The Red Elephants
Tsavo's elephants dust themselves with the park's red soil, giving them a striking colour that makes them instantly recognisable.
Kenya National Parks
Tsavo East National Park
Endless plains of red earth, dust-coated elephants and the Galana River winding towards the Indian Ocean: Tsavo East is raw, vast and wonderfully wild.
- Location
- About 330 km southeast of Nairobi
- Known For
- Red elephants & vast wilderness
- Area
- Over 13,000 km²
- Best Time
- June – October, January – February
Discover Tsavo East
A vast, wild land of red earth and great rivers.
Tsavo East National Park is one of the largest national parks in Kenya, spanning more than 13,000 km². As huge as it is impressive, it is also one of the country's oldest national parks, established in 1948. Its sweeping plains, open skies and sense of space are unlike anywhere else in Kenya.
Marvel at the park's vibrant wildlife and its dramatic geology. The Yatta Plateau, one of the longest lava flows in the world, runs along the park's western edge above wide, shallow valleys formed by ancient volcanic activity. The Galana River, the chief source of water for the animals of the park, flows through Tsavo East and on towards the Indian Ocean, and along its banks you may spot gargantuan crocodiles as you explore.
With excellent birdlife, the Tsavo River, Mudanda Rock, Kanderi Swamp, Aruba Dam and the Lugard Falls among its highlights, Tsavo East is a superb choice for travellers who want a true wilderness safari, and it is easily combined with the Kenyan coast.
Why Tsavo East
Big skies, red elephants and real wilderness.
Tsavo East offers a sense of scale and solitude that few parks can match, with easy access from both Nairobi and Mombasa.
The Galana River
The park's lifeline, lined with doum palms and home to crocodiles and hippos, with wildlife gathering along its banks in the dry season.
Yatta Plateau
One of the longest lava flows in the world, forming a long ridge along the park's western edge.
Lugard Falls & Mudanda Rock
See the Galana River surge through rocky channels at Lugard Falls, and watch elephants drink below the great rock outcrop of Mudanda.
Uncrowded Game Drives
The park is so large that you can often enjoy sightings with no other vehicles in sight.
Close to the Coast
Tsavo East is one of the easiest parks to combine with a beach stay at Mombasa, Diani or Watamu.
Location
Where is Tsavo East National Park?
Tsavo East lies in southeastern Kenya, east of the Nairobi–Mombasa highway and railway, opposite Tsavo West. The popular Voi gate is about 330 km from Nairobi (roughly 5 hours by road) and about 160 km from Mombasa (around 2.5 to 3 hours). The Standard Gauge Railway also stops at Voi and Mtito Andei, a comfortable way to arrive from either city.
From Arusha, most travellers enter Kenya at the Namanga border and travel via Amboseli and Tsavo West, or cross at Holili–Taveta near Moshi and head east to Voi, a journey of around 5 to 6 hours. Several airstrips inside and near the park serve charter flights.
When to visit
Tsavo East through the seasons.
Tsavo East is hot and dry for much of the year. The dry seasons bring wildlife to the rivers and waterholes, while the rains transform the plains.
Long Dry Season
Prime game viewing, with elephants, buffalo and plains game concentrating along the Galana River and around Aruba Dam and Kanderi Swamp.
Short Rains
Brief showers bring fresh grass and flowering bush, and migratory birds arrive in good numbers.
Short Dry Season
Hot, mostly dry days with good wildlife viewing and green surroundings after the short rains.
Long Rains
The wettest period, with lush vegetation, scattered wildlife and some roads becoming difficult.
What is the best month to visit Tsavo East?
Visit in the dry months for concentrated wildlife, or in the green season for birding, quiet roads and dramatic skies.
Warm and fairly dry, with green plains and good game viewing.
Hot and dry, an excellent month for elephants near the rivers and dams.
The long rains begin, freshening the bush and dispersing wildlife.
Usually the wettest month, with lush scenery and very few visitors.
Rains ease and the park looks its greenest, with good birding.
The dry season returns and animals start to gather near permanent water.
Excellent game viewing along the Galana River and at Aruba Dam.
Prime season, with red elephants gathering at waterholes and rivers.
Dry and rewarding, ideal for Lugard Falls and Mudanda Rock.
Hot and dry, with dramatic concentrations of wildlife before the rains.
Short rains bring fresh growth and migratory birds.
Green and quiet, with good birding and pleasant game drives.
Explore the area
Discover the faces of Tsavo East.
Most game viewing takes place south of the Galana River, where rivers, swamps and rock outcrops draw wildlife across the plains.
Southern Tsavo EastKanderi SwampA permanent swamp near the Voi gate that attracts elephants, buffalo and lions throughout the year.
Southern Tsavo EastAruba DamA dam built across the Voi River that creates a lake, a magnet for wildlife and birds in the dry season.
Central Tsavo EastMudanda RockA long rock outcrop above a natural water catchment where elephants and other animals come to drink.
Central Tsavo EastGalana River & Lugard FallsThe Galana River, formed where the Tsavo and Athi rivers meet, surges through rocky channels at Lugard Falls, with crocodiles at Crocodile Point nearby.
Western EdgeYatta PlateauA long lava ridge running along the park's western boundary, among the longest lava flows in the world.
