Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya at 11,747 square kilometres. Opened in April 1948, it is located near the village of Voi in the Taita-Taveta District of Coast Province. The park is divided into east and west sections by the A109 road and a railway. Named for the Tsavo River, which flows west to east through the national park, it borders the Chyulu Hills National Park, and the Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania.
The park can be accessed by three main gates, from Voi through the Manyani gate, from Mombasa through the Bachuma gate or from Malindi through the Sala gate. There are also several airstrips in the park that allow chartered light planes. Inside the park, the Athi and Tsavo rivers converge to form the Galana River. Most of the park consists of semi-arid grasslands and savanna. It is considered one of the world's biodiversity strongholds, and its popularity is mostly due to the vast amounts of diverse wildlife that can be seen, including the famous 'big five' consisting of masai lion, black rhino, cape buffalo, elephant and leopard. The park also is also home to a great variety of bird life such as the black kite, crowned crane, lovebird and the sacred ibis.
The slightly larger Tsavo East is generally flat, with dry plains across which the Galana River flows. Other features include the Yatta Plateau and Lugard Falls.
Tsavo West National Park is more mountainous and wetter than its counterpart, with swamps, Lake Jipe and the Mzima Springs. It is known for birdlife and for its large mammals. It is also home to a black rhino sanctuary.
Monday, 22 August 2011
welcome to mombasa
Mombasa is the second largest town in Kenya and is located off the coast of Kenya. It is connected via a ferry to the south side of Mombasa called Likoni, and a causeway to the north called Makupa. The culture and history of the people and town is remarkable. Mombasa is the most diverse town in all of Kenya; Kenyan's of all ethnic backgrounds and religions can be found: native Blacks, Asians, and Arabs who are Muslims, Christians, Hindu and Buddhists. Most of the time visitors to Mombasa have a difficult time grasping the fact that Asians and Arabs, who are all Africans, but not black, have been living on the East African coast for over 500 years. The history and organization on the tour helps put into perspective how all this came about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)