Overview–kenya

Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East National Park is a superb place to watch wildlife. It’s a vast, semi-arid wilderness populated by elephants, sometimes in large herds and caked in the red Tsavo dust, and unique maneless lions. Tsavo’s wild and sunlit plains host other highlights, from cheetahs on the hunt to species such as gerenuk and Somali ostrich that you can see nowhere else this far south. And if you range beyond the main track through the park, it can feel like a real adventure.

Best Time

A trip to Tsavo East National Park is best planned from June to October and January to February when conditions in the park are favorable for wildlife watching. In ‘normal’ years, during the peak of the short rains (November) and the long rains (April), conditions can be more challenging: with water and food more widely available, the animals spread out across a wider area, which makes spotting them more difficult.

June to October –Dry Season

Wildlife viewing is better as animals gather at water sources
Sunny days with little rainfall
Malaria is less prevalent
The conditions are dry and dusty
Scenically less enticing with hazy skies

November to May –Wet Season

The park is beautiful with lush scenery
April to June is the low season so lower rates may apply
Although wildlife viewing is better in the Dry season, there is still plenty of wildlife around
Best time for bird-watchers
Roads deteriorate with the increase in rainfall in April and May
January and February can be extremely hot
Rain can interrupt your planned activities, especially in April and November

Scenery

If you stay close to the park’s main thoroughfare, you’ll experience barren plains, grasslands, and semi-arid shrubs. The plains on either side of Aruba Dam can be good for cheetahs. A slight detour brings the Kanderi Swamp (popular with elephants) and Voi River (with lush riverine forests) into play. Nearby, Mudanda Rock, a towering rock formation, offers sweeping views from the summit. The wild, croc-filled Galana River runs through the north.

Activities

The only two activities permitted in Tsavo East National Park are wildlife viewing and birding, both of which you’ll most likely enjoy on a guided game drive. Self-guided game drives are possible in theory, although they’re not very common in Kenya.

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Rates

From: $319 to $2000 pp/da

Best Time to Go

From: June to October and January to February (Best for general wildlife viewing; little rainfall)

High Season

From: December to March and July to October (Not busy)

Size

From: 13,747km² / 5,308mi²

Wildlife & Animals

Tsavo East National Park offers great wildlife viewing in pristine wilderness. Four of the Big Five are here (no rhino). Elephants are common, and their red dust coating makes them stand out against the arid environment. Of the big cats, lions are most easily spotted, but cheetahs are also possible out on the plains. Buffalo, zebra, and plenty of Masai giraffes are some of the other animals you can expect to see.

Wildlife Highlights

Tsavo East has a good range of unusual antelope. This is one of the few places to see the fringe-eared oryx. The lesser kudu is very shy but is sometimes seen darting off into the bushes. The long-necked gerenuk can be found standing on its hind legs to reach sparse foliage. With luck, you might spot the critically endangered Hunter's hartebeest (hirola) out in the remote far east of the park.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Tsavo East can be visited throughout the year, but the best time for wildlife viewing is from June to October, in the Dry season. During this period, the vegetation is thinner and animals gather around predictable sources of water. The dry spell from January to February, between the short and long rains, is also a great time for wildlife viewing.

General Wheather

Visitors to Tsavo East National Park can expect a hot, dry climate. The average temperature varies between 31°C/88°F during the day and 20°C/68°F at night. In most years, rainfall peaks in April and November during the long and short rains, respectively. Rain tends to fall as short, heavy showers.

Dry Season –June to October

The Dry season months are the coolest. Days are full of sunshine and there is very little rain.

June & July – Days are normally sunny. Average afternoon temperatures are around 29°C/84°F.
August & September – The average September temperature is 29°C/84°F, although it does get much hotter.
October – It is hot and humid in October, and temperatures increase prior to the rain.

Wet Season –November to May

The short rains and the long rains are separated by a drier, hotter couple of months in January and February. Road conditions are at their worst in April and May.

November & December – ‘Short rains’ – November is one of the wettest months of the year. Rain generally doesn’t last all day, but expect afternoon storms. The average daytime temperature is 31°C/88°F.
January & February – These months see a break between the rains. The exact duration of this dry period is difficult to predict. February is reliably the hottest month. It has an average in the afternoon of 32°C/90°F with higher peaks.
March, April & May – ‘Long rains’ – The long rains usually begin in late March. It hardly ever rains all day, but fleeting afternoon showers should be expected. April receives the most rainfall during this period. Temperatures in the afternoon are about 32°C/90°F.

Prons

Good wildlife viewing with four of the Big Five present
Excellent birding with many dry-country specials
Great wilderness appeal with off-the-beaten-track options
Beautiful landscape with scenic landmarks such as the Galana River and Taita Hills

Cons

Wildlife densities can be low
Temperatures can be very hot for much of the year

How To Get There

Visitors to Tsavo East National Park can expect a hot, dry climate. The average temperature varies between 31°C/88°F during the day and 20°C/68°F at night. In most years, rainfall peaks in April and November during the long and short rains, respectively. Rain tends to fall as short, heavy showers.

Dry Season –June to October

The Dry season months are the coolest. Days are full of sunshine and there is very little rain.

June & July – Days are normally sunny. Average afternoon temperatures are around 29°C/84°F.
August & September – The average September temperature is 29°C/84°F, although it does get much hotter.
October – It is hot and humid in October, and temperatures increase prior to the rain.

Wet Season –November to May

The short rains and the long rains are separated by a drier, hotter couple of months in January and February. Road conditions are at their worst in April and May.

November & December – ‘Short rains’ – November is one of the wettest months of the year. Rain generally doesn’t last all day, but expect afternoon storms. The average daytime temperature is 31°C/88°F.
January & February – These months see a break between the rains. The exact duration of this dry period is difficult to predict. February is reliably the hottest month. It has an average in the afternoon of 32°C/90°F with higher peaks.
March, April & May – ‘Long rains’ – The long rains usually begin in late March. It hardly ever rains all day, but fleeting afternoon showers should be expected. April receives the most rainfall during this period. Temperatures in the afternoon are about 32°C/90°F.