Tsavo National Park

East is east and west is west – thus is ever the case in the oldest of Kenya’s national parks. Dissected by the might, meandering Mombasa-to-Lake Victoria railway (aptly labelled the Lunatic Line during its construction in the late 19th century), Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks jointly form the largest protected area in the country – an imposing swathe of wildlife-rich terrain the size of two Jamaicas stitched together.

To the east, the Big Five roam Tsavo East National Park in their hirsute hundreds, including the magnificently distinct dust-tinctured red elephants we see converge around the Galana River – also a favoured port of call for elegant Masai giraffes, waterbucks, hippos and more than 500 species of birds. Among Tsavo East’s many further enchantments is milelong Mudanda Rock, an imposing castle of stratified rock whose water catchment acts as a magnet for more wildlife to come, drink, and be merry. The world’s longest lava flow at Yatta Plateau forms 180 miles of volcanic wonder, and a series of white-water rapids at Lugard Falls are liquid manna to our safari-ing appetites.

At Tsavo West National Park, some 3,500 square magical miles of varied landscapes are blanketed in riverine forests, extinct volcanoes, and timeless granite monoliths. Look up, as the sun casts its favour on Kilimanjaro, excitingly visible on a clear day, and trees and airwaves buzz with more than 500 bird species – from the stately hornbill and heron to the rare corncrake, redoubtable buzzard and (lower to the ground, yet close to our hearts) the inimitable ostrich. Inevitably, the mystical Shetani lava flow and life-giving Mzima Springs attract Africa’s legendary Big Five, accompanied by a characterful cast of hartebeest, kudu, giraffes, hippos and more. The chance to visit Tsavo West’s sanctuary for endangered black rhinos draws us towards this outpost of African splendour again and again.