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Tsavo West
National Park, Kenya
Adventure Africa Holidays is a specialist tour operator with
its office headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya but operating
throughout East Africa. We offer Safaris to Tsavo West
National Park, Kenya Tsavo West National Park Tour, Kenya
Tsavo West Park, Tsavo West Safaris, Tour Tsavo West Park
Kenya, Kilaguni Serena Lodge, Ngulia Lodge, Severin Safari
Camp, Finch Hattons Camp, Voyager Ziwani Tented Camp Tsavo
West.
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Tsavo West
National Park, Kenya
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Tsavo West
National Park Background Information:
Tsavo West National Park covers 7065 km2,
approximately 30% of Kenya's area under parks, and
contains a diversity of habitats, wildlife and a
mountainous scenic landscape.
The park is a vast expanse of savanna stretching from
Mtito Andei, along the Mombasa-Nairobi road and south
to the Tanzanian border. The North Eastern boundary
along the Highway adjoins Tsavo East National Park,
but Tsavo West has a more varied topography and a more
diverse array of habitats than its neighbour.
The park's habitats include open plains alternating
with Savannah bush and semi desert scrub, acacia
woodlands; rocky ridges and outcrops and more
extensive ranges and isolated hills; belts of riverine
vegetation; palm thickets and on the Chyulu hills,
mountain forest.
There are numerous rocky outcrops and ridges and part
of the park, towards the Chyulu Hills, is of recent
volcanic origin with lava flows and ash cones
including the Shetani lava flow, an example of a
recent volacano.
In the far south western corner on the Kenya Tanzania
border is Lake Jipe, part of which is in the park.
This very attractive lake is fed by runoff from Mt.
Kilimanjaro and the North Pare mountains.
At Mzima Springs, in the North of the park, water that
has filtered underground from the Chyulu Hills gushes
from below a lava ridge into a series of clear pools.
Tsavo West National Park
Location:
South Eastern Kenya, inland from Mombasa, and the
altitude ranges between 200 - 1000m.
Tsavo West National Park
Climate:
Temperature ranges from 20 - 30o C and rainfall from
200mm - 700mm. Two ran seasons: Long rains -
March/April & Short rains - Nov/December.
How To Get To Tsavo West
National Park:
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Roads:
The main access routes are through Chyulu Gate from
Amboseli and Mtito Andei Gate from Nairobi (240 km)
and Mombasa. 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
condition.
Tsavo West National Park
Gates:
Chyulu, Mtito Andei, Tsavo, Jipe, Maktau Gate, Kasigau
and Ziwani Gates.
Tsavo West National Park
Major Attractions:
Recent volcanoes, lava flows and caves with potential
for geological and cave exploration, and hiking. Mzima
Springs & underwater hippo watching, Ngulia Rhino
Sanctuary, Lake Jipe, Mt. Kilimanjaro, elephant,
rhino, diverse bird and plant species. And if lucky -
Wild dogs.
Tsavo West National Park
Facilities:
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Tsavo West National Park Lodges:
Ngulia Lodge; Kilaguni Serena Lodge; Severin Safari
Camp/Lodge; Finch Hattons.
Tsavo West National Park
Campsites:
Lake Jipe (public); Kamboya (public); Royal Little
(special); Simba (special); Kenge (special); Kudu
(special).
Tsavo West National Park
Other Campsites:
Kamboyo guesthouse; Tsavo West Information Visitor
Centre.
Tsavo West National Park
Bandas:
Lake Jipe Bandas, Kitani Bandas and Ngulia Bandas.
Tsavo West National Park
Picnic Sites:
Poachers look out; Chaimu Crater; Shetani Lava Flow;
Roaring Rocks; Mzima Springs; Visitor Information
Centre Picnic Site.
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Tsavo West National Park Common Vegetation
Most of the northern sector is Acacia commiphora
bushland with scattered trees such as baobabs -
Adansonia digitata and Delonix elata. In the Ngulia
area, a range of craggy hills reaches around 1800m and
is heavily wooded. The southern sector consists of
open grassy plains. The permanent tsavo river runs
through the northern part of the park with a fringe of
riverine Acacia elatior and Hyphaene compressa
woodland. Lake Jipe is bordered by extensive beds to
Typha and has large permanent swamps at its eastern
and western ends. Mzima springs, is fringed by Raphia
farinifera and Phoenix reclinata palms.
Tsavo West National Park
Visitor Activities:
Boat excursion at lake Jipe; Bird watching at lake
Jipe; Annual bird ringing at Ngulia lodge; Hill and
rock climbing at Chaimu and Ngulia Hills.
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Source: Kenya Wildlife Service.
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