• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Fish Eagle Safaris

Fish Eagle safaris

Contact

Logo
  • About
  • Destinations
  • Blogs
  • Newsletter
  • FAQS
  • Team
  • search
  • Contact
  • About
  • Destinations
  • Blogs
  • FAQS
  • Team
  • Contact
  1. home >>
  2. category>
  3. Area>
  4. Tsavo East>

Tsavo East

Secrets of Tsavo, Kenya

3rd May 2023

Secrets of Tsavo, Kenya

On my last visit to Tsavo, I fell in love with Africa all over again. It was one thing after another, starting and ending of course, with elephants. Elephants at the waterhole just outside Kilaguni Serena Lodge, big tuskers at a water trough just inside the entrance to Tsavo East, a trio of cheeky elephants taking doum palm nuts out of our hands at Galdessa Camp on the Galana River, multiple small herds of elephants – all thirsty and hungry and dusty – around the water holes between Satao and Aruba Lodge. We could see them kicking up Tsavo’s signature red dust as they made their way through the parched landscape, headed for water. Surprisingly, given the extent and duration of the drought, the elephants were still doing well with lots of youngsters around.  

We spent an absorbing couple of hours or so with the orphan elephants at the Sheldrick Voi Unit. Observing their joyful exuberance at feeding time and getting to be up close and personal with them is one of East Africa’s most enriching wildlife experiences. Positioning ourselves in partial shade under a large tree, we waited about 20 minutes or so until the first small group of orphans rushed up to their handlers, who were standing just meters away from us, each one holding a large bottle of elephant formula. 

Drinking with gusto, the young elephants drained the bottles in what felt like barely a couple of minutes, their faces quickly taking on what could only be a look of utter contentment. Most of the young elephants consume two bottles of formula before they amble off to drink some water or dip into a pool, only to cover themselves with the red Tsavo dust immediately afterwards.

Small group after small group, the elephants kept coming, about 30 or so in total. By the time the youngsters had all been fed, a group of about 10 to 12 totally wild elephants had walked up to the water trough specially prepared for the orphans. Clearly used to each other’s presence, the two groups shared the water without any signs of rancor or strife. 

We watched the unfolding scene for a good 30 minutes or so, with various members of our party interacting with some of the orphans. One young female elephant was particularly agreeable and she had her little trunk all over us, literally inhaling our scent and breath. On the way back to our camp at Galdessa we could not stop talking about what an amazing experience this was, and we were already thinking about returning to Ithumba or Galdessa in the future. 

Also in Tsavo – at Ithumba Hill – visitors can expect an even more immersive orphan elephant experience due to the proximity of the stockade (where the young elephants sleep at night) to the safari lodge where the guests reside. It’s barely 10 minutes from one to the other so you can be around the elephants multiple times per day:  when they are being bottle-fed and enjoying a mud bath in the veld, prior to going to sleep after another feeding including some hay and again early in the morning as they wake up to the prospect of another day of being pampered by the Sheldrick crew. 

DRIVING FROM TSAVO WEST TO TSAVO EAST

To experience Tsavo is to experience Africa in a pure, unadulterated setting. Not too many other vehicles or people around, just a few interesting safari camps and lodges, and lots of diversity. This was my second time driving from Kilaguni in Tsavo West all the way to the Galana River in Tsavo East. Just like the first time, it was an absorbing and fascinating journey, marveling at some of the most spectacular scenery of any in Kenya. The game-viewing en route was nothing short of phenomenal with elephants and buffaloes seemingly everywhere, plenty of giraffes and several of the scarce and elusive Lesser Kudu. Other vehicles? Just one in more than three hours.  

Beyond the elephants, the diversity, the scenery and its ‘old Africa’ appeal, Tsavo is where you will come across the spectacular Shetani Lava Flow and cool, beautiful Mzima Springs. We wrote about those two extraordinary places in an earlier blog post about Tsavo. On our most recent trip to Tsavo, we had the opportunity to get a closer look at the Yatta Plateau and the Galana River, two more of Tsavo’s hidden secrets.

THE YATTA PLATEAU AND THE GALANA RIVER

The Yatta Plateau is fascinatingly odd with an uncannily flat top and abrupt ‘end.’ Park yourself a few miles to the south of the plateau and it looks every bit like a lake which seemingly froze in its tracks. Which is of course  exactly what it is. A massive river of igneous rock, the world’s longest lava flow, stretching almost 300 km from its origin near Ol Doinyo Sabuk, northeast of Nairobi.  