Northern Tsavo EastThe Remote NorthVast, little-visited wilderness north of the Galana River, home to dry-country species and a true sense of isolation.
Wildlife
Red elephants and dry-country specialists.
Tsavo East supports vibrant wildlife across its immense plains. Its red-dusted elephants are the most famous residents, alongside buffalo, lions, leopards and cheetahs. Plains game such as zebras, giraffes, impalas, hartebeest and gazelles share the park with dry-country specialists like the gerenuk, lesser kudu and fringe-eared oryx.
The Galana River and its swamps and dams are home to hippos and large Nile crocodiles, and birdlife is excellent, with hornbills, weavers, starlings, raptors and many migrants. The park's size means wildlife can be spread out, so experienced guides make all the difference.
12 animals to look for
Elephant
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Rivers, dams and waterholes
Tsavo's famous red elephants, coloured by dust bathing in the red soil.
1 / 12
Lion
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Kanderi Swamp and the plains
Tsavo lions are often maneless or sparsely maned, like their legendary ancestors.
2 / 12
Buffalo
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Near water across the south
Large herds gather near swamps and rivers in the dry season.
3 / 12
Leopard
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Riverine woodland and rocky areas
Present along the rivers and rock outcrops but elusive.
4 / 12
Cheetah
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Open plains
Tsavo East's open country gives a fair chance of cheetah sightings.
5 / 12
Nile crocodile
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Galana River and Crocodile Point
Gargantuan crocodiles bask on the riverbanks and sandbanks.
6 / 12
Hippo
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Galana River and Aruba Dam
Pods rest in the deeper pools of the river and in the dam.
7 / 12
Gerenuk
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Dry bush
A long-necked antelope that browses standing on its hind legs.
8 / 12
Lesser kudu
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Thickets and dense bush
A shy antelope with elegant white stripes.
9 / 12
Fringe-eared oryx
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Open dry plains
A striking dry-country antelope with long, straight horns.
10 / 12
Giraffe
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Acacia bush
Masai giraffes, and in the north the reticulated variety, browse the acacias.
11 / 12
Hornbill
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Woodland and lodges
Red-billed and yellow-billed hornbills are easily seen across the park.
12 / 12
The Red Elephants of Tsavo
Giants painted by the earth.
Tsavo East is home to one of Kenya's largest elephant populations, and these elephants are unlike any others. By spraying themselves with the park's fine red dust and wallowing in its mud, they take on a vivid rusty colour that glows in the low light of morning and evening.
In the dry season, herds converge on the Galana River, Aruba Dam, Kanderi Swamp and the water catchment beneath Mudanda Rock, offering memorable sightings in a landscape where you may be the only vehicle for miles.
Safaris to 中文
Tours that include Tsavo East
Itineraries that include Tsavo East, often combined with Tsavo West, Amboseli and a beach stay on the Kenyan coast.
Kenya · 11 days
11-Day Kenya Elephant Odyssey: Echoes of the Giants
Amboseli · Tsavo West · Tsavo East
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Kenya · 15 days
15-Day Kenya Road Trip: The Magical Kenya Wildlife Odyssey
Samburu National Reserve · Ol Pejeta Conservancy · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania & Kenya · 13 days
13-Day Kenya & Tanzania: The Spirit of African Safari
Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Amboseli
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
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Planning your Tsavo East safari?
Tell us how long you have and what you would love to see. A GIP Adventure specialist will help you plan a Tsavo East safari, combined with Tsavo West, Amboseli, the coast or northern Tanzania.
Usually replies within minutesHeritage
The story behind Tsavo East.
The Tsavo region has a long history as a crossing point between the coast and the interior, travelled by traders, explorers and, from the late nineteenth century, the builders of the Uganda Railway. Lugard Falls takes its name from Frederick Lugard, a colonial administrator who passed through the area. The legendary Tsavo man-eaters of 1898 made the region famous worldwide.
Tsavo was gazetted in 1948 and divided into East and West. In the 1970s and 1980s, poaching devastated its elephant and rhino populations, and the park became central to Kenya's fight against the ivory trade. Elephant numbers have since recovered substantially, and today rangers, researchers and neighbouring communities work to protect this vast ecosystem and its wildlife corridors.
Why are Tsavo's elephants red?
They spray themselves with the park's fine red dust and wallow in red mud, which colours their skin.
How big is Tsavo East?
More than 13,000 km², making it one of the largest national parks in Kenya.
How far is Tsavo East from Mombasa?
The Voi gate is about 160 km from Mombasa, around 2.5 to 3 hours by road, which makes it a popular safari from the coast.
How far is Tsavo East from Nairobi?
About 330 km to Voi, roughly 5 hours by road, or a comfortable journey on the Standard Gauge Railway.
What is the best area for game viewing?
Most visitors explore south of the Galana River, around Kanderi Swamp, Aruba Dam, Mudanda Rock and Lugard Falls.
Can I combine Tsavo East with the beach?
Yes. Tsavo East pairs perfectly with a stay at Diani, Mombasa or Watamu on the Indian Ocean coast.
What activities are available?
Wildlife viewing drives, bird watching, nature walks and hiking at selected sites with an experienced guide.
Your safari starts here
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Let GIP Adventure plan a journey into Tsavo East's wild red-earth country, from the Galana River to the coast.