3 Day Taita Hills and Tsavo East Safari (Salt Lick Lodge)

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A 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip combines two styles of safari in one short plan. You spend a night at a stilted lodge above a floodlit waterhole, then a full day on the wide plains of Tsavo East.

The route starts at Mombasa or Diani and runs inland in a private pop up roof 4×4 with a driver guide. You see elephants at close range, red dust giants on the river, lion, buffalo and a long list of birds. The road back to the coast is easy.

Read on for the day by day plan, price tiers, fees and the advice that makes this 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip a smooth one.

Highlights

• A night at a lodge on stilts beside a floodlit waterhole
• A full day of game drives in Tsavo East
• Red elephants dusted by the park’s iron rich soil
• Lugard Falls, the Galana River and the Yatta Plateau
• Pickup and drop off at Mombasa or Diani
• Private 4×4 with a pop up roof

Day by day plan

1. Day 1

   Mombasa or Diani to the Taita Hills

   You leave Diani at 6 am or Mombasa at 7 am and drive inland on the Nairobi highway, about 3 to 4 hours. You reach the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary for lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon you take a game drive among elephants, buffalo and giraffe. You return at dusk to watch the waterhole from the terrace and dinner follows with the waterhole lit.

2. Day 2

   Taita Hills to Tsavo East

   After a sunrise game drive and breakfast you drive about an hour to the Voi gate of Tsavo East. You spend the day on a full game drive, the heart of the 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip, with a picnic or lodge lunch. You visit Mudanda Rock or the Aruba Dam, where animals gather and look along the Galana River for hippos and crocodiles. You sleep at a lodge or camp inside or beside the park.

3. Day 3

   Tsavo East and back to the coast

   You take a dawn game drive for the best light and cool air. The park’s lions and large elephant herds are often active now. After breakfast you drive back toward the coast, about 3 to 4 hours to Mombasa and 5 to Diani, with a lunch stop at Voi or Mariakani. You arrive in the late afternoon. We can also drop you at Voi for the SGR train.

3 Day Salt Lick Safari Tsavo East, guide price per person sharing, USD, low season

• Guide price per person sharing, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before any payment
• Low season (Apr to Jun, Nov) shown, with sanctuary and Tsavo East fees included
• Jul to Oct and Dec add about USD 40 to 100 per person for lodge rates
• Luxury options near Tsavo are limited, so this tier means premium rooms

Get my exact price on WhatsApp

Why Choose a 3 Day Salt Lick Safari Tsavo East

Two nights is the right length for Tsavo. One night gives you the lodge, but not enough time on the plains. Three nights is a luxury many coast visitors cannot spare. A 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip balances both.

It also pairs two different pieces of country. The sanctuary is small and rich in animals at the waterhole. Tsavo East is vast, with room to roam. For a one night version see our 2 day Tsavo East safari from Mombasa.

Many guests tell us they want something longer than a day trip but shorter than a week. That is what this plan is built for, with two clear halves and no filler. You also save a long drive, because both parks sit on the same road.

Weather rarely ruins a Tsavo trip, because the park is dry for most of the year and the lodge waterhole gives you something to watch even when game drives are slow.

How Much Does a 3 Day Salt Lick Safari Tsavo East Cost?

Prices start at USD 800 per person for six people sharing a budget tier in low season. Two people in mid range pay about USD 1,180 each and two people in luxury about USD 1,325.

The price covers the vehicle, guide, two nights on full board and the park fees. Our 3 day Tsavo East and West safari follows a similar budget for those who prefer two Tsavo parks.

Mid range is the most popular tier, because it adds a private bathroom, a pool and better meals at both stops. Budget works well if you plan to spend most of the day out in the vehicle anyway.

Fees Built Into the Price

Fees are per adult per day for non residents and are already included. They are approximate, so confirm the current figures at booking.

Fees support park rangers, roads and community projects. We list them separately in your quote so that you can see what goes to the parks and what goes to the lodges and the vehicle.

• Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary: about USD 40 per person
• Tsavo East National Park: about USD 80 per day
• Children 9 to 17 pay about half and under 9s are often free
• Kenyan residents and citizens pay much lower fees in shillings

Tsavo East on a Full Day

On a 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip you cover Tsavo East, Kenya’s largest park, about 11,700 square kilometres of flat bush, rivers and red soil. The Galana River runs through it and the Yatta Plateau, one of the longest lava flows on Earth, runs along its western edge.

Mudanda Rock is a long outcrop where elephants gather to drink in the dry season. Lugard Falls is a series of rapids on the river. Your guide chooses a route to suit the season and the day’s sightings.

Birdlife is rich. Expect weavers, hornbills, starlings, rollers and raptors, with larger birds such as ostrich and kori bustard on the open plains. Birders should bring a field guide, or ask us about our Kenya birding safaris.

A full day also gives you time to stop at viewpoints, sit with a herd and watch behaviour rather than rush from sighting to sighting. Your guide carries a picnic table and cold drinks and finds shade for lunch.

The Red Elephants

On a 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip, the elephants look red because they roll in the park’s iron rich dust and soil. In the dry months, herds of 30 or more can gather at waterholes and rivers and the colour is striking against green riverbanks.

Lions in Tsavo are famous for being maneless in many males. They also carry a long history, thanks to the man eating lions of the 1890s. Your guide shares the story on the way. Compare this park with our Tsavo East day safari from Mombasa.

Photographers enjoy the contrast between the red soil and the green riverbanks. Late afternoon gives the best light, when the dust glows and the herds walk to water.

Best Time for a 3 Day Salt Lick Safari Tsavo East

Jun to Oct and Jan to Mar are dry, with animals clustered at rivers and waterholes. Nov and Dec bring short rains and green views. Apr and May are the wettest months, with thick bush and fewer visitors.

Tsavo is hot, with day highs of 30 to 35 degrees, so a 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip is best planned around early starts. Early starts matter. See the Kenya safari month by month guide for weather detail.

The Tsavo area is hot and dry for most of the year, so the lodge pool is a welcome stop at midday. Rain can close some tracks in the wet months and your guide adjusts the route.

Where You Stay

Day one is at the Salt Lick style lodge, with rooms on stilts above the waterhole. Day two is at a Tsavo East lodge or camp, often near the Voi gate or beside the river.

Budget tiers use simple rooms or tents with full meals. Mid range uses larger rooms with a pool. Luxury means the best rooms available, as Tsavo has few high end camps. Our guide to safari accommodation types explains each style.

Meals are a hot breakfast, a picnic or lodge lunch and a three course dinner. Tell us about dietary needs when you book and we pass them to each stop.

From the Coast or by Train

The drive from Mombasa to the Taita Hills on a 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip takes 3 to 4 hours. From Diani, add an hour for the ferry or the Dongo Kundu bypass. We leave early to maximise your first afternoon.

If you are coming from Nairobi by SGR, we can meet you at Voi. Read the SGR Madaraka Express guide for schedules and see our Mombasa SGR holiday packages for resident rates.

Check your hotel pickup time the day before. We confirm it by WhatsApp and our driver waits at the main entrance or at a spot you choose.

What to Pack

Pack for heat, dust and cool mornings on your 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip. Light cotton clothes in neutral colours work well.

• A light jacket for early drives
• A scarf or buff for dust
• Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses
• Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens
• See our Kenya safari packing checklist for more

Book Your 3 Day Salt Lick Safari Tsavo East

Send your dates, hotel and group size on WhatsApp at +254 720 731957. We reply with a written quote and pickup times.

Dry months and holidays fill fast. Book two to four weeks ahead for most dates and earlier for Christmas and Easter.

Tell us if you travel with children or older guests. We plan the pace and room types around the people on your 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east trip.

How to book your 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east

Booking your 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.

1. Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
2. Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
3. Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
4. Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
5. Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.

What every trip with us includes

Every 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.

We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.

Why book with a Nairobi team

We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good 3 day salt lick safari Tsavo east into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 46 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.

Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.

Questions people ask

Official information: Kenya Wildlife Service.

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