Finch Hattons

“Land of Lava, Springs, Man-Eaters & Magical Sunsets”

From the sight of fifty million gallons of crystal-clear water gushing out from the under-parched lava rock that is the Mzima Springs to the Shetani lava flows, Tsavo West National Park is a beautiful, rugged wilderness. The savannah ecosystem comprises open grasslands, scrublands, and Acacia woodlands, belts of riverine vegetation, and rocky ridges including the Poacher’s Lookout where visitors can see the teeming herds in the plains below. Tsavo West National Park offers some of the most magnificent game viewing in the world and attractions include elephants, rhinos, hippos, lions, cheetah, leopards, Buffalos, and diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near-threatened Basra Reed Warbler.

Key features

Wildlife

• Leopard, Cheetah, Wild dogs, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion, Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik-dik, Lesser Kudu, and Nocturnal Porcupine. Prolific birdlife features 600 species

How to get there

• Distance: 240 km from Nairobi, 250km from Mombasa (Mtito Andei Gate).
• By air: There are 3 airstrips in the park
• Gates: Tsavo, Lake Jipe, Mtito Andei (Kamboyo HQ), Chyulu, Maktau and Ziwani.
• Roads: The main access routes are through Chyulu Gate from Amboseli and Mtito Andei Gate from Nairobi.
• Visitors from Mombasa also use Tsavo Gate near Manyani.
• The Park can also be reached via Taveta – Voi Road through Maktau, Ziwani, and Jipe Gates.
• Airstrips: Kamboyo, Kilaguni, Tsavo Gate, Jipe, Kasigau, Finch Hottons, Ziwani, and Maktau airstrips are in good.

Always Consider Safaris Kenya for an amazing Trip to Tsavo West National Park.

 Highlights

1. You can access Tsavo West National Park through Mombasa- Nairobi Highway
   • Climate warm & dry with two rain seasons.
   • March to April – Long Rains
   • November to December Short Rains
   • Almost guaranteed to see the Big 5; lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo

Attractions

• The spectacle of Mzima Springs is the sight of fifty million gallons of crystal-clear water gushing out of the under-parched lava rocks, forming the most welcoming and lovely scene in Africa
• Ancient lands of Lions, 1898 the Uganda railway construction was abruptly halted by the two of the most voracious and insatiable man-eating lions who appeared upon the scene, and for over nine-month waged intermittent warfare against the railway and all those connected with it in the vicinity of Tsavo.
• A vibrant volcanic arena; molten lava that form Shetani lava spewed from the earth just about 200 years ago and its fiery fury was thought by locals to be the work of the Devil.
• Poacher’s Lookout and roaring rocks; the Park abound the panoramic vantage point from which to view the movement of the herds.
• Glorious game drives; Tsavo west offers some of the most magnificent game viewing in the world
• Ngulia Sanctuary; this is where the growing population of highly endangered black rhinos is inching from the chasm of extinction forced upon them by rampant poaching in the 1960s.
• Lake Jipe lies astride Kenya and Tanzania border and is teeming with aquatic life, Bird watching I also major activity around the lake.
• First World War Site-East African Campaign, Perhaps the most bizarre campaign of the world war was fought in the “Bundu” (Bush) – the barely explored wilderness of thorny scrub and dense forest of Tsavo west. This last ‘gentleman war’ was waged under the code of honor-sometimes or guerilla tactics adopted from African tribal fighters. The Guided tours of the Crater, Kichwa Tembo, and Mzima fort will enable you to trail the real footsteps of the world war veterans.