Tsavo West Tsavo East and Amboseli Triangle Safari

6 Days / 5 Nights Wildlife Safaris Amboseli National Park Private Safari 5.0 Rating
Tsavo West Tsavo East and Amboseli Triangle Safari

Overview

The Tsavo West, Tsavo East and Amboseli Triangle Safari creates a continuous wildlife journey through the entire southern Kenya ecosystem, connecting three national parks that together form one of the largest contiguous wilderness areas in East Africa. Tsavo West opens the safari with its volcanic scenery, the crystalline Mzima Springs and the rare Ngulia black rhino sanctuary. The Shetani lava flow within the park is one of the most recent lava flows in Kenya and its jagged black surface creates a surreal and otherworldly landscape that contrasts dramatically with the surrounding red soil savanna. Tsavo East, the largest national park in Kenya, delivers the most elemental and untamed safari experience in the country. The vastness of the park, the iconic red dust coated elephant herds and the crocodile filled Galana River give Tsavo East a frontier quality that the more visited southern parks cannot replicate. Mudanda Rock is the focal point of the dry season experience when elephant numbers at the natural water pool below reach into the hundreds. Amboseli completes the triangle with its extraordinary elephant encounters against the snow capped backdrop of Kilimanjaro and its permanent swamp habitats that sustain wildlife through even the driest years. Together these three parks deliver a southern Kenya safari of unmatched geographical variety and consistent wildlife excellence.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1
Nairobi to Tsavo West National Park
Departing Nairobi early morning by road south east along the Mombasa highway the journey to Tsavo West takes approximately four hours. The Chyulu Gate entry to the park passes through the dramatic Chyulu Hills volcanic range before descending onto the red plains of the western Tsavo ecosystem. An afternoon drive explores the Kitani area where lion and leopard are regularly sighted, and the Kamboyo area where family groups of elephant move between the acacia woodland and the Tsavo River corridor.
Road transfer from Nairobi via Mombasa highway, Chyulu Gate entry, Kitani area game drive, Tsavo River elephant circuit, lion and leopard tracking, evening at camp
Lunch and Dinner
Day 2
Full Day Tsavo West with Mzima Springs and Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary
An early morning drive to Mzima Springs captures the dawn light on the crystal pools before day visitors arrive. The underwater viewing chamber at Mzima is best experienced in the morning when hippopotamus are most active in the water and the light penetrates the pool to reveal the full underwater scene. The Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary in the afternoon is accessed with a dedicated park ranger who guides guests on a walking experience within the sanctuary to track the resident black rhinos. The Shetani lava flow is visited as the final stop of the day, a sprawling black landscape of cooled basalt that is estimated to have erupted within the last 500 years.
Mzima Springs underwater hippopotamus viewing, Ngulia black rhino sanctuary walking experience, Shetani lava flow exploration, Roaring Rocks viewpoint, lake Jipe birding optional
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3
Tsavo West to Tsavo East National Park
The transition from Tsavo West to Tsavo East is one of the most dramatic landscape changes in Kenyan safari travel. Crossing the Tsavo River marks the boundary between the two parks and the terrain immediately opens into the vast red dust plains that characterise Tsavo East. The afternoon entry game drive along the Voi River Circuit produces immediate wildlife dividends with large elephant herds, impala, zebra and often lion or cheetah active on the open plains in the late afternoon.
Morning Tsavo West game drive, Tsavo River crossing into Tsavo East, afternoon Voi River Circuit drive, red elephant herds, Aruba Dam crocodile viewing, red plains sunset
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4
Full Day Tsavo East Including Mudanda Rock and Galana River
Mudanda Rock at sunrise is an experience of the highest order in the Kenyan safari calendar, particularly in the dry months when elephant aggregations at the natural pool below the rock can number in the hundreds. The spectacle of hundreds of red dust elephants jostling at the water, with young calves being shepherded by protective matriarchs, is an unforgettable demonstration of the social complexity and sheer scale of the Tsavo elephant population. The afternoon is dedicated to the Galana River where crocodile, hippo, lion and leopard are found in the dense riverside vegetation.
Mudanda Rock sunrise elephant aggregation, Galana River full afternoon drive, crocodile point, hippo pools, lion in riverine forest, leopard tracking, Lugard Falls on the Galana
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5
Tsavo East to Amboseli National Park
Departing Tsavo East through the Tsavo Gate the route west enters the semi arid corridor between Tsavo and Amboseli, passing through community land where Maasai herdsmen bring their cattle alongside wild zebra and giraffe. Arrival at Amboseli in the late afternoon is timed to maximise the famous Kilimanjaro views that are clearest in the late afternoon when the heat haze subsides. The immediate afternoon game drive delivers the first elephant encounters at the swamp margins with the mountain as backdrop.
Tsavo East to Amboseli road transfer, Maasai corridor drive, Amboseli afternoon entry, first Kilimanjaro elephant photography, swamp circuit, hippo pool at Enkiama
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6
Amboseli and Return to Nairobi
Dawn in Amboseli is reserved for the magical hour when the mist clears from the swamp and Kilimanjaro emerges in perfect clarity above the elephants moving through the reeds. After a full morning game drive and a camp breakfast, the road transfer north to Nairobi takes approximately four hours via Namanga with a refreshment stop en route.
Sunrise Kilimanjaro and elephant photography, final Amboseli morning drive, road transfer to Nairobi via Namanga, private airport or hotel transfer
Breakfast

What's Included

Included

  • Return airport transfers in a private safari vehicle
  • All game drives in a customised 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with a pop up roof
  • Full board accommodation throughout (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Professional English speaking Kenya Wildlife Service certified safari guide
  • All national park and conservation area entry fees
  • Bottled mineral water throughout the safari
  • Flight between destinations where indicated in the itinerary
  • Complimentary airport meet and greet service
  • All government taxes and levies

Not Included

  • International flights to and from Nairobi
  • Visa fees (available on arrival for most nationalities at USD 51 per adult)
  • Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
  • Optional hot air balloon safari at the Maasai Mara (USD 480 per adult)
  • Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages beyond water
  • Personal shopping and laundry
  • Tips and gratuities for guides, drivers and lodge staff
  • Any activities not specified in the itinerary
  • Single supplement surcharge where applicable

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