The Tsavo National Park was born as a single large park, later divided into Tsavo West and Tsavo East with the construction of the railway.
Tsavo West is located west of the Mombasa-Nairobi road and the railway line that separates the two parks. It covers an area of approximately 7065 km2 and the terrain is much more varied than that of Tsavo East, in fact it goes from 200 m altitude to around 1000 m. The Park is located approximately 333 km south-east of Nairobi and approximately 188 km west of Mombasa.
The Park is home to the largest population of red berry elephants and many natural beauty, such as semi-arid desert-like mountains and hills, acacia forests, palm groves, many rivers and the tranquil Jipe Lake. There are many animal species, including the "Big Five" (lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceroses and buffaloes), and other animals such as hippos, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, crocodiles, hyenas, gazelles, several species of shrews and an infinite variety of birds.
From Lake Jipe, on the border with Tanzania, to the forests on the mountains and volcanic Chyulu Hills, the variety of landscape offers a perfect habitat for many protected animal species including the black rhino. The Rhino Santuary Ngulia for the protection of the endangered black rhino. The swamps of Lake Jipe and the acacia forests offer the ideal landscape for bird watching. Over 500 species of birds have been spotted in the Park, including ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weavers, kingfishers, hornbills and many others.
To the north of Tsavo West, there are the Mzima Spring waterfalls: the water from the hills runs under the lava crust and forms several natural pools. Bordered by palm trees, the pools are fundamental waterholes for birds and African wildlife and you can admire the bathing of hippos and giant crocodiles. Don't miss the famous Shetani lava flow (Shetani in Swahili means devil), a bed of lava about 8 km long, about 1.5 km wide, in the center of which there is a cave of geological interest.
The rock faces of Tsavo West are among the best in Kenya for climbing, from here you can enjoy a spectacular landscape of the savannah and, with a bit of luck, also of Mount Kilimanjaro.
