4 Days Tsavo West, Amboseli & Taita Hills/Saltlick

Overview

A 4-day safari visiting Tsavo West, Amboseli, and Taita Hills/Salt Lick from Diani sounds fantastic! This itinerary will give you a well-rounded experience of some of Kenya’s top wildlife areas. Here's a suggested plan:

Day 1: Diani to Tsavo West National Park

Early Departure from Diani:

Depart early (around 6:00 AM) for your drive to Tsavo West National Park, which is about a 3 to 3.5-hour journey.
Enjoy the scenic views along the way and take a short break to stretch.
Arrival & Check-in:

Arrive in Tsavo West, check into your lodge or camp (e.g., Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, Severin Safari Camp, or Ngulia Safari Lodge).
Afternoon Game Drive:

After settling in and lunch, embark on an afternoon game drive. Tsavo West is home to red elephants, lions, buffalo, and other big game.
Visit Mzima Springs, a natural spring that provides water to the local wildlife, where you can also spot hippos and crocodiles.
Overnight Stay:

Stay overnight at your lodge or camp in Tsavo West.
Day 2: Tsavo West to Amboseli National Park
Morning Game Drive:

Start your day with an early morning game drive in Tsavo West to catch the wildlife before the heat sets in.
Afterward, enjoy breakfast at your lodge.
Drive to Amboseli National Park:

Depart for Amboseli National Park, which is about 3.5 to 4 hours from Tsavo West.
Enjoy the scenic drive as you pass through villages and rural landscapes, and stop for a break along the way.
Arrive in Amboseli:

Check into your accommodation. Popular options in Amboseli include Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, Ol Tukai Lodge, or Kibo Safari Camp.
Afternoon Game Drive in Amboseli:

After lunch, head out for a game drive. Amboseli is famous for its stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro and its large elephant herds. It’s a great place to see elephants up close against the backdrop of the mountain.
You may also spot lions, giraffes, zebras, and a variety of bird species.
Overnight Stay in Amboseli:

Enjoy dinner and overnight at your Amboseli lodge.
Day 3: Amboseli to Taita Hills/Salt Lick Wildlife Sanctuary
Morning Game Drive in Amboseli:

Start your day with a morning game drive to witness wildlife in the early morning light, which is often the best time to spot animals.
Depart for Taita Hills/Salt Lick:

After breakfast, drive to Taita Hills/Salt Lick Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s about 3 hours from Amboseli.
Check into Salt Lick Lodge, which offers amazing views and is built on stilts overlooking a waterhole where animals often come to drink.
Afternoon Game Drive:

After lunch, head out on an afternoon game drive in the Taita Hills Sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to elephants, giraffes, zebras, and antelope, and you’ll likely see animals near the waterholes in the late afternoon.
Overnight Stay at Salt Lick Lodge:

Enjoy dinner and spend the night at Salt Lick Lodge, enjoying the wildlife around the lodge.
Day 4: Taita Hills/Salt Lick to Diani
Morning Game Drive:

After breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive in the Taita Hills Sanctuary, which is a great opportunity to spot more wildlife before your return journey.
Drive Back to Diani:

Depart for Diani around late morning/early afternoon (approximately 3 to 3.5 hours drive).
You’ll arrive back in Diani by late afternoon or early evening.
Additional Tips:
Road Conditions: Make sure you’re traveling in a 4x4 safari vehicle for comfort, especially on dirt roads.
Game Drives: All parks have morning and afternoon game drives. Make sure to bring binoculars, a camera, and sunscreen.
What to Pack: Neutral-colored clothing for safaris, a light jacket for early mornings and evenings, a hat, and insect repellent.
Wildlife Viewing: Remember, the best times for wildlife viewing are early mornings and late afternoons.
This itinerary allows you to explore the diverse ecosystems of Tsavo West, Amboseli, and Taita Hills/Salt Lick within a manageable timeframe. You’ll see the elephants of Amboseli, the iconic red elephants of Tsavo, and the unique scenic views of Salt Lick Lodge. It’s a mix of wildlife and breathtaking landscapes!

Itinerary Expand All

Day 1
Mombasa – Tsavo West
Depart Mombasa for Tsavo West through the Mombasa Nairobi Highway. Enter Tsavo West through Tsavo River gate and proceed on to a game viewing along the palm ringed Tsavo River home for hippos and crocodiles. Lunch at Ngulia Safari Lodge. In the afternoon, visit Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary to search the rare black rhino. Dinner and overnight at Kilaguni Serena, Rhino Valley Lodge or similar.
Day 2
Tsavo West – Amboseli
Depart the Lodge after breakfast and proceed to the famous Mzima Springs where some 250 litres of water gush out of the Chyulu Lava flows everyday creating a scenic home to fat pods of hippos and crocodile infested pools. Drive out of Tsavo West on the Shetani lava flows to Amboseli National Park for lunch at Oltukai Lodge/Amboseli Serena Lodge.

Afternoon game drives on this magnificent park on the back drop of Mount Kilimanjaro in search for lions, cheetah, buffalo, rhino and elephant. Plenty of plains game will be seen. Dinner and overnight at Oltukai/Amboseli Serena lodge.
Day 3
Day 3: Amboseli – Taita Hills (Saltlick)
After breakfast make drive en route exiting the park proceeding to Taita Hills for lunch and leisure. Afternoon game drive is made in the Taita Hills (Salt lick) Wildlife Sanctuary famous for its large numbers of the prides of lions. Also to be seen are the elephants, buffaloes, giraffe, impala, baboon, warthog and waterbuck. Dinner and overnight at Sarova Saltlick Safari Lodge.
Day 4
Saltlick – Mombasa
Early breakfast, make the final game drive as you exit the sanctuary before midday to have lunch at Lion Hill Camp/ Voi town. Proceed to Mombasa with afternoon arrival at your coastal hotel.