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Tsavo East Safari - Compare 315 Tours

4.2/5  –  94 Tsavo East Safari Reviews

Tsavo East National Park is one of Kenya’s finest safari destinations. It combines easy access (it’s just off the Nairobi–Mombasa road, and is easily reached from Mombasa in particular) with some fantastic backcountry where there’s a strong sense of wilderness. The wildlife is incredible and varies across the park, and the accommodations, too, are outstanding and spread throughout the park. Throw in some of the most distinctive landscapes of any park in Kenya and the possibility of an add-on to nearby Tsavo West National Park, and your Tsavo East safari has all the makings of a brilliant safari experience.

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1-20 of 315 Rankings are based on performance, relevance and payment. Learn more

6 Questions About Tsavo East Safaris

1. Which animals will I see on a Tsavo East trip?
2. How many days are recommended for a safari in Tsavo East?
3. What is the best time to visit Tsavo East National Park?
4. Is it easy to combine a Tsavo East safari with a beach holiday?
5. Is Tsavo East known for its large herds of red-dusted elephants?
6. What is the cost of a Tsavo East safari?
 
 

6 Questions About Tsavo East Safaris

Answered by Anthony Ham

Which animals will I see on a Tsavo East trip?

“While nothing is guaranteed when it comes to seeing wildlife on safari, in Tsavo East there is a good chance that you will see lion (including the famous Tsavo male lions with their scraggly manes). I’ve seen cheetahs on the plains east of Aruba Dam every time I’ve visited Tsavo East, and large numbers of elephants are commonly seen. There’s also a good chance that you’ll see giraffe, zebra, buffalo, hippo and spotted hyena. Local specialties to watch out for include gerenuk, Nile crocodile, fringe-eared oryx, lesser kudu and Hunter’s hartebeest (also known as hirola), which is Critically Endangered (i.e. facing the highest risk of extinction in the wild). If you add Tsavo West National Park to your safari, you have a better chance of seeing leopard. And black rhino is commonly seen in Tsavo West’s Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary and elsewhere in the park’s east.”

1

How many days are recommended for a safari in Tsavo East?

“Tsavo East is a large park (and it’s the largest park in Kenya when you combine it with Tsavo West), so the more days you can dedicate to a trip here, the better. A minimum for exploring Tsavo East would be 2 days, but with 3 or 4 (or even more) days you will dramatically increase how much of the park you can experience and how many different animals you’ll get to see. If you add Tsavo West to your safari, then you will need to add a further couple of days at least. Remember that when you book a safari, you have to factor in the transfer to get to the park to begin your safari and another when you leave the park at the end of your safari. This means that on a 2-day safari, you will travel to the park on day 1 and return on day 2, meaning you’ll only have 1 night in Tsavo East. On a 3-day safari, you’ll get to enjoy 2 nights and 1 full day in the park, and so on.”

2

What is the best time to visit Tsavo East National Park?

“The best months for a safari in Tsavo East are June to October, as well as January and February. There are lots of reasons why this is so. One is that these are usually the months with the best weather conditions: you can expect clear skies, mild daytime temperatures and cooler nights. June to October is also when the risk of contracting malaria is lowest. And it’s the best time for seeing wildlife, too, because animals are drawn to shrinking water sources, which makes them easier to find. The months of November, December, March, April and May are the wettest. Getting around during these months can be difficult and seeing wildlife is usually more of a challenge, because the animals disperse more widely when there is more water around. If you’re a birder, remember that millions of migratory birds (ones that migrate seasonally every year) arrive in the Tsavo East area from Europe and North Africa in November and they usually remain until April. January and February combine the best weather conditions with the best birding possibilities.”

3

Is it easy to combine a Tsavo East safari with a beach holiday?

“Yes. In fact, when compared with Kenya’s other major parks, Tsavo East is the most popular safari option for those on a beach holiday. This is the closest of Kenya’s elite safari destinations to the coast, and it is very easy to reach from Mombasa, in particular. For those coming from Mombasa, the park’s eastern gate is the most accessible. And because there are so many travelers wanting to combine a beach holiday with a Tsavo East trip, lots of operators offer tours and packages of this kind. This also helps to keep prices competitive. By experiencing both the wildlife and the beach, you’ll leave Kenya with a deeper understanding of its diverse appeal, sampling both the superb Indian Ocean coastline and the country’s wildlife-rich interior.”

4

Is Tsavo East known for its large herds of red-dusted elephants?

“Tsavo East is one of the best parks in Kenya for seeing elephants, and many of these do indeed appear to be quite red. Here, along with neighboring Tsavo West, the red Tsavo dust or soil is unique to the area. Because elephants love rolling in the dust to keep cool and keep insects at bay, many end up caked in red dust. It’s quite a sight seeing a single elephant family like this. But because Tsavo East has such open savannah (mixed woodland-grassland) regions, it is not uncommon to see entire herds of 100 or more elephants moving across the horizon in a sea of deep red.”

5

What is the cost of a Tsavo East safari?

“There are almost as many tours and packages (and therefore different prices and costs) as there are operators, but expect a budget Tsavo East safari to start at around US$125 per person per day. For a more luxurious experience, this could increase to US$350 per person per day or even much higher. Whatever your budget, this should include the park entry fees of US$52/35 per adult/child per day. Other things that should be included in any quoted safari prices are transfers, accommodation (including camping equipment for budget safaris), game drives, guide, driver, vehicle, meals and most drinks. Variables that can impact upon the cost of your safari include the type of accommodation you choose, whether you’re traveling in high season (which runs from July to October and from December to March) or low season, and whether you’re on an exclusive private or a cheaper group safari.”

6

Tsavo East Safari Reviews

4.2/5 94 Reviews
Expert
Mark Eveleigh  –  
United Kingdom UK

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

Kenya’s Biggest Park Is One of Africa’s Great Lost Worlds
5/5

If you have your own vehicle and can explore farther afield – and even drive into the virtually unexplored region north of the Galana River – you’ll find that Kenya’s biggest national park (roughly the same size as Israel when...

Full Review

Expert
Ariadne van Zandbergen  –  
South Africa ZA

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

Elephant Splendor in Tsavo East
4/5

I’ve always loved Tsavo East National Park’s expansive landscape with its characteristic red soil and dramatic skies. For holidaymakers at the Kenyan coast, it’s the obvious place to go for a quick safari… So, it’s no surprise it...

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Ton M.  –  
Netherlands NL
Reviewed: Aug 1, 2025
5/5

The safari was fantastic. Also during the stay at the lodge Elephants visited to drink, and later various other animals. In front of the bedroom window we were greeted by a monkey. Stay in the park was perfect.

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Jane  –  
Kenya KE
Reviewed: Jun 14, 2024
Satao Camp
5/5

My overall rating for SATAO CAMP is excellent in all respects. This is a friendly and welcoming camp. Perfectly situated and open to all the animals that inhabit it. The accommodation, service and attention to detail are superb. The staff...

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Yolanda Moerkens  –  
Netherlands NL
Reviewed: Oct 19, 2023
5/5

Great place to go on safari when you stay at the coast. It's only a few hours by car and here you can see so many elephants in a red color. Not red cause of the skin but red cause of the red soil. Nice landscap with plains and bush and very...

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Bruno Vidal de Souza  –  
Germany DE
Reviewed: Sep 14, 2023
5/5

This park is quite large, so it is harder to find things. It is perfect for a calm and real safari experience! You are really in contact with nature and it is more difficult to run across many cars and tourists in the same place. The...

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All 94 Tsavo East Safari Reviews