Tsavo East 2-Day Safari from Mombasa

Ngutuni Wildlife Sanctuary

Ngutuni is a privately managed sanctuary of around forty square kilometres that shares an open border with Tsavo East National Park near Voi, roughly three hours from Mombasa. Because there is no fence between the two, the sanctuary is part of the same ecosystem: elephant herds, lions, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, impalas, lesser kudus and ostriches wander in and out, and the sanctuary's own waterholes and mineral licks draw them in during the dry months.

The advantage of a private sanctuary is freedom. Game drives here can run later into the evening and start earlier than inside the national park, the tracks are less busy, and the guide can take you close to the action without crowds of vehicles. This Tsavo East two-day safari from Mombasa uses the sanctuary for all three game drives, and the sanctuary fees are included, so there are no separate national park charges to pay at a gate.

The Tsavo ecosystem and its red elephants

Tsavo East was created in 1948 and is the largest national park in Kenya, about 13,700 square kilometres of plains, scrub and seasonal rivers stretching north from the Mombasa highway. The sanctuary sits on its edge, so the views from the vehicle reach across red earth and acacia country to the hazy outline of the Taita Hills and the Sagala range. The elephants here are the same famous red elephants of Tsavo, coloured by dust baths in the iron-rich soil.

Herds pass through the sanctuary daily on their way to and from water, and watching a family of terracotta-coloured elephants file past the vehicle is the image most guests take away. Lions are resident and regularly seen, cheetahs appear on the open plains from time to time and leopards live along the dry riverbeds, though all wildlife is wild and sightings can never be promised. Hundreds of bird species have been recorded in the area.

The waterhole and the lodge evening

The lodge where you stay was built facing a waterhole that is floodlit after dark, and much of the pleasure of this safari happens without moving. From the terrace, the restaurant or your room you watch elephants arrive in the heat of the afternoon, buffalo and zebras come at dusk and, on lucky nights, lions or hyenas appear at the edge of the light. Rooms have mosquito nets, and the full-board meals are served overlooking the bush.

Spending the night is what makes this better than a day safari: you are in the sanctuary for the sunset drive, the sounds of the night and the sunrise drive, when the light is best and the animals most active. Lunch and dinner on day one and breakfast on day two are included; other drinks and snacks are paid locally. The lodge is confirmed at booking and may be substituted by a similar one if full.

Three game drives

The safari is built around three drives. The first begins on arrival in the early afternoon, an introduction to the sanctuary's main tracks, waterholes and the places lions were last seen. The second starts around four in the afternoon and runs until the light fades, the classic time for elephants at water and for predators beginning to stir. The third is at sunrise on day two, after an early breakfast, when the air is cool and tracks in the red dust tell the story of the night.

Each drive lasts about two to three hours in a pop-up-roof vehicle with a multilingual driver-guide who explains behaviour, identifies birds and reads the signs. Between drives there is time to rest, swim if the lodge has a pool, or sit by the waterhole. Many guests ask about the best time to visit Tsavo: the dry seasons from June to October and January to February bring the most animals to water, though the green months are beautiful too.

The journey from the coast

Pickups run from Malindi and Watamu in the north through Kilifi and Mombasa to Diani Beach in the south, so the departure time depends on your hotel; guests furthest away leave earliest. From Mombasa the route follows the Nairobi highway through Mariakani and the dry bush of the Taru desert, with the Taita Hills rising ahead, and reaches Voi in about three hours with a comfort stop on the way.

The drive is part of the safari: this is where you first see baobabs, Maasai and Taita herders, and sometimes elephants crossing near the park boundary. On day two you leave the sanctuary after the morning drive and a late breakfast and are back on the coast in the afternoon, dropped at the same place you were collected. Cruise passengers can be collected at and returned to Kilindini port.