Nairobi -> Tsavo -> Malawi -> South Luangwa: any help appreciated

[Oldseen]

Hello everyone, hope you are well. I am reaching out for some help / suggestions.


I have been a very keen follower of this incredible community without posting before, and it has helped incredibly with the planning and sorting out for my trip - my wife and I are doing a 90-day road trip from Cape Town to Nairobi and back. We have started a blog for anyone that is interested


We are currently on Day 50 in Nairobi having gone through SA, Namibia, Botswana, Vic Falls, Zambia, and Tanzania. We will be departing Nairobi on Sunday, heading back south. We have 11 nights to drive from Nairobi to South Luangwa. The intention is to go through Tanzania as quickly as possible (having already spent time in the country) and stay 4 nights in Malawi through to Chipata. That leaves 4 nights in Kenya. Our intention is to drive from Nairobi to Tsavo and then enter Tanzania at Taveta/Holili border.


The help I would love from this incredible community:
- ⁠Where would you recommend we stay a night between Nairobi and Tsavo? We can only leave Nairobi in the afternoon so don’t think we will get to the park / can justify the park fees for a few hours.
- ⁠I’m thinking 2 nights at Ndololo Public campsite and 1 night at a campsite in Tsavo West (any suggestions)? Would this be your ideal situation based on the available time and route we want to take?
- ⁠Do you need to book the public campsites in advance or do you do it at the gate (like in TZ)?
- ⁠Unfortunately at the costs of the parks, my wife is Australian so about US$100 per day, we cannot spend more than 3 days in Tsavo East and West parks.
- ⁠What route would you suggest from Taveta/Holili border to Iringa? We came up on the A104 via Dodoma and the road is nice and easy but is it the best? B1 might be faster but don’t want to fight with the trucks.


Really appreciate any and all help we can get.


Thanks,
Nic

[Wazungu Wawili]

Nic

Thank you for your private message. I will post here my thoughts/advice. I hope you are having a wonderful time in Kenya.

1. What time in the afternoon can you leave Nairobi? And are you planning on driving the main Nairobi-Mombasa road? If you have adequate time (5-6 hours) my advice is to take the route I recommended in a previous thread and also in my report https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...-the-Big-North from post #11. That is Karen-Ngong-Kiserian-Isinya, then just north of Kajiado town turn left on to the road marked Imaroro which connects to the C102 Emali to Oloitokitok road through Imaroro and Selengei. I would then camp or stay near Kimana village near to Amboseli NP. However, a recent thread on this forum by a Czech first-time visitor to Kenya questioned my advice and he said part of the road had deteriorated after Selengei. I stand by my advice. The main point to take is that you absolutely don’t want to be driving on the main Nairobi-Mombasa road at dusk or, heaven forbid, in the dark. There are some African hotels in Emali, Kibwezi and Mtito Andei if you decide on braving the main road and all the trucks. Or you could stay at the Sikh Temple at Makindu? Have a look on the ioverlander app for hotels/lodging.

2. I prefer Tsavo West to Tsavo East although both are great. Tsavo West is more scenic with mountains, lava flows and Mzima Springs although game spotting can be more difficult with the thick bush. In Tsavo West, you want to camp at the public campsite called Chyulu. The only other public campsite in Tsavo West is near the HQ and pretty dismal/run down. There are special campsites in Tsavo West and Tsavo East, but it won’t be worth your while for only one or two nights and booking incurs an additional fee. Ndololo public campsite in Tsavo East is absolutely fine and we have camped there a number of times. Tsavo East is lower in altitude than Tsavo West and therefore hotter. I will stick my neck out and say this is what I would do: Nairobi to a hotel lodge near Kimana village and Amboseli NP > Chyulu public campsite in Tsavo West > exit Tsavo West at Tsavo Gate and enter Tsavo East at Manyani gate > Ndololo public campsite > Voi > Taveta. That is if you want to do both Tsavos. However, another way to skin this cat is: tough it out on the main Nairobi-Mombasa road > a hotel near Emali or Tsavo Inn at Mtito Andei (that is if you leave Nairobi in good time) > Tsavo East Ndololo campsite > Tsavo West Chyulu public campsite > C103 which links Tsavo West to Amboseli (camp or stay near Kimana village) > exit Kenya at Oloitokitok into Tanzania.