At the base of the Yatta plateau runs the Galana River – the second longest river in Kenya after the Tana River. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Galdessa camps are perched on high ground, hidden in a huge grove of doum palms right on the banks of the Galana where it flows through a shallow valley with stands of trees and thick vegetation on both sides. Remarkably – considering that the area was in the throes of a severe, sustained drought at the time of our visit – the Galana was still flowing strongly, its wide expanse of clear, cool water acting as a life-sustaining magnet for a myriad of life forms. For much of its nearly 400 km (250 mile) long course, the Galana flows through a harsh, semi-arid landscape where its water is literally the difference between life and death. At the intriguing Lugard Falls, a few miles down-river from Galdessa, the Galana narrows into a series of rapids, waterfalls and weirdly shaped pools, the result of millions of years of erosion. The jaggedly eroded volcanic rock creates a scene of  stunning natural beauty. It’s tempting to want to clamber around and over the rocks to get the perfect view, but visitors beware:  danger lurks in the form of crocodiles and hippos. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

Destinations
Zambia

10th September 2021

Chindeni and the Bushcamp Company, Zambia

By late July we found ourselves at Chindeni, a small Bushcamp Company property

Read more
Botswana
Destinations
Okavango Delta

3rd October 2022

Camp Okavango, Botswana

Camp Okavango is in the heart of the permanent part of the Delta. In this idyllic setting there are no vehicles, and it is just a short walk

Read more
Area
Destinations
Nyerere National Park
Ruaha
Tanzania

14th October 2023

From My Safari Notebook: Wildlife Photography

Birds in flight and wildlife photographers have an uneasy relationship. Things go wrong as often as they go right. Getting focus-lock on a moving subject

Read more

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

READERS FAVOURITES

Destinations
India

27th May 2023

India

India’s tiger, mammals and birds.

Read more
Botswana
Destinations

4th August 2022

On Safari At Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta

What is the ‘secret sauce’ for an unforgettable few days on safari in Botswana? It starts with the animals, of course. The elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos

Read more
Destinations
Zambia

10th September 2021

Chindeni and the Bushcamp Company, Zambia

By late July we found ourselves at Chindeni, a small Bushcamp Company property

Read more

Exploring Tsavo East & West

15th January 2021

Exploring Tsavo East & West


Image

Exploring Tsavo East & West

The Tsavo region of Kenya is often associated with a dreadful series of events immortalized in a book by John Henry Patterson (The Man-eaters of Tsavo),  about two maneless man-eating lions which terrorized the workers constructing a bridge over the Tsavo river, in the late 1880’s.   The screenplay for a  popular movie from the late 1990’s – The Ghost and the Darkness with Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer – is very loosely based on the same unfortunate chapter in the history of the area.


Image

A modern-day visitor to Tsavo need not be fearful or apprehensive, except maybe about the possibility of being bitten by a tsetse fly.  There are still maneless lions around in Tsavo, but nowadays they are safely observed from safari jeeps.  In the unlikely event that you’d come across one on foot, it is likely to give you a brief glance and then disappear into the bush.


Image

What may surprise and delight you is the biodiversity of Tsavo.  It has amazing geological and scenic beauty and its wildlife is arguably the most varied of any of Kenya’s national parks, as it is located where the northern and southern forms of Kenya’s fauna meet.


Image

The thick bush of Ithumba, the wide open plains around Satao in southern Tsavo East, the dramatic drop-off from the Yatta Plateau to the Galana River.  The beautiful Chyulu Hills, glimpses of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the crystal clear water of Mzima Springs, the atmospheric – even ominous – Shetani Lava Flow.  There was something new and exciting to see and experience every day, sometimes every few hours.  While the game viewing was challenging under the worst possible conditions (we got there literally just days after heavy rainfall), we still saw all of the big mammals usually associated with a safari:  elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras and more.


Image

Taking off from Ithumba after our last morning activity with the orphan elephants, our pilot Peter White set a course to the south, at a cruising altitude of about 5,000 feet above sea level.  Soon enough, the habitat started to change as the bush opened up into more sparsely vegetated terrain, the further south we flew.  Off to our right, we saw the Chyulu Hills slide by slowly, while underneath us was the Yatta Plateau, the world’s longest lava flow, measuring about 290 km (180 miles) and stretching along the western boundary of Tsavo East National Park.


