Tsavo East

Tsavo East is one of the largest protected areas in the world, and its scale is what defines the experience. Open, semi-arid plains stretch to the horizon beneath the Yatta Plateau, and the sense of remoteness here is far greater than in Kenya’s more visited reserves.

The park is best known for its elephants, which take on a distinctive red colouring from dust-bathing in the local soil. Large herds gather along the Galana River, alongside buffalo, lion, and the fringe-eared oryx and lesser kudu that are characteristic of this drier country. Game viewing requires more patience than in the Mara, but the rewards are a landscape and a solitude that few other parks can offer.

Tsavo East sits conveniently on the route between Nairobi and Diani or Mombasa, which makes it an excellent addition to a safari that concludes at the coast.