Tsavo East National Park
Tsavo East National Park is part of the Greater Tsavo National Park that includes Tsavo East and West National Parks and the Chyulu Hills. This park consists mostly of miles and miles of dry flat thorn-bush, semi-arid acacia scrub, and narrow woodland dominated by acacia. Wonderful baobab trees are also a common sight in the park. Tsavo East is located about 200 kilometers southeast of Nairobi on the main Nairobi - Mombasa road.
Tsavo East National Park has a wide diversity of habitats ranging from bushy grasslands, open plains, rocky outcrops, semi-arid acacia scrub, and woodlands. Swampy marshlands occur near the Voi River. This has made it possible to host a wide variety of wildlife. Though big in size, some parts of Tsavo East National Park are not open to tourist over the years but today, restricted access is allowed. The north of Galana River is a true wilderness.
There are over 500 bird species that have been recorded in Tsavo East National Park including the ostrich and migratory birds like kestrels and buzzards. The park is also home to all of the Big Five including large amounts of the red elephants, black rhinoceros, buffaloes, and lions. Plains game include giraffes, antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, waterbucks, etc.
Furthermore, the major attractions in Tsavo East National Park include Yatta Plateau (one the world's largest and longest lava flow that is 300 kilometers long), Lugard's Falls and the Galana River (having an easy access to the rapids with a possibility to spot majestic landscapes along the river), Mudanda Rock (an outcrop rock of 1.6 kilometers long with a large dam at its base in which there is a possibility to walk on the top of the rock, enjoy the cool breeze, and watch wildlife drinking in the dam), and Aruba Dam (a dam built in 1952 across the Voi River in which attracts many bird species and migratory species).
Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 24,000 hectares. Here, the physical attractions include thorny bushes, acacia forests, arid and savannah, swamp, and Taita Hills among others. Animals found here include elephants, lions, cheetah, zebras, giraffes, as well as different types of birds such as ostriches, horny bills, guinea fowls, kingfishers, weaver birds, etc.