Tsavo West National Park divides opinion among travellers: some love its excellent scenery and sometimes fantastic wildlife, while others find it a little frustrating when it comes to viewing animals. They’re both right: the park is home to the Big Five, but wildlife viewing can be a bit slow. Highlights include recent lava flows and lush Mzima Springs with its close-up views of hippos

Wildlife

Tsavo West is a real wilderness destination. All of the Big Five are present, and lions, leopards, and elephant sightings are possible. Elephant herds can be gathered at the waterholes. However, wildlife densities are lower than in some of the more popular parks in Kenya. There is a good variety of animals, though, with many dry-country specials, like frige-eared oryx.

Scenery

Tsavo West has an arid beauty, with landscapes that are varied, dense woodlands, rocky outcrops, and volcanic hills and lava flows. The jagged Ngulia Hills runs like a spine through the park. Underpinning everything here is the park’s black volcanic soil and Tsavo’s famous red dust. A small number of rivers are mostly seasonal meander through the park, but Mzima Springs is like an oasis.

Activities

Like most Kenyan parks, the main activities in Tsavo West are guided game drives where you can look for wildlife and enjoy bird watching. Apart from within the grounds of your accommodation, the only place where you are allowed to outside your vehicle is at Mzima Springs, where there is a short walking track.

Weather & Climate

Like its sister park to the east, Tsavo West is hot and dry, even if temperatures drop significantly at night. The best place to escape the heat is the higher altitudes of the park, where it is cool by 6.5oC/3.5oF for every 1,000m/1,000ft you climb. The dry season June to October is characterised by bright, sunny days, and the wet season November to May by afternoon showers.

Best Time To Visit

If you prefer your vegetation green instead of brown and want a clear view of Kilimanjaro, then the wet season of November-May is when you’ll want to visit. Migratory birds also offer a great spectacle at this time. But for wildlife viewing in general, you should go in the drier months of June to October and January to February, when a lack of water sees animals gather at local rivers and waterholes.