Through Savannah, commiphora-acacia bush land, volcanic history, rivers, views to Kilimanjaro and up to the Indian Ocean – this is our  South eastern Kenya Safari and coast tour

Mount Kilimanjaro reaches 5.895 m above sea level and is the tallest free standing mountain in the world. With its two major peaks Kibo and Mawenzi he is over towering Amboseli National Park. Often in the morning and later afternoon the snow cap and the whole dormant volcano is free of clouds. It is an amazing scene when wildlife stands in front of this majestic volcano.

Elephants walk under Umbrella thorn acacias to their feeding places surrounded by whirling dust in the mornings – the sunlight gives it the necessary effect and
Kilimanjaro is the back ground – a picture you will remember! In the evening
they walk back to their sleeping places.

Amboseli is named after the seasonal lake that can cover 160 km² after heavy rain. A few years ago a lake became quite permanent in the center of the park enlarging the swamp by many times. Water flows down through porous lava from Kilimanjaro and heavy rain falls contributed.

This lake is home to many hippos, Lesser and Greater flamingos and many other water birds. A fantastic show to watch since there is constant movement of mammals and birds.

Amboseli is not only famous for the many elephants but it for plain zebra and wildebeest. These two species migrate to and fro Kilimanjaro West. Lions, cheetahs, serval cat, black-backed and golden jackals, spotted hyenas, Maasai giraffes, buffalos, Grant and Thomson Gazelles, reedbucks, Vervet monkeys, Yellow baboons and many more contribute to a high bio diversity.

Dr. Cynthia Moss introduced the large elephant population to the public in her documentary movies and books. The research centre is just beside Ol Tukai Lodge.

The area is fantastic for birding see our birding safaris. 425 species, among them migratory birds are recorded. When it is season white storks flock in large numbers.

Tsavo West & East National Parks are the typical South eastern Kenya parks
Tsavo West and East are divided by the highway and railway from Mombasa to Nairobi and cover together an area of 20.800 km². The rugged arid landscape typifies vast areas of the lower altitudes of Kenya and Somalia. The flat rocky base of this landscape is composed of ancient weathered Precambrian basement rocks: gneiss and schist. 

If you are very lucky during your South eastern Kenya Safari you find African Wild Dogs 

Tsavo West is also marked by a number of recent rocky outcrops and volcanic hills, the youngest being only a few hundred years old, like the Chyulu Hills and Shetani lava flow. Tectonic forces broke the Precambrian basement rocks and lava flew out either building hills or lava flows.

In Tsavo West National Park you will come across black, young lava on your game drives. It is a different scenario to see wildlife standing on these sharp dark rocks.

The most spectacular lava flow in the area is Shetani. The flow is a coalesced tide of tarlike lava that spewed down the Chyulu Hills as they burst out of the plains only 200 years ago. Shetani means ‘devil’ in Swahili and refers to the time when the molten lava erupted from the bowels of the earth and engulfed the area. So terrifying was this event that the people in the area came to believe it to be the devil incarnate with tales still rife of fire, hail of brimstone and evil spirits. The lava flow is also punctuated by a series of caves.

Leviathan is the second largest lava cave in the world with over 13 km in length. A small portion can be visited. 

Mzima Springs surface like an oasis after the water was flowing underground from the Chyulu Hills. Here you can meet hippos and crocodiles and a variety of birds.

Tsavo East National Park is dominated by flat land and precambrian outcrops and small rivers leading to the large river Galana. It is here you see “red” elephants more in the open than in Tsavo West. Running almost the length of the park is a sinuous ridge of lava intrusion – the Yatta Plateau. It consists of Tertiary volcanic rocks that poured out 1.8 to 65 Mio years ago through a narrow fissure all the way from above Nairobi to just beyond Voi.

A further eye-catching feature during inSouth eastern Kenya in the landscape is Mudanda Rock, a massive whale-backed rock, 1.5 km long, which erupts from the plains between Manyani gate and Voi. It is famous for the range of the photo opportunities it offers, being blessed with an exceptional clarity of light, panoramic vistas and plentiful wildlife.

By bathing and spraying red laterite soil on their bodies they got named red elephants. Hirola antelopes are among the most endangered antelopes in the world. They are endemic to Tana River area and South-west Somalia where they are hunted and their habitat is getting destroyed. There are about 100 of them here and we hope you will meet them on a game drive. Also some Grevy zebras are introduced and who knows, you might spot them.

Other wildlife in Tsavo East and West: leopard, lions, cheetahs, Lesser Kudu, Klipspringer, Rock Hyrax, Fringe-eared oryx, Grant gazelles, Maasai giraffes, elephants and others. The area is very good for different species of birds of prey!

Have you heard of the mane less “Man eaters of Tsavo”? up to today we have male lions with no or very small manes.

Watamu to me is one of the sweetest places to be! Not only does it have one of the most interesting beaches – during low tide you can observe different water creature in the water kept by basins in the dead corals. Like mushrooms dead coral rocks reach far above the ocean level – you can walk there during low tide.

Activities – snorkeling, diving, dolphin watch, fishing

Places to visit – Gede Ruins, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Mida Creek, Bio-Ken snake park

South eastern Kenya and coast safari tour will reveal amazing and different landscapes with a large variety of wildlife. We take time to explore and have excellent and surprising wildlife activities.

Best time for our South eastern Kenya Safari is throughout the year. Each season has its own advantages! April might be the month of most rainfall, but due to climate change we can’t predict any longer. July and August might have the lowest temperatures.