Tsavo East & Salt Lick Safari: Red Elephants & Big Cats

Three days tracking elephants and big cats across two reserves

A 3-day guided safari from Malindi that covers Tsavo East national park and Salt Lick Safari Lodge, with game drives, full board accommodation at two lodges, and pickup from your hotel or airport. You'll search for red-dusted elephants, lions (descendants of the "man-eaters" from the film The Ghost and the Darkness), leopards, cheetahs and buffalo from a 4x4 Landcruiser with a pop-up roof. The itinerary includes morning and evening game drives, an overnight stay at an underground bunker lodge built over water holes, and a pre-breakfast drive before your final return to the coast.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Tsavo East and game drive

• Pick up from hotel or airport at 8am
• Drive to Tsavo East National Park via Salas Gate
• Game drive enroute to lodge
• Check in and rest
• Depart lodge at 3:30pm for evening game drive
• Game drive using Voi main gate until 6pm
• Dinner and rest at lodge

Day 2: Morning game drive and Salt Lick visit

• Breakfast at lodge
• Morning game drive
• Depart for Salt Lick Lodge
• Lunch and relax at Salt Lick Lodge
• Afternoon game drive in sanctuary until sunset
• Dinner and overnight at Salt Lick Lodge

Day 3: Pre-breakfast game drive and departure

• Pre-breakfast game drive at lodge
• Depart for Mombasa or Nairobi
• Lunch enroute
• Drop off at beach hotel or residence

The experience

You're picked up at 8am from your Malindi hotel or airport and driven to Tsavo East via the Salas Gate. The drive itself is a game drive. You'll spot wildlife en route before arriving at Voi Wildlife Lodge in time for lunch. After rest, an evening game drive starts at 3:30pm and runs until 6pm, when you return for dinner. This first night sets the rhythm: early starts and late-afternoon departures that catch animals moving between shade and water.

Day two moves you to Salt Lick Safari Lodge in the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a 28,000-acre private conservancy that acts as a wildlife corridor between Tsavo East and Tsavo West. After a morning game drive in Tsavo, you'll drive to Salt Lick, have lunch, and head out again until sunset. The lodge itself is the draw here: a complex of two-story rondavels built on stilts over water holes, connected by open-air bridges. The structure was designed for game viewing: you watch wildlife from multiple levels while the animals come to drink below. Dinner and your overnight stay happen here.

On day three, a pre-breakfast game drive lets you catch nocturnal species returning to rest. You then depart for Mombasa or Nairobi with lunch provided en route, arriving at your beach hotel by afternoon. The 4x4 Landcruiser with its pop-up roof and explorer window stays with you all three days, giving you unobstructed sightlines for photography and viewing. A live English-speaking guide leads every drive.

What’s included

• Entry to Tsavo East national park.
• pickup and drop-off from your Malindi hotel or airport.
• two nights full board accommodation at Voi Wildlife Lodge and Salt Lick Safari Lodge.
• all game drives (morning and evening on days one and two, pre-breakfast on day three).
• bottled water throughout.
• use of a 4x4 Landcruiser with pop-up roof and explorer window.
• conservancy fees.
• a live English-speaking guide for all drives.
• lunch on your final day en route to the coast.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 11)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by African Beast tours and safaris

Is this one for you?This 3-day itinerary leaves your mornings and late afternoons free only on days one and two. The rest is game drives and travel. If you're arriving in Malindi with limited time, the three-day span fits a long weekend. If you want to spend more time on the coast, consider a shorter 2-day option instead.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 11).

What animals am I most likely to see on this safari?

Tsavo East is known for large herds of red-dusted elephants, lions (including descendants of the historical "man-eaters"), leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, giraffes and various antelope species. The Taita Hills sanctuary holds lions, elephants, buffaloes and giraffes. Night game drives increase your chances of spotting nocturnal wildlife.

What is the Salt Lick Lodge like?

Salt Lick is one of the world's most photographed lodges. It sits on stilts over a series of water holes, with two-story rondavels connected by open-air bridges and peaked thatch roofs. The design gives you panoramic views of the sanctuary and wildlife from multiple levels while animals drink below.

How much driving is involved each day?

Day one includes a drive from Malindi to Tsavo East (with game viewing en route) and an evening game drive from 3:30pm to 6pm. Day two has a morning game drive in Tsavo, then a drive to Salt Lick and an afternoon game drive until sunset. Day three starts with a pre-breakfast game drive before your return journey to the coast.

What's included in the price?

The package covers entry fees to Tsavo East, pickup and drop-off from your hotel or airport, bottled water, conservancy fees, the 4x4 Landcruiser with pop-up roof, and two nights of full board accommodation (meals included at both lodges).

Can I book this as a private safari or does it run as a group?

The tour operates with a live English-speaking guide. Confirm with the operator whether your departure is private or shared, as this affects group size and pricing.