Tsavo West National Park

Located in South Eastern Kenya and bordering with Tanzania, Tsavo West National Park covers 7065 km2, approximately 30% of the total area of Kenya's National Parks. The North Eastern boundary adjoins Tsavo East National Park, but Tsavo West has a more varied topography and a more diverse array of habitats than its neighbour.

The park contains a diversity of habitats, wildlife and a mountainous scenic landscape. Habitats include open plains, alternating with vast expanses of savannah bush and semi desert scrub, acacia woodlands, isolated hills, belts of riverine vegetation, palm thickets and mountain forest. There are numerous rocky outcrops and ridges, and part of the park towards the Chyulu Hills is of recent volcanic origin, with lava flows and ash cones including the Shetani lava flow. At Mzima Springs, in the North of the park, water that has filtered underground from the Chyulu Hills gushes from below a lava ridge into a series of clear pools where hippo can be seen swimming underwater and crocodiles lie with mouths agape catching the spring water. In the far south western corner on the Tanzania border is Lake Jipe, part of which is in the park. This attractive lake is fed by runoff from Mount Kilimanjaro and the North Pare mountains in Tanzania.