Easter @ Tsavo

Being to Tsavo East many times, this time Kamran and myself decided to explore a part of Tsavo which we have not been before. Tsavo East alone is a huge park which is over 13,700 square kilometers. The Athi river flows through the park and we have never been to the other side of the river. I always wondered what lies on the other side. Well this time we decided to explore! There is (was) only one camp on the other side which is (was) Tsavo Safari Camp. We had to enter the park through the Miteto Andei gate and had to cross the river in a boat to get to the camp!

The camp was one of the oldest in Kenya the most amazing this about the camp was the food. Personally their food was the best I have ever tasted in all the places across Tsavo! The tents were pretty decent and the service was great!

I would say the best part of this trip was the sun downer on the Yatta plateau which is the single largest lawa flow in the world spanding over 290km. The view from the top of the plateau was simply amazing!!

As we headed out on our game drive, it was not the typical game drive which I was used to. Due to the heavy rains the grass was overgrown and we saw very less animals. But no cats, no elephants and pretty much no action.

There was only one road going parallel to the river, that was it! We had a picnic lunch by the side of the river and them went back to the camp the same way we came.

Now this is not the safari I am used to. Across the river, I was used to travel on all the possible roads finding the action. But then I knew what I was getting into. I had read the reviews about the place and was ready for what had experienced. So it was no surprise. Overall the camp itself was amazing.

When I looked back this trip was more a forceful relaxation trip which is actually quite significant when I look back. Its because the camp is no more. Why? You will find out in a moment as you read on.

Next we headed out to Tsavo West where we stayed at another camp in a private sanctuary just outside the park. Personally I didn’t like the place that much and it was too commercialized. You felt you were in a hotel rather than in the wild. But on our way out we went to lake Jippe which boarders with Tanzania.

Now this was an exciting place. We went on a boat ride getting very close to a couple of Hippo pods. And then finally we saw elephants near the lake!

Overall a pretty sub due safari trip. It was like a PG version of a X rated film. But it was a much welcomed trip. It was a welcomed holiday to think about life. The meaning of life. To be close to your creator. To realize as a human how small we are and our lives are a mere drop of water at the end of a leaf…….

On the 24th of April there were severe rains in Kenya and there was a flash flood in the Athi river that Tsavo Safari Camp could not survive and was washed away. Thank God there were no human casualties at the camp.

Pictures were taken from the Friends of Tsavo facebook group post done by the owner of Tsavo Safari camp Ms. Meera Desai.

Come to think about it, it was only a couple of weeks earlier that I visited the camp and the jeep seen above was the same jeep which we went on the safari. I really hope Ms. Meera would build up the camp again since the place has so much rich history.