Image

Tsavo National Park consists of mostly semi-arid grasslands and savanna. It is considered one of the world’s biodiversity strongholds, and its popularity is mostly due to its diverse wildlife, notably its healthy elephant population.  Animals found in Tsavo include cheetah, leopard, African painted dogs, antelopes, buffalo, black rhinos, hippos, zebra, hyenas, lesser kudu, klipspringers, gerenuk, mongoose, nocturnal porcupine, fringe-eared Oryx, giraffe, and crocodiles.


Image

Tsavo East National Park is generally flat, with dry plains bisected by the Galana River, running at the base of the Yatta plateau.  Tsavo West National Park is more mountainous and wetter, with a more diverse array of habitats including some swamps and lakes.  There are numerous rocky outcrops and ridges, as well as some recent lava flows emanating from the Chyulu Hills.


Image

SATAO CAMP

Landing near Satao Camp, we almost immediately started to see more wildlife than was the case at Ithumba.  Even before we were on the ground, we saw several adult male elephant bulls as well as breeding herds of elephants from the aircraft and there was a herd of oryx right on the airstrip.  They were clumped together about halfway down the runway but it was not an issue for Peter, who is an accomplished pilot.   He does aerial spraying when he’s not flying people around Kenya, so we landed quite safely and easily, using barely the first third of the strip.


Image

On our drive to Satao Camp for lunch, we observed many more elephants around water holes, wallowing in the mud, as well as kongoni, zebra, and Grant’s Gazelles.  We also notched up several bird species, notably some secretary birds and a small flock of striking vulturine guineafowl at Satao Camp.  On an outing with three scientists from the Tsavo Trust, we tried to locate one of the remaining ‘super tuskers’ known to be present in the area.  While we fell short on that objective, we did see several amazing elephants, two of which were ‘emerging’ super tuskers, each with massive tusks.


Image

Historically, elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 lbs per side were known as “hundred pounders” and were much in demand by hunters and poachers and of course tourists to the area.  Hunting has been banned in Kenya for decades and poaching has been reduced significantly, over the last few years. There are still about 8 of the super tuskers in Tsavo.  The Tsavo Trust, working together with Kenya Wildlife Services, have launched a Big Tusker Project in order to protect these behemoths and about 26 or so emerging bulls that will be the  “hundred pounders” of the future. The greater Tsavo area is home to the last remaining sustainable population of large super tuskers in all of Africa.


Image

Finch Hattons Camp

From Satao, we flew on to Finch Hatton’s Camp in Tsavo West, where we met up with our friend and frequent traveling companion, one of Origins Safaris’ most accomplished guides – Edwin Selempo.  One of East Africa’s top birders, Edwin also has an encyclopedic knowledge of all other aspects of natural history and his keen sense of humor, enthusiasm and strong conservation ethic make him a ‘guide extraordinaire’.


Image

With Edwin alongside to fill in the details, we made the most of our two full days in Tsavo West, enjoying exceptionally good game-viewing which included two different leopards, lions, an abundance of giraffes, zebras, waterbuck, lesser kudu,  klipspringers, eland, gazelles, and some excellent birds.


Image

On a half day drive to Rhino Valley, we observed several zebras rolling in the red Tsavo dust, turning their white stripes into a shade of ochre.  Apparently they do this to get rid of external parasites like ticks and fleas and other biting insects.  Edwin mentioned that this part of the park is home to hundreds of elephants in the dry season.  I was happy to get a nice photo of a Lesser Kudu, an animal which we have only seen a couple of times on all our Africa trips.


Image

Finch Hatton Camp in Tsavo West has everything that even the most demanding health and fitness enthusiast may desire:  a pool, spa, gym, lap pool and yoga deck complete with free yoga instruction.  It has a superb pool deck, well-stocked shop and a couple of inviting bars, both indoor and outdoor.  It’s a luxury camp where we enjoyed several imaginative dishes,  ranging well beyond the scope of run-of-the-mill safari fare, such as Asian flavored stir fry pork, an exceptionally tasty vegetarian Pad Thai, or on another occasion fennel soup, Caprese salad, a perfectly prepared fillet of beef and crepes Suzette.  On the last evening we had an expertly prepared rack of lamb, with a delightful starter consisting of polenta ‘fingers’ with a mildly spicy dipping sauce. 


