
Map of Tsavo East National Park
Map of Tsavo East National Park : Tsavo East national park often referred to as the “Theatre of the wild” is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya at 13,474 square kilometers together with sister park Tsavo West national park, this park is situated in a semi-arid area previously known as Taru Desert and is located near the town of Voi in the Taita –Taveta County of the former Coast Province.
Tsavo East national park is separated from Tsavo West national park by the A109 road and a railway (the railway line divides the larger Tsavo national park into East and West thus creating Tsavo East national park and Tsavo West national park).
Tsavo East national park boosts some of the most evocative images in Africa created by sights of dust – red elephants wallowing, rolling and spraying each other with the midnight blue waters of palm – shaded Galana River. The river together with the Yatta Plateau – the longest lava flow in the world at 300 kilometers long adds on to your adventure while on a Kenya safari.

Tsavo East national park is a home to most of the larger mammal species including vast herds of dust – red elephants, rhino, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, lesser kudu, gerenuk and prolific bird life featuring 500 recorded species including ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weaver birds, kingfishers, hornbills, secretary birds and herons. Other attractions found in Tsavo East national park include Lugard falls and Aruba Dam.
LOCATION OF TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK
Tsavo East national park is located in Coast Province of Kenya in between Nairobi City and Mombasa, in the Coast province of Kenya and borders Chyulu Hills national park and Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania.
Geographically, Tsavo East national park there is the Athi and Tsavo rivers that converge to form the Galana River, the park mostly consists of semi – arid grasslands and savannah.
HOW TO GET TO TSAVO EAST NATIONAL PARK
Tsavo East national park located in the Coastal Province of Kenya is very accessible and can be accessed from both Nairobi and Mombasa by both air and road.
By Air
Tsavo West national park is situated close to both Malindi and Mombasa Coast and Chyulu Hill national park, by using air means of transport there are chartered and domestic flights from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to Airstrip in Tsavo West – Maktau Airstrip located in the South Eastern part of the park.
Domestic flight companies offering flights to Tsavo East national park include
- Safarilink offering daily flights departing Nairobi at 07:30 am.
Note: return flight takes 70 to 80 minutes.
- Mombasa Air – offers domestic flights from the Coast to the private airstrip at Finch Hattons in Tsavo West national park.
There are no scheduled flights to Tsavo East national park but airstrips in the Southern part of the park and in 13 airstrips in the northern part are available for charter flights. Focus East Africa Tours as a group operator will make arrangements for your flight at one of the airstrips nearest to your lodge or camp, we also organize land transfers.
By Road
Tsavo East national park is easily accessed by road thanks to the Mombasa – Nairobi highway and the proximity of the park to the coast, most of the travellers visit Tsavo East national park as an additional experience to their seaside holidays.
From Mombasa, it is a drive of about 3-4 hours to Tsavo East and 4 hours and a half from Nairobi, along the drive traffic can be scary if you have no control over the speed at which your driver decides to tear along the highway.

From Nairobi city, Tsavo East national park is accessed via the town of Voi (where KWS has its headquarters) through either two gates that are Voi or Manyani.
From Mombasa, Tsavo East national park is accessed via Buchuma Gate and from Malindi the park is accessed via Sala Gate.
Drivers from Focus East Africa Tours will make sure you reach Tsavo East national park as quickest as possible.
From Tsavo West national park, the park is accessed using Chyulu Gate, from Amboseli national park Mtito Andei Gate can be used via the highway from either Nairobi or Mombasa. Also Tsavo Gate near Manyani.
