An epic walk through the Tsavo National Park

Revisit the Africa of the explorers! Take an epic walk with our legendary guides in an area strictly off-limits to other visitors. Trek 110 miles of game trails across the wilderness of Tsavo National Park, where two infamous lions halted the British Empire in 1895. In a land where elephants have learned to keep to themselves, your guide’s uncanny ability to read the wind will bring you amazingly close to massive herds. Be mesmerized by these incredible social beings as they wrestle, trumpet, spray water, and carouse along the Galana River.

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Activities

10 days moderate to strenuous hiking

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Walking safari through the remote wilds of Tsavo National Park, Kenya’s largest national park—an MTS exclusive and unlike any other trip you’ve ever been on!
• Hike along two of Africa’s most beautiful rivers and their attendant wildlife (great elephant herds!)
• Optional afternoon game drives maximize wildlife encounters for the greatest experience possible
• Search for the infamous “maneless lions”—the subject of Philip Caputo’s book "Ghosts of Tsavo" and the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness"

Duration: 13 days Start Location: Nairobi End Location: Nairobi

BRIEF Itinerary

• Day 1 : Arrive in Nairobi

  Meet in Nairobi, Kenya, and transfer to Karen, where we will overnight.

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  Day 2 : Tsavo West National Park

  Fly to Tsavo West National Park. Game drive to our camp at Kudu.

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  Day 3 : Begin the trek

  Begin walking across the vast 8,300-square-mile Tsavo wilderness, following game trails along the Tsavo River. Many hippo sightings are possible, as well as plains game such as lesser kudu, gerenuk, and giraffe.

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  Day 4 : Tsavo West

  A 10-mile walk takes us away from the peaks of Ngulia and Kichwa Tembo, as we enter drier country leading to Maji Ya Chumvi. As with every day on our foot safari, wildlife is continually encountered. Impala, Grant’s gazelle, zebra, and giraffe are frequently seen.

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  Day 5 : Tsavo West

  Today the Tsavo River leads us into the area of the famous “Man-eaters of Tsavo.” Our morning walk of about 7 miles takes us to the region where in 1896 two lions ruthlessly (and somehow inspiringly) halted the advance of the British Empire—literally in its tracks. We continue our foot safari in the late afternoon for another 4 miles to Tsavo Bridge.

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  Day 6 : Tsavo East

  Enter the semi-desert country of Tsavo East National Park. Here you'll walk along the wide sandy beaches and palm trees of the Galana River as well as big herds of zebra, hartebeest, impala, and fringe-eared oryx. We hope to come across the infamous Tsavo maneless lions during the safari.

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  Day 7 : Tsavo East

  Our walk today is about 10 miles and takes us to our camp located at the point of the Yatta Plateau. We game drive along the river in the late afternoon.

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  Day 8 : Tsavo East

  Vehicles will meet us at the end of our 12-mile walk and return us to our camp for lunch and a well-earned rest. As is the norm, we’ll game drive along the river late in the day.

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  Days 9 - 11 : Tsavo East

  As our foot safari continues for 10 miles down the Galana River, it is highly likely we’ll be able to make contact with some of the famous and mysterous maneless lions.

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  Day 12 : Watamu/Kenyan coast

  We will drive from our camp at Durusirkale to Koito for the final 11-mile walk to Sala Gate at the eastern edge of the park. After a picnic lunch we board our vehicles and drive for three hours to Hemingways Hotel on the Indian Ocean coast.

• Day 13 : Depart

  Afternoon flight back to Nairobi.  Connect to flights home departing after 9pm.  For those who wish to extend their Kenya adventure, we recommend booking our Lamu Island Extension or extra nights in Watamu at Hemingways Resort, a luxury beach resort on the Kenyan coast.

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  Macushla House

  Karen, Kenya

  This cozy bed and breakfast features open beamed ceilings, natural woodwork, 2 lounges with open log fires, and views over one of the last pockets of indigineous forest. Macushla's special ambience is ideal for those guests who seek an intimate accommodation experience.

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  Hemingways Hotel

  Nairobi, Kenya

  This 74-room resort hotel is a luxury tropical retreat on one of Kenya's finest beaches. Stylishly furnished with stunning views of Watamu Marine Park, and ideally placed for shopping and sightseeing, Hemingways offers an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication, and plenty of recreation.
   

Properties shown are representative of the accommodations we use on this trip, may not be inclusive of all accommodations we use, and are subject to change.

Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted leaders for whom leading trips is a true vocation. Besides showing you wonders you’d never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely without a hitch. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. More than just guides, they positively elevate your experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends. You’ll be in good hands with them every step of the way.

• Julian Wright

  Most recently Julian has been training the British Army when they come to Kenya before deployment; he also has been guiding groups up Mount Kenya for about five years. He was born and grew up in Kenya, and went to secondary school in South Africa where he earned a very prestigious Level One Certification from the Field Guide Association of South Africa. His Swahili is fluent, as he grew up in the Swahili-speaking town of Malindi on the Kenyan coast. Julian is a highly experienced bush guide and mountaineer with a keen understanding of Tsavo National Park in particular. You’ll be in very good hands!

photo credits: ©MTS Photo File