3. No you don’t need to book public campsites.

4. Entering TZ at Taveta or Oloitokitok, I would advise repeating your steps and take the road through Dodoma to Iringa. See my trip report here from post #13. https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...-Garden-of-God

Safari njema! And do let us know how you get on.

[Oldseen]

Nic

Thank you for your private message. I will post here my thoughts/advice. I hope you are having a wonderful time in Kenya.

1. What time in the afternoon can you leave Nairobi? And are you planning on driving the main Nairobi-Mombasa road? If you have adequate time (5-6 hours) my advice is to take the route I recommended in a previous thread and also in my report https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...-the-Big-North from post #11. That is Karen-Ngong-Kiserian-Isinya, then just north of Kajiado town turn left on to the road marked Imaroro which connects to the C102 Emali to Oloitokitok road through Imaroro and Selengei. I would then camp or stay near Kimana village near to Amboseli NP. However, a recent thread on this forum by a Czech first-time visitor to Kenya questioned my advice and he said part of the road had deteriorated after Selengei. I stand by my advice. The main point to take is that you absolutely don’t want to be driving on the main Nairobi-Mombasa road at dusk or, heaven forbid, in the dark. There are some African hotels in Emali, Kibwezi and Mtito Andei if you decide on braving the main road and all the trucks. Or you could stay at the Sikh Temple at Makindu? Have a look on the ioverlander app for hotels/lodging. We are are only able to leave around 2pm at the earliest, and still have to go to the shops to stock up, so we are now thinking of just staying in Nairobi on Sunday night and heading out of the city early on Monday morning. We will be avoiding the Mombasa road at all costs (having driven on the Great North Road in Zambia and wanting to avoid all the trucks )

2. I prefer Tsavo West to Tsavo East although both are great. Tsavo West is more scenic with mountains, lava flows and Mzima Springs although game spotting can be more difficult with the thick bush. In Tsavo West, you want to camp at the public campsite called Chyulu. The only other public campsite in Tsavo West is near the HQ and pretty dismal/run down. There are special campsites in Tsavo West and Tsavo East, but it won’t be worth your while for only one or two nights and booking incurs an additional fee. Ndololo public campsite in Tsavo East is absolutely fine and we have camped there a number of times. Tsavo East is lower in altitude than Tsavo West and therefore hotter. I will stick my neck out and say this is what I would do: Nairobi to a hotel lodge near Kimana village and Amboseli NP > Chyulu public campsite in Tsavo West > exit Tsavo West at Tsavo Gate and enter Tsavo East at Manyani gate > Ndololo public campsite > Voi > Taveta. That is if you want to do both Tsavos. However, another way to skin this cat is: tough it out on the main Nairobi-Mombasa road > a hotel near Emali or Tsavo Inn at Mtito Andei (that is if you leave Nairobi in good time) > Tsavo East Ndololo campsite > Tsavo West Chyulu public campsite > C103 which links Tsavo West to Amboseli (camp or stay near Kimana village) > exit Kenya at Oloitokitok into Tanzania.This is incredible insights. Thank you! Will follow your suggestion: Nairobi to a hotel lodge near Kimana village and Amboseli NP > Chyulu public campsite in Tsavo West > exit Tsavo West at Tsavo Gate and enter Tsavo East at Manyani gate > Ndololo public campsite > Voi > Taveta.

3. No you don’t need to book public campsites. Thanks

4. Entering TZ at Taveta or Oloitokitok, I would advise repeating your steps and take the road through Dodoma to Iringa. See my trip report here from post #13. https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...-Garden-of-God Great - thank you. We followed a similar route up and will follow the same down

Safari njema! And do let us know how you get on.