Image

The main lodge overlooks a large spring-fed water hole with lily pads, hippos, crocodiles, and a profusion of birds including various egrets, weavers and kingfishers.  At night over dinner, a chorus of painted reed frogs clinked  away, providing a romantic natural soundtrack.


Image

The luxury tented suites at Finch Hattons are scattered along a crushed lava rock path which meanders along the edge of the lily-covered pond. Each luxury tented suite is elevated and has unobstructed views of the hippo pools from the outdoor sitting deck.  The spacious tents are exquisitely furnished with a lavish en-suite bathroom, two outdoor showers, complimentary wi-fi, and a mini-bar with home made snacks. On a clear day you can see Mt. Kilimanjaro when leaving your room for breakfast and the morning game drive.


Image

On our last night at Finch Hatton’s, we were treated to a surprise sundowner event, watching the sunset over Mt. Kilimanjaro.  It was fantastic.  After a bit of coaching from a Masai warrior, we tried our hand – with mixed success – at a couple of Masai Olympics events including archery and club throwing.


Image

Shetani Lava Flow

Having first noticed it on our approach into Finch Hatton’s from the air, I was astonished and intrigued to closely observe the Shetani Lava Flow, dating back only 400 years,  an instant in geological time.  The massive amount of crumbled black lava rock visible in the area has an almost visceral impact.  Shetani means ‘devil’ in Swahili and it is easy to see why this relatively recent event would have been regarded with superstition and fear.  At the time it must have been cataclysmic, with thousands of gallons per second of magma erupting from the Chyulu Hills and leaving a  flaming path of destruction and devastation in its way.  Even now, it looks like it might just have happened a few weeks ago, the weirdly shaped pitch black crusty protrusions spread out over the area like freaky waves in a frozen pond.


Image

For something like 30 years, travelers had to be escorted by an armed patrol while passing through the Shetani Lava Flow, as a result of a single attack by Somali bandits decades ago.  Fortunately this requirement is no longer in place, so we could drive to a lookout point one day, enjoying a picnic breakfast while watching a couple of klipspringers clambering on the nearby lava rocks.


Image

Mzima Springs

On our second day in Tsavo West, we ventured out to Mzima Springs.  In this lush, beautiful spot 230,000 liters per minute of sparkling clean water pour out of the lava rocks, having been filtered underground over a distance of nearly 60 km (40 miles), all the way from the Chyulu Hills.  The water spreads out into a large pond full of what appears to be blue fish.  Apparently the fish only look blue due to the reflection of the blue sky in the clean water.  The series of picturesque pools are fringed by an abundance of tropical African palm trees and date palms.


Image

Making our way along the edge of the pool, with an armed guard as escort (in the event of an issue with elephants or buffaloes), we observed a couple of good sized crocodiles, a pod of hippopotamus, and various bird species including egrets, herons, ducks and kingfishers.  

Some 20,000 liters per minute of the water flowing out of the hills is diverted into a pipeline which runs all the way to Mombasa on the Kenya coast, serving as the city’s drinking water.


Image

A note for first time visitors

Tsavo in the rainy season is not Africa for beginners.  That’s when you may be surprised by the abundance of flying insects and emerging termite alates.  The Tsavo we experienced last November was hot and muggy, with surprisingly few mosquitoes but more than enough tsetse flies to make up for that ‘deficiency’.  In defense of the tsetse flies of Tsavo, I can vouch that their bite – while annoying – is far less potent than others I have experienced such as in Zambia and the Congo.  A little bit of an itch and it’s all over…

For all but die-hard Africa aficionados, Tsavo would be a better bet in the dry (cool) season from about June through September or so.  This is also the best time of the year to observe the many elephants in the area, which are drawn to remaining sources of permanent water, in the dry season.


Image

Our blog post next Friday takes a look at a remote area of the Masai Mara, right on the border of Tanzania, the Olderkesi Conservancy, with the focus being on one of the most successful and progressive Kenya safari camps, Cottar’s 1920 Safari Camp.  

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

Botswana
Destinations
Okavango Delta

10th August 2021

Xakanaxa Camp, Botswana

What is there to be said upon one’s return from a trip to Botswana? That it was fun?

