BEST TIME TO VISIT TSAVO WEST FOR A SOUTH-EASTERN KENYA SAFARI

We recommend that our guests consider weather patterns when planning their ultimate holiday in Tsavo West National Park. While the equatorial location offers warm temperature year-round, the dry and rainy seasons present elusive differences in wildlife experiences, rooming costs and logistics. Using these guidelines when considering when to visit the park will ensure that you have a gratifying experience that exceeds your personal expectations.

Most of our guests prioritize viewing a diversity of wildlife that is easily located and observed. For this reason, we recommend the long dry season of Tsavo to these visitants. The lack of rainfall from July to October means that few water and food sources are available to the animals. As a result, the many herbivore species move to locations with permanent water, such as rivers and springs.



The moisture in these locations also means that the foragers and grazers have better access to food than they would in drier areas. Because these herbivores are prey animals, predators travel closer to permanent water sources, where they also benefit from the proximity and accessibility to varied prey, and later returning back to their territories, especially the larger cats.

If these conditions appeal to you, we want to advise you that AfricanMecca lodgers share your perspective. As a result, visitor levels are highest during this time of year, especially because the long dry season also coincides with summer vacations in Kenya for American and European families and the Mara wildebeest migration in south-western Kenya. Daytime highs during this period range from 80 F (27 C) to 86 F (30 C) degrees.

Nighttime temperature hangs around 60-64 F (16-18 C) degrees. The short rainy season in November and December brings short late afternoon and evening rains; though, there is more precipitation during this period in comparison to other regions of Kenya, and this is primarily due to the proximity to the Indian Ocean coast.



Wildlife in Tsavo during the rains have more options for food and water, so, to some degree, they may be scattered in the park. The moisture at times evaporates because the park is located in equatorial Kenya, so your safari activities should not be adversely affected if it is only showering rather than an intense downpour.

Visitor levels are lower during this time when compared to the long dry season, with the exception of Christmas and New Year’s, both of which are popular African travel times amongst local Kenyans and also Americans and Europeans from abroad. The short, hot-dry season in January and February is followed by a long rainy season from March to May and parts of June. Rainfall can last for several days but not throughout the day, and this is when the park receives an abundance of moisture.

The landscape springs to life with dense, lush vegetation, and seasonal watering holes are replenished. Wildlife disperses across the park, so you are less likely to see congregated mixed-species groups when paralleled with the drier periods. Roads and trails can be muddy and slippery, so some vantage points in the park may not be as easily accessible during the rainy season.



The long rainy season, though, offers a magical safari experience that connoisseur AfricanMecca guests treasure for a lifetime. Some mammalian species give birth during the long rainy season. The bond between mother and baby is one of the most heart-touching natural events to see during your bush tour in Kenya. Your guide knows how to look out for full-term mothers, so you may witness first-hand the first few moments of a newborn’s life.

Visitor levels are low during this time, with the exception of Easter. Many Tsavo accommodations reduce their room rates (read more on where to stay), although other prices associated with your travel remain constant, such as flights, park transportation, park entry fees, guides and safari activities, to name only some of the costs that do not change with the season.

As a final note for our guests, your birding trip to Tsavo West National Park is greatly enhanced from October to April when migratory species join the resident species. During these months, you not only record local species, but also species that relocate to the park during the European winter months.