Hi Wazungu Wawili,


Thank you so much - Asante Sana!!


I really appreciate all your incredible insights, I have been trawling all of your advice on Kenya and Tanzania. And your response to me is just as amazing.


I have responded in the quote with my comments in full. But in short:

• we definitely will take the inside route down (we do not want to drive on the Mombasa road),
• we are probably only going to pay for 2x24 hour entries into the park (so 1 day in West and 1 day in East). The cost of fixing the car at Toyota in Nairobi cost considerably more than we expected.
  
  • so due to this, and taking into consideration your suggestions, this means: one night outside the park on Monday night (at Kimana Village), Chyulu public campsite in Tsavo West on Tuesday night, Ndololo campsite in Tsavo East on Wednesday night, and somewhere hopefully south of Arusha on Thursday night.

A few follow-up questions:
1. Is there a gate to enter Tsavo West from Kimana? I had a look at the KWS website and most gates seem to be on the Mombasa road.
2. With eKWS, the prices dont seem to be updated for the new Africa vs. Rest of World prices, is this new?

Again, thank you for your help and suggestions.

Thanks,
Nic

[Fred56]

Here do we find your blog?
Safe travels

[Wazungu Wawili]

Hi Wazungu Wawili,


Thank you so much - Asante Sana!!


I really appreciate all your incredible insights, I have been trawling all of your advice on Kenya and Tanzania. And your response to me is just as amazing.


I have responded in the quote with my comments in full. But in short:

• we definitely will take the inside route down (we do not want to drive on the Mombasa road),
• we are probably only going to pay for 2x24 hour entries into the park (so 1 day in West and 1 day in East). The cost of fixing the car at Toyota in Nairobi cost considerably more than we expected.
  
  • so due to this, and taking into consideration your suggestions, this means: one night outside the park on Monday night (at Kimana Village), Chyulu public campsite in Tsavo West on Tuesday night, Ndololo campsite in Tsavo East on Wednesday night, and somewhere hopefully south of Arusha on Thursday night.

A few follow-up questions:
1. Is there a gate to enter Tsavo West from Kimana? I had a look at the KWS website and most gates seem to be on the Mombasa road.
2. With eKWS, the prices dont seem to be updated for the new Africa vs. Rest of World prices, is this new?

Again, thank you for your help and suggestions.

Thanks,
Nic

It sounds an excellent idea to leave Nairobi early on Monday morning. You will then be able to get to Chyulu public campsite in Tsavo West that day. If you look at (even!) Google maps you will see the C103 from near Kimana village to the Chyulu gate into Tsavo West NP. This is a dirt road and can be corrugated, but just go with the flow. Otherwise, you could camp outside Amboseli NP at the community camp and go the next day to Chyulu public campsite in Tsavo West NP. I haven’t been to that community camp near Kimana for a while and there is some doubt as to whether it really is a community camp, but recent reports say that it functioning well.

I haven’t heard of “rest of Africa” KWS park fees, but I’m not up to date on that as I am a British citizen (although born and bred in Kenya). Remember to pre-pay your NP fees through the government’s ecitizen.

South of Arusha, you could go and camp at the eccentric Maserani Snake Park. This is a well-known place for overlanders (and overland trucks…).

Safari njema!

[Wazungu Wawili]

Found this KWS tariff sheet for 2024. Yes, there is a “rest of Africa” rate.

https://www.kws.go.ke/file/4109/download?token=b0XS3rai

[Wazungu Wawili]

PS: the Great North Road in Zambia is a haven of peace compared to the Mombasa-Nairobi road!

Mombasa port services a vast swathe of east and central Africa. Plus all the hills and the rise in altitude from sea level at Mombasa to 5,500 ft in Nairobi - not to mention the climb up and down into the Rift Valley when they head further west to Uganda from Nairobi. I have been driving those roads since I was 17 and I now avoid the main roads as best I can. The trucks grind very slowly and they do have to overtake slower trucks on a single lane road. However, it is often the smaller cars and matatus, who don’t have the power to overtake, which are the real menace and danger. It’s not fun meeting a huge truck head-on at a blind summit…

[Wazungu Wawili]

Oldseen.

