A rare antelope, in red-dust country.
The Hirola, also known as Hunter’s hartebeest, is one of the rarest antelopes in the world. With a wild population estimated in the hundreds and found almost exclusively in a narrow corridor of southeastern Kenya, it is the kind of animal that most safari-goers never see. This itinerary is designed around the landscape where the Hirola survives, Tsavo East, one of Kenya’s oldest and largest national parks.
Tsavo East is a place with a character all its own. Red-dust plains, the Galana River cutting through arid terrain, the maneless lions that have been studied here for decades, and the red elephants, their coats stained by the iron-rich soil. The Hirola Safari is a wildlife conservation journey through a park that rewards those who go looking beyond the obvious.
The itinerary.
Mombasa to Tsavo East National Park
Pick-up from South Coast hotels at 05:30, North Coast hotels at 06:00.
Enter Tsavo East via Bachuma Gate with a game drive en route to the lodge for lunch. The afternoon game drive covers the plains around Aruba Dam, one of the park’s most reliable game-viewing areas, where elephant, buffalo, zebra, and predators congregate around the water.
Tsavo East, Full Day
Collect picnic lunch boxes and depart on a full-day game drive. The route heads deeper into the park, covering the Yatta Plateau, one of the world’s longest lava flows, and the Mudanda Rock area, where elephants gather in large numbers during the dry season.
This is the day dedicated to the landscape and its wildlife. Early mornings in Tsavo East belong to predators. Mid-mornings belong to elephants. The drive back in the late afternoon passes through terrain that looks entirely different in the golden hour.
Tsavo East to Mombasa
Early morning game drive at first light before a return to the lodge for breakfast. Depart for Mombasa with a game drive en route to the gate. On arrival in Mombasa, a short city tour followed by a farewell lunch before transfer to your beach hotel.
Inclusions & exclusions.
- Return road transport in a private 7-seater safari vehicle with pop-up roof and guaranteed window seats
- Services of a professional multilingual driver-guide throughout
- All game drives as detailed in the itinerary
- Two nights full-board accommodation
- All national park entrance fees
- 3 bottles of mineral water per person per day
- One safari hat and one safari bag per person
- Picnic lunch on Day 2
- Short city tour of Mombasa
- Farewell lunch
- Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
- All applicable government taxes
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
- Personal expenses including telephone calls, laundry, and similar
- Travel insurance
- Any items not specified above
Lodges shown reflect our standard arrangement for this route. Where we hold a fixed relationship, the named property is used; otherwise a lodge of equivalent standard is substituted.
What you will see.
Book this safari, or shape your own version of it.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will confirm availability and tailor the route, the pace, and the lodges to your group.