Kenya is world famous for its wildlife. Never did I expect to fall in love with Tsavo. It was love at first sight. My colleague and friend, Kamran suggested that we visit Tsavo East National Park which is on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, just 100km from Mombasa, roughly a 2 1/2 hour drive. I jumped at the idea since I was board and wanted a change. We left Mombasa in my friends trusty Toyota Prado around 5 am and we were knocking at the Buchuma Gate within just two hours.
Tsavo National Park is one of the biggest parks in Africa. Its so huge that the park is divided as East and West. Tsavo has such rich history and is famous for the man eating lions who terrorized the area in the 1900’s. Coming form a country where the nature parks are full of greenery, Tsavo was the total opposite. Dry to the bone and very few water holes for the animals to quench their thirst. It had not rained properly in over three years and you could feel the need for water every where you look.
Even with adversity, I was captivated with the serene beauty of Tsavo. The peace and quite stillness I experienced was like no other. Tsavo converted me into a believer that first impressions don’t always count. You’ve got to look beyond the cover of the book.
I realized that this trip was not just a holiday. It was a spiritual journey where I was able think quietly and experience the rugger’ed beauty of mother nature. The variety of animals I saw was captivating. I was lucky enough to get a full guided tour from my friend who has visited Tsavo over 30 times and he knew the roads as the back of his hand and all the types of animals in the park.
We encountered Elephants, Zebra, Impala, Grants Gazelle, Water Buck, Jackal, Vultures, Buffalo, Giraffe and the prized sight was the lion. We didn’t see a Cheetah and Leopard this time, but that’s a story for a later date.
We stayed at a lodge called Ashnil Aruba, which in the park and is one of the best places you can crash for the night. The staff were very friendly and the food was excellent. I loved the cottages which were cozy and I had a good sleep after an eventful day.
On our first day we saw all the herbivores and a pride of 4 lions in the evening but they were quite far. On the day which we were set for departure, we went on the early morning gave drive. Not even 15 minutes in, we spotted a male lion sitting by the side of the road looking at a heard of buffalo. What a sight it was!
The lion was not even 50 meters from the vehicle. I had never before seen a lion up close. He was so majestic and I was thrilled to see the lion. We were only vehicle in sight and we were near the lion for nearly 30 minutes. Gazing at the king of the jungle in utter silence was an experience by itself. Tsavo had gained my respect and had captivated my heart and soul.
One thing I realized was that if you are going on a safari you need a proper camera! That was my only regret of the trip. Looking back on my first visit to a park in Kenya, the trip changed my perception towards the world. The world does not belong only to us, humans, even though we act it is so. We are just a drop of water in the mighty ocean of life. I realized we need to protect our environment, specially for the future generations to experience what I had felt and experienced. Not just to see an animal caged up in a zoo, but rather roaming in the wild, in the great plains of Africa…….
Lalindra De Silva 
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