Although I recommended the route from Arusha to Iringa via Dodoma (which you drove on your way north) this is an alternative - if you have time. See this trip report from post #3. https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...-Garden-of-God

However, from Segera the route takes you to Chalinze where one would turn west towards Morogoro. That is a long drive from Moshi to Morogoro with little or nowhere to overnight except in Morogoro. It is, however, a beautiful route from Arusha/Moshi to Segera past those beautiful Eastern Arc mountains and, of course, the mighty Kilimanjaro.

[Oldseen]

Hi all

Thought I’d give a quick recap on the routes / campsites etc we took. Apologies for the delay, bush wifi is notoriously bad

Asante Sana again to WW for the incredible suggestions and help!

Sunday:
We got the car again, and after refuelling with diesel and food, we met an old friend for coffee who lives in Athi River. Her partner mentioned that the route we were going to take would take about 5 hours and as it was already 3pm, and it was a Sunday (so there would be less trucks) we should take the Mombasa road and cut down at the C102. Reluctantly, due to the time frames, we agreed, and then decided we would try and stay the night at Oloosikitok Hill View Lodge. We got really lucky and didn’t have too many trucks on the road, so the 80 kms from Athi River to C102 was actually pleasant.

The road up to Oloosikitok Hill View Lodge was rather hectic, felt like 45 degrees at one point, but when we got there the views were lovely. And John, the owner, and the other workers were incredible. So welcoming and friendly. They opened a cottage for us to use the toilet and shower. And then offered us to stay in the room, complimentary, but we were happy in our tent.

Monday:
We had a relaxing morning and then drove down towards Kilimanjaro on the C102 before turning off for Tsavo West National Park on the C103. The C103 was an okay road, badly corrugated at times, but we made it to the gate in one piece. When even managed to spot two gerenuks just outside the gate (and they weren’t too skittish).

The KWS guide at the Chyulu gate was the friendliest and most helpful Park guard I have ever encountered - he was amazing in helping us fill in the application form on line.

As an FYI, the fees you found
and posted (I had also found online), aren’t actually reflected in the system. So park fees for non-citizens were US$52, for both Tsavo’s, irrelevant of what international country you are from. Which was nice for us!

We then entered the park, and headed towards Chyulu Public campsite. The road from the gate to the campsite might be up there with one of the worst roads we have driven on. It was corrugated like no other road, forcing us to average less than 15kms an hour. We arrived at the Chyulu public campsite to find it deserted. You can see it was once a lovely campsite but it’s not been maintained, and you can understand why… as when the guard came to see we had a permit, he mentioned we were the first campers in 6 days. The ablutions were average at best, but it had running water so all good.

We were aware that there wouldn’t be many animals, but we sillily and naively probably expected to see ‘nothing’ animals like impala and Grants gazelle etc. but animals were very scarce. Not an issue thought as ghe views and scenery were incredible.

Tuesday:
We drove through the park and exited at Tsavo gate, before entering into Tsavo East National Park using the Manyani Gate. Mudanda Rock viewpoint was a highlight on the way down. We saw waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, gerenuk, elephants, East Africa gemsbok (oryx), all from the viewpoint.

The campsite when we got to Ndololo was lovely when we got there, albeit monkeys and baboons scattered everywhere. It was all good and they didn’t really bother us too much. So all good. We did have elephants, giraffe and impala all walking past us, just outside the camp, which was special.

Tsavo East was an amazing animal spotting park, every few minutes we found something else. The famous red elephants were beautiful.

Wednesday:
Left Tsavo East out the Voi gate, and then headed on the A23 through the Tsavo West wildlife corridor. It was a scenic drive. We then had a 3-hour border crossing at Holili- our longest border crossing of the trip.

All in all, a wonderful few days and thanks to all for the help!

Asante sana!!