Overview
Tsavo West is much more wooded and hilly, with evidence of its volcanic history in dramatic black rock formations. The scenery is spectacular with rocky landscapes, lush grass, and dense vegetation. Don’t skip a visit to Mzima Springs, a natural spring water pool with underwater viewing hides where you can watch hippo and their antics. The vegetation in Tsavo West is a lot lusher than that in the eastern section of Tsavo National Park, which can make spotting animals a little bit trickier.
Best time to visit Tsavo West National Park
Tsavo West is best visited in the dry months from June to October and January to February. During the dry seasons, the park offers more rewarding game drive experiences compared to the wet seasons when the roads are slippery and muddy and the vegetation becomes thicker, making it difficult to view the animals. For a satisfying birding experience in the national park, the months from October to April are recommended.
Things to do in Tsavo West
Sunrise Game Drives
Game viewing is slightly more challenging here but the Big 5 are residents and a great variety of antelope can be seen. Some local animals to look out for include the fringe-eared oryx, klipspringer, and Maasai giraffe.
Bird watching
Birding in Tsavo West can be done at different birding spots such as Mzima springs which offers a great opportunity to sight the birds in their nests. Bird species viewed during game drives include; pied kingfisher, Vulturine guinea fowl, African finfoot, reed warbler, corncrake, lesser kestrel, martial eagle, northern brownbul, Pangani longclaw, river warbler, red-backed shrike, red-bellied parrot, slender tailed nightjar, black-faced sand grouse.
Rock climbing
The landscape of Tsavo has some incredible cliffs and hills where you can enjoy the guided rock climbing session. The top view offers the climber to explore the vast plains of the park laced with the population of elephants.
Walking Safari
A guided walking tour amidst the wild habitat of Tsavo is the best activity to do during the tour. Not just walk and explore the creature dwelling near the trails, but the tour will let you learn more about their wild environment and behavior.
Boat Trips
A shallow sump-like waterbody set in the far south of Tsavo West below Tanzania’s North Pare Mountains, Lake Jipe attracts plenty of elephants and supports large numbers of hippos and crocodiles. Boat trips offer an opportunity to see localized aquatic birds such as Lesser jacana, Pygmy goose, and Black coucal.
