Where to stay. Updated November 2026. 5 min read.
Tsavo East and Tsavo West together are roughly the size of Wales, and most of that land is empty of people. The elephants are red from the dust, the lions are famous for the wrong reasons, and the lodges sit by waterholes where the whole park comes to drink at night. It is the safari that fits most easily around a beach week.
The short answer: if you are coming from the coast or the train, stay in Tsavo East around Voi, the closest side to Mombasa. If you want hills, springs and rhinos, stay in Tsavo West. If you want a lodge built for watching elephants at night, look at the private sanctuaries between the two. Choosing between Tsavo and Amboseli? Our comparison guide covers that, and our park guides cover the wildlife; this page is about where to sleep.
The areas
| Area | Character | Picks |
|---|---|---|
| Tsavo East: Voi and Aruba | Open plains, the Galana river, red elephants, closest to Mombasa and the Voi train station | Satao Camp, Ashnil Aruba, Voi Safari Lodge, Manyatta Camp, Sentrim Tsavo East |
| Tsavo East north: Ithumba and the Galana | Remote, with the Sheldrick elephant reintegration unit | Ithumba Hill and Ithumba Camp, Galdessa |
| Tsavo West | Volcanic hills, Mzima Springs, the Shetani lava flow, a rhino sanctuary | Kilaguni Serena, Severin Safari Camp, Finch Hattons, Ngulia Safari Lodge, Voyager Ziwani, Kipalo Hills |
| Taita Hills and LUMO (between the parks) | Private sanctuaries, Salt Lick's stilted rooms | Salt Lick Safari Lodge, Taita Hills Safari Resort, Lions Bluff |
Tsavo East: Voi and Aruba
The southern part of Tsavo East, entered through the Voi gate, is flat, open country along the Galana river, where you see the famous red elephants against the plains. The Madaraka Express stops at Voi, about 5 minutes from the gate, which makes a train-and-safari trip from Nairobi or Mombasa easy. Satao Camp sits on a busy waterhole, Ashnil Aruba sits by the Aruba dam, and Voi Safari Lodge is the classic hilltop lodge looking out over the plains. Manyatta Camp is the value choice.
Tsavo East north: Ithumba and the Galana
The far north of Tsavo East is one of the least visited corners of any Kenyan park. At Ithumba, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust returns orphaned elephants to the wild, and its foster parents can visit and stay at Ithumba Hill or Ithumba Camp. Galdessa, on the Galana river, is booked for exclusive use by families and groups.
Tsavo West
Tsavo West is greener and more dramatic, with volcanic hills, the clear pools of Mzima Springs, where you watch hippos from an underwater hide, the black lava of the Shetani flow and a rhino sanctuary. Kilaguni Serena, opened in 1962 and often called the first lodge built in a Kenyan national park, looks out over a waterhole. Finch Hattons is the top-end tented camp, Severin Safari Camp is a well-run mid-range choice, Voyager Ziwani has a kids' club, and Kipalo Hills is the place for walking.
Taita Hills and LUMO
Between the two parks, the Taita Hills and LUMO sanctuaries are private and community land where elephants move freely. Salt Lick Safari Lodge, with rooms on stilts above a waterhole, is the one people remember. Taita Hills Safari Resort is its sister base, and Lions Bluff is a community-run lodge on a ridge in LUMO.
Lodges and camps by budget
| Lodge or camp | Area | Style | Price band | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manyatta Camp | Tsavo East, Voi side | Tented camp | From about $110 | Value and train travelers |
| Ngulia Safari Lodge | Tsavo West | Lodge | Value to mid-range | A simple base with big views |
| Sentrim Tsavo East | Tsavo East | Tented camp | Mid-range | Coast add-ons |
| Voi Safari Lodge | Tsavo East, near Voi | Classic hilltop lodge | Mid-range | Views and waterhole watching |
| Taita Hills Safari Resort | Taita Hills sanctuary | Lodge | Mid-range | Families and groups |
| Salt Lick Safari Lodge | Taita Hills sanctuary | Rooms on stilts over a waterhole | Mid-range | Night-time elephant viewing |
| Kilaguni Serena | Tsavo West | Classic lodge | Mid-range | History and waterhole views |
| Voyager Ziwani | Tsavo West | Tented camp with kids' club | From about $170 | Families |
| Severin Safari Camp | Tsavo West | Tented camp | From about $210 | Couples, good value |
| Ashnil Aruba | Tsavo East, by the dam | Lodge | From about $280 | First safaris |
| Kipalo Hills | Tsavo West | Small lodge | Upper mid-range | Walking |
| Satao Camp | Tsavo East, on a waterhole | Tented camp | From about $470 | Elephants at the waterhole |
| Ithumba Hill and Ithumba Camp | Tsavo East north | Small camps | From about $580 | Sheldrick foster parents |
| Lions Bluff | LUMO | Community-run lodge | From about $870 | Views and community tourism |
| Finch Hattons | Tsavo West | Luxury tented camp | From about $960 | Honeymoons |
| Galdessa | Tsavo East, Galana river | Exclusive-use camp | Top end | Families and groups who want privacy |
Who should stay where
- Adding a safari to a beach week: Tsavo East around Voi, 2.5 hours from Mombasa, at Ashnil Aruba or Satao Camp
- Train travelers: Tsavo East from Voi station, or Tsavo West from Mtito Andei
- Elephant lovers: Salt Lick for night viewing, or Ithumba if you foster an orphan with the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
- Families: Voyager Ziwani's kids' club, or Taita Hills Safari Resort
The man-eaters, briefly
In 1898, two lions killed railway workers building the bridge over the Tsavo River. Their story became the film The Ghost and the Darkness, and the lions themselves are on display at the Field Museum in Chicago, a good visit before you fly.
Fees and seasons
The Kenya Wildlife Service fee for Tsavo East and West is about $80 per non-resident adult per day and about $40 per child at the time of writing, paid through eCitizen; check the KWS site for current rates. The parks are hot and dry. June to October and January to February are the best months, when animals gather at the water.
Getting there
Tsavo East is about 2.5 hours from Mombasa by road, and Tsavo West about 4 hours from Nairobi. The Madaraka Express train between Nairobi and Mombasa stops at Voi, about 5 minutes from the Tsavo East gate, and at Mtito Andei, for Tsavo West; we meet you at the station.
What we recommend
For a coast add-on, we book two nights in Tsavo East from Mombasa or Diani. For a longer road safari, we cross from Tsavo West to Amboseli, which together give you hills, springs, red elephants and Kilimanjaro. Pay in full or monthly with no deposit.
