The Tsavo East Gates are the main entry and exit points for visitors to the park. This is also where tourists can pay the park entrance fee, which is done by credit card only as cash is not accepted.
All gates to Tsavo National Park open daily at 6:30 AM and close at 7:00 PM. There is no early check-in or check-out for Tsavo East National Park.
Tsavo East is the largest national park in Kenya. Like its twin, Tsavo West, it is located in southern Kenya along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway (A109).
The park is one of Kenya’s most popular tourist destinations and is often called the “Theater of the Wild” because of the large number of animals.
A unique sight here is the red dust elephants, which like to roll in the soil, splash in the water, and play with each other, especially in the palm-shaded waters of the Galana River.
Tsavo East is home to many attractions, including the Yatta Plateau, the longest lava flow in the world. It has Africa’s “Big Five”: lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos, as well as pythons, crocodiles, giraffes, wildebeests, jackals, and over 500 bird species.
Main Gates of Tsavo East National Park
- Sala Gate – Located in the northeastern part of the park near the Galana River. It has basic facilities like toilets and a restaurant. Accessible via the Tsavo–Malindi road, it is about 1–2 hours’ drive from Malindi.
- Voi Gate – Found in the southern part of the park near the Kenya Wildlife Service Centre. Payments are made by credit card. Accessible by road or air via nearby Ikanga Airport.
- Manyani Gate – Located in the southwestern part of the park. Known for nearby wildlife areas and a cashless payment system. Accessible by road, rail, or air through Ikanga or Manyani airports.
- Buchuma Gate – In the southeastern part of the park, often used by visitors coming from Mombasa.
How to Get There
The park is accessible by road from Nairobi via Mtito Andei Gate (233 km) and from Mombasa via Voi Gate (153 km). From Malindi, you can enter through Sala Gate on the C103 road.
Domestic flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport or Mombasa also land at various airstrips inside and near the park, including Voi, Satao, Aruba, Sala, and Buchuma.