Read more
Botswana
Destinations
Okavango Delta

3rd October 2022

Camp Okavango, Botswana

Camp Okavango is in the heart of the permanent part of the Delta. In this idyllic setting there are no vehicles, and it is just a short walk

Read more
Destinations
Zambia

10th September 2021

Chindeni and the Bushcamp Company, Zambia

By late July we found ourselves at Chindeni, a small Bushcamp Company property

Read more

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

READERS FAVOURITES

Botswana
Destinations
Kenya
Serengeti Plains
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zanzibar
Zimbabwe

19th November 2021

Where to go on safari in 2022-23

As the Covid pandemic retreats worldwide, thoughts turn to resuming life the way

Read more
Botswana
Destinations

4th August 2022

On Safari At Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta

What is the ‘secret sauce’ for an unforgettable few days on safari in Botswana? It starts with the animals, of course. The elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos

Read more
Destinations
India

27th May 2023

India

India’s tiger, mammals and birds.

Read more

The orphan elephants of Ithumba, Kenya

30th December 2020

The orphan elephants of Ithumba, Kenya


Image

The orphan elephants of Ithumba, Kenya

At the foot of the Ithumba Hills in the thick green bush of Tsavo East, live 33 of the most fortunate, unfortunate young elephants in Africa. Most fortunate because they are now being cared for like royalty of the animal kingdom, honored guests of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.  Unfortunate because they were once the victims of misfortune, greed and human cruelty, all starting out their young lives as orphans of the elephant world.  They ended up abandoned, alone and in need of rescue as a result of drought, human-wildlife conflict, being trapped in a well, stuck in mud or because of poaching (illegal hunting).


Image

Tsavo East

We started our recent Kenya trip in the rugged landscapes of northern Tsavo East, specifically to interact with the orphan elephants at Ithumba.  I had always wondered what happened to the baby orphan elephants when they ‘graduate’ out of the Sheldrick nursery in Nairobi, and are sent to Ithumba.  We were soon to find out.  At the time of our visit in late November 2020, there were 33 young elephants at Ithumba, being readied for release back into the wild.  To say that it was a moving experience to get a glimpse into the life of the happy inhabitants of Ithumba, is a huge understatement.


Image

Flying from Wilson Airport in Nairobi on a Cessna 206, it took us just about an hour to make our way to Tsavo East, enjoying distant views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Chyulu Hills, en route.  After being met by Steve and Richard Turner of Origins Safaris who were already on the ground in Tsavo, we took a short drive to Ithumba Hill camp, where we would spend the night.  Ithumba Hill is a beautifully located tented camp with fantastic views over the reserve.  The surrounding bush was thick, dense and green after significant recent rainfall.  


Image

Tsavo East in the rainy season is not without its challenges and just maybe, not the ideal place for first time visitors to Africa.  At least not at that time of the year; the dry season is fine.  In summer, after the rains, the tsetse flies can be pesky.  It can be hot and muggy.  The rest of the world may be experiencing a significant decrease in flying insects, but that is not the case in Tsavo East.  There were more than enough insects, particularly at night, attracted to any source of light.  On the night we were there we experienced an irruption of flying termite alates which might startle someone used to life in a bug-free environment.


Image

Getting up close with the orphan elephants

Once we had our first introduction to the elephants, all thoughts of flying termites and the temporary discomfort of a tsetse fly bite quickly faded.  This is what we came for.  Having been driven out to a small dam (filled to the brim with water after recent rain), we stood in the shade of a small tree, in an open area right in the bush, not quite sure what to expect.  And then it started.  One after the other, sometimes two or three together, and group by small group, the young elephants emerged from the bush, briskly bearing down on their handlers who were standing ready with their big plastic bottles of milk formula.


Image

There we were, just the two of us and Richard, enjoying this amazing spectacle as the elephants downed the formula with gusto, some of them holding up the bottles by themselves, wrapping their trunks around it.  Once they had drained it to the last drop, they stepped away and started to huddle together, waiting for the other small groups to finish up their feeding.


Image

When they were all done, the elephants waded into a dam and in typical young elephant fashion, played and splashed with abandon, slowly making their way from one part of the dam to another where they enjoyed a mud bath of sorts, rolling around on the edge of the dam, as happy as larks.  When they finally started to emerge from the water, a few of them playfully pushed one another around, before they almost reluctantly started to head back out into the bush.


