Tsavo East National Park

Situated in Kenya's southeast, Tsavo is near the Tanzanian border and is close to the Kenyan coast.

Named after the river that flows through the parks, Tsavo is split into two national parks, Tsavo East and Tsavo West, and is divided by the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.

Tsavo East is one of the oldest, and is the largest national park in Kenya, and together with Tsavo West covers just over 20,000 square kilometres, or 4% of Kenya.

Spanning 13,747 square kilometres of pristine wilderness, it is also one of the most extensive protected areas in Kenya and has more biodiversity than any other park globally, as it marks the meeting point between northern and southern wildlife. 

It is 9 times bigger than the Maasai Mara and is well known for its mane-less lions, big herds of red dust-covered elephants, and cheetah.

Compared to Tsavo West National Park, the topography is flatter and drier. The vegetation is sparse, so wildlife spotting is generally easier than its more dramatic counterpart.

The Yatta Plateau, approximately 290km (180 miles) long, is the world's longest lava flow (also the oldest fossilized lava flow on Earth) and is one of the park's major features.

The park's salvation is the dense vegetation along its permanent and seasonal rivers. The Tsavo, Galana and Athi rivers are a vital part of the Tsavo ecosystem and are great spots to watch wildlife.