Holidaying at Mombasa beach hotel and not doing a safari is one way of not maximizing on ones holidays quality time. Mombasa’s proximity to Tsavo east national park makes it top on the list of excursions in Mombasa. However it’s the number of wildlife and types that one would see in short time that makes it a must do. From Elephants, lions, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos among others thus making it one of excursions from Mombasa that one shouldn’t miss.
Safari starts at dawn, make sure you have pre-arranged for an early morning breakfast with the hotel. Pick up from your hotel at around 0430hrs ready for the full day safari in the park doing game drives. The drive takes at least 3 hours depending from which hotel one is at, thus allowing an early morning arrival at the park Bachuma gate. This exciting dawn to dusk adventure will offer beautiful sunrise vistas as well as 6 full hours of active safari viewing. Besides lions, you’ll be looking out for elephant, cheetah, buffalo, antelope, warthog, hippos, ostrich, and many more!. Cost of the Tsavo safari include lunch at Ashnil Aruba lodge, park entry fees, transports and guide.
The good thing with it is that one can do an overnight safari from Mombasa, Diani or Malindi, taking a break from beach holiday to combine with wildlife safari giving more value to a Kenya holiday.
What do you know about Tsavo?
The sight of dust-red elephant wallowing, rolling and spraying each other with the midnight blue waters of palm-shaded Galana River is one of the most evocative images in Africa. This, along with the 300 kilomtere long Yatta Plateau, the longest lava flow in the world, make for an adventure unlike any other in the Tsavo East. The park forms the largest protected area in Kenya and is home to most of the larger mammals, vast herds of dust –red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, pods of hippo, crocodile, waterbucks, lesser Kudu, gerenuk and the prolific bird life features 500 recorded species.
Tsavo East national park is known for “red elephants”, not because they are literally red but out of bating with red soil found in the park. Found in every corner of the park and being more of savanna, it’s easy to spot elephants from a distance. Aruba dam serves as main watering point to supplement the galana river where elephants among other African wildlife found in the park come to drink water. Hippos and crocodiles and some species of “water birds” like gooses can be found at Aruba dam. Others include waterbucks, Lesser Kudu, Gerenuk and Hirola.
With range of accommodation ranging from budget camps and camps to among the best boutiques ones makes Tsavo east national park choice for all. Prices ranges from as low as $40 to as high as $250 per person per night on full board. However that’s just safari accommodation, other charges like transport per day per vehicle is between $125 – $300 per day depending on the choice of safari vehicle. Park fees per 24hrs is $52 which is payable at the park entrance. Among the best places to stay at are Satao camp, Ashnil Aruba lodge, voi wildlife lodge, voi safari lodge