Image

Later that afternoon we were in position at the elephants’ comfortable stockade – where they sleep at night in separate enclosures as peer groups –  waiting for them to return from a day of being out, browsing the vegetation in the wilderness.  Together with their bunkmates, they were ready for another bottle feeding.  Seeing them anticipate it and accelerate up to the feeding station was so much fun to observe.  We felt fortunate and happy to be part of the proceedings, just about brushing up to the youngsters, several of whom reached out a trunk to touch us, clearly curious about our presence.


Image

At 5 am the next morning we were up on a cloudy, steamy day.  A quick cup of coffee or tea later, we drove back out to the stockade, this time to be with the elephants as they woke up.  Once more, we observed the different dormitory groups being fed, leaving  the stockade and then enjoying some bales of hay.  Once they all had enough to eat and drink from a nearby water point, they started to disperse into the bush for more browsing.  By this stage, our third interaction with the elephants, we were starting to notice their individuality and seeing which ones interacted more with each other.


Image

One little elephant – Ambo – stood out as he seemed to be the most subdued one, walking around with his big little elephant ears tightly clamped to his body, as if he didn’t really want to stick out too much.  We were told that he was being given some special treatment (more time to eat and pellets for extra nutrition) due to having been bullied by some of the other orphans.  We immediately developed a soft spot for Ambo and we were happy to see him later on being comforted by a couple of the older elephants.   I subsequently learned that Ambo was brought to Ithumba from Sheldrick Nairobi in June 2019, together with Jotto.   Three of their Nairobi nursery bunkmates had arrived in Ithumba just ten days earlier, so they quickly re-united and Ambo and Jotto adjusted to their new surroundings seamlessly.


Image

I asked Emanuel, the head keeper, about releasing the young elephants back into the wild.  Is there a schedule or time-table?  How do they know when the elephants are ready for the next step?   Mostly, he said, the elephants will demonstrate themselves, when they are ready.  Once they reach that point, they show a reluctance to go back into the stockade at night, they stop taking their milk, and they become more headstrong.  If there are one or two in a group that are ready to be released, they have to wait a while until their peer group members are ready, and they are then released together, as a small herd.


Image

Wild elephant presence at Ithumba

One experience that we missed which apparently is the best of all, is being at Ithumba in the dry season.  During the dry season when the natural water pans have dried out,  the stockade water trough is a magnet, and seldom without big wild bulls as well as breeding herds who venture in with their babies. The wild elephants interact and mingle with previously released and now wild orphans and their babies, as well as the current orphans themselves.  They are tolerant of and at ease with the keepers and foster parents visiting the unit.    It is not uncommon to find as many as thirty wild elephants intermingling with the  orphans at the stockade water.   A good reason to return to Ithumba at another time!


Image

‘Sole use’ accommodation facilities in Tsavo

At Ithumba, and elsewhere in Tsavo, there are several mid range, sole use facilities which are ideal for families or other small groups of travelers.  It can be an expensive undertaking for just one or two persons, but very affordable for a family of 4-6 or more.  The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operates several sole use properties in Tsavo.  There are three camps in Ithumba:  Ithumba Camp, Ithumba Hill and Ithumba Private.  Then there is Umani Springs in the Chyulu Hills, nestled in Kibwezi Forest, the most luxurious homestay of them all, as well as Galdessa, on the Galana River, overlooking the Yatta plateau.  Galdessa is similar to Ithumba Hill Lodge in terms of level of luxury, but it is larger with 10 tents, and it is likely the best choice for visitors who are keen to experience good game-viewing.


Image

From Galdessa visitors only see the orphans twice daily, not three times.  Due to the distance to be covered, the “morning wake up” is not possible at Galdessa. However from Galdessa it is only about an hour’s drive to Satao Camp, where visitors can spend time with one or two of the big ‘super tuskers’ of Tsavo, on an outing with the Tsavo Trust.


