtaking
views from the chuylu hills,cave exploration,one camp
site next to park headquarters
