Tsavo West National Park is one of the most thrilling destinations in Kenya, it is the greater part of the Tsavo National Park divided from the rest by a highway connecting 2 busy tourism centres of Nairobi and Mombasa, it covers an area space of approximately 9,065 square kilometres bordering the southern part of Tanzania, it is famous for its high population of African elephants characterized by their redness as a result of playing in the red soil of the park, it is home to several animal species including the so-called big five of the wilderness.
The topography of Tsavo West National Park comprises a biodiverse environment boasting rolling hills, volcanic cones, large lava flows, open grasses, riverine forest, shrubs, marshy swampy areas and hotsprings, these act ashabitats to the many animal and bird species in the park, example types include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elands, waterbucks, bushbucks, hartebeests, rhinos, hyenas, greater and lesser Kudus, mongoose, hippos, klipspringers and crocodiles to mention a few. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded in the park to date including pelicans, sunbirds, ground hornbills, ducks, and ostriches among other species.
The presence of several tourist attractions in the park provides a chance to do tourism activities, for example, visiting the Mzima hot springs, these are natural water spring that provides crystal clear waters and is home to several hippos and crocodiles, the waterfalls originate from the chuylu hills to the north of the park, water is generated from underneath the rocks, it is an oasis of green amidst the dry savannah.
Game drives in Tsavo West National Park are conducted using 4×4 wheel cars to beat the tough terrain of the African wilderness, it is a great experience to come closer to the many animal species of the park, drives are conducted in sessions in the morning, afternoon, evening times, the morning time is the best to see wildlife as animals are most active during this time, Tsavo west national park is one of the few places of the country where doing night game drives is allowed.
Birding in Tsavo West National Park, there are over 500 species of birds of the park, these are mostly sighted on game drives or guided nature walks birds can be seen any time of the year, the park receives so many migratory species example bird types include golden pit pit, marsh warbler, lesser kestrel, red-backed shrike, river warbler, rufous chatterer, slender tailed night Jar, Somalibee eater, ostrich, martial eagles, African harrier hawks among others.
Visit the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, the region is located within the southern part of the conservation area, following the decline of Rhino species in the national park there were a lot of efforts to conserve black Rhinos, the rhino project focuses on increasing Rhino numbers in the wild under the intensive care of Kenya wildlife service. The sanctuary covers an area space of approximately 80 square kilometres.
In conclusion,Tourist activities in Tsavo West National Park are best done during the dry season between December –February and June to September when the trails of the park are much drier and easy to access.