Image

Notes about Ithumba Hill camp

Ithumba has three camps:  Ithumba Camp (a more rustic option), Ithumba Private and Ithumba Hill, the ‘luxury’ option.  It has only four chalets on a boardwalk,  a pool and lounge area, and pretty much from anywhere in camp there are fantastic views over the surrounding bush.  Our tent had 2 ¾ size beds, a wrap-around patio, 2 lounge chairs, and outdoor sink, toilet and shower.  Once inside the tent there were no worries about pesky bugs…


Image

Ithumba Hill has an attractive pool with equally good views.  On the day we were there, the nice cool water was the perfect antidote for the heat and the tsetse fly bites.  If we’d had more time, we definitely would have spent some of it relaxing on the deck chairs and perhaps enjoying an al fresco meal at one of the picnic tables.  The main lounge at Ithumba Hill is like a comfortable living room,  with a lower deck – with a table and 6 chairs – serving as the venue for dinner.


Image

From there we could see a male hornbill fly back and forth to its nest in a nearby baobab, where the female and babies were temporarily holed up.  Meals at Ithumba Hill were splendid; Kathy and I both enjoyed the mixed salads and a superb chicken curry for dinner.  The camps are self-catering so visitors bring their own food which is prepared by a resident chef.  Our clients contemplating a visit to Ithumba wouldn’t have to worry about anything though; our Kenya partners Origins Safaris take care of all of this.  The only prerequisite for a visit to Ithumba is to adopt one or more of the orphan elephants, easily done online at the Sheldrick website.  


Image

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and its counterparts elsewhere in Kenya – such as the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in northern Kenya – have a well-functioning organization and procedures in place to rescue orphaned elephants and other big mammals, all over Kenya.  At the heart of their conservation activities is the Orphans’ Project, which has achieved world-wide acclaim through its hugely successful elephant and rhino rescue and rehabilitation program.  To date, more than 260 orphan elephants have been raised; 17 rhinos have been successfully hand-reared and there have been 38 babies born to wild living orphan elephants.

The Trust is involved with many other projects, including the operation of several mobile veterinary units and a rapid response sky vet team.  It funds and operates several de-snaring teams with the Kenya Wildlife Services, provides water in drought-prone areas by drilling wells, erects fences where necessary and conducts aerial surveillance.  Sheldrick Wildlife Trust also deploys a canine unit as well as anti-poaching teams to protect elephants, rhinos and other wild species.  Focusing mostly on the youth of Kenya, the Trust works to change attitudes towards wildlife through their Community Outreach Programs, the objective being to improve livelihoods and engage communities living alongside wildlife.  


Image

In our blog post next Friday, we will take a virtual trip up to the summit – the flat part – of Table Mountain.  Not the easy way by cable car though:  on foot, along one of the ravines which hikers use to climb the 1,000 feet or so from around the base of the cable car operation, to the top.  We’ll also discuss some other hiking options on Table Mountain and elsewhere in the Cape Peninsula, specifically for families and persons who may not be up to the rigors of a strenuous ascent.

More Info

Email bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

Email jason@fisheaglesafaris.com

@fisheaglesafarishouston

#FishEagleSafaris

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

Destinations
Kenya
Lower Zambezi
Zambia
Zimbabwe

30th April 2020

“Only in Africa”: How to improve your chances to summit Kilimanjaro

Having successfully reached the summit of Kilimanjaro twice in three years, most recently

Read more
Destinations
Kenya
Lower Zambezi
Zambia
Zimbabwe

30th April 2020

“Only in Africa”: How to improve your chances to summit Kilimanjaro

Having successfully reached the summit of Kilimanjaro twice in three years, most recently

Read more
Botswana
Destinations

14th April 2020

Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Then & Now

My first trip to the Okavango Delta – like all the subsequent ones – was quite unforgettable. 

Read more

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

READERS FAVOURITES

Botswana
Destinations

4th August 2022

On Safari At Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta

What is the ‘secret sauce’ for an unforgettable few days on safari in Botswana? It starts with the animals, of course. The elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos

Read more
Destinations
Zambia

20th April 2020

“Only in Africa”: Tiger Fishing

I believe the core activity on any great safari is the game drive.  The animals are, of course, the main attraction and there is no better

Read more
Destinations
India

27th May 2023

India

India’s tiger, mammals and birds.

Read more

Footer

Design

  • About
  • Destinations
  • Blogs
  • FAQS
  • Team
  • Contact
All Rights Reserved ©Fish Eagle Safaris 2022 | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
Designed & Developed by B Online

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

SIGN-UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Form

Footer Widget Header

Related Blogs