Yatta Plateau in Tsavo National Park
The Yatta Plateau in Tsavo National Park is one of the most spectacular geological features in Kenya and a well-kept secret to safari enthusiasts who want a raw, real Kenya safari experience outside the busy circuits. It spans more than 300 kilometers and is believed to be the longest lava flow in the world, forming a jagged ridge that traverses through the Tsavo East National Park, providing an outstanding scenery, a wide variety of wildlife experiences and an inseparable attachment to the volcanic history of the park.
Geological Significance and Formation of Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau is an outflow of Lava through the Ol Doinyo Sabuk Mountain, forming a flat-topped ridge that is above the savannah and acacia woodlands of the Tsavo East National Park. The lava rocks of the plateau, eroded by the passage of centuries, have formed distinctive habitats to a number of species of plants and animals. This geological wonder does not only characterize the Tsavo landscape, but also significantly contributes to water drainage patterns and vegetation distribution in the area, therefore, forming an essential ecological feature in the Kenyan conservation landscape.
Wildlife Viewing in the Area of Yatta Plateau
The Yatta plateau region is characterised by the abundance of wildlife hence an excellent location of game drives in the Tsavo east national park. Tourists are likely to witness massive groups of elephants, many of which are covered with the characteristic red dust of the park, feeding along the Galana River, which runs parallel to the plateau. Other wild animals consist of buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, and many species of antelopes that include lesser kudu and elands.
Carnivores like lions, leopards and cheetahs are regularly seen on the edges of the plateau, where they perch on the rocky outcrop points to make hunting easier. The rocky surface of the plateau is also a home to smaller animals such as hyraxes, monitor lizards and various reptiles that live in the rocks that are warmed by the sun. To bird watchers, the region provides a chance to see martial eagles, hornbills and the elusive Taita falcon, and thus the Yatta Plateau is a good destination to wildlife photography and birding safari within Kenya.
Sights and Things to Do in Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau has numerous activities that can be enjoyed by visitors to the area to get closer to the core of Tsavo wild beauty. Game drives along the plateau provide a panoramic view of the savannah and riverine habitats below and guided nature walks with Kenya Wildlife Service rangers allow one to learn more about the unique flora that has adapted to the rocky conditions of the plateau.
The Lugard Falls on the Galana River is one of the most fascinating scenes around the Yatta Plateau as the water runs down the carved rocks forming pools that are visited by various wild animals. This is a good place to take photos and to see hippos and crocodiles in the wild. There is also the option of the traveler to visit the Aruba Dam which is a good viewing site of wildlife as animals go there to find water during the dry season with the Yatta Plateau acting as a dramatic backdrop.
When to Visit Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau in the Tsavo National Park can best be visited during the dry seasons in June to October and January to February as this is the best time to see wildlife. These months are the best months to see animals as they are clustered around water sources and can be easily seen on game drives across the plateau. It is also a suitable weather to do outdoor activities as the skies are clear and offer a beautiful view of sunrise and sunset over the lava ridge.
Visitors who arrive in the green season, November to December and March to May will find the plateau green and full of wildflowers but some locations may be difficult to reach because of muddy tracks. Nevertheless, this is the season with fewer tourists and great chances of photography with dramatic clouds and bright colors throughout the park.
Access to Yatta Plateau in Tsavo East
The park is conveniently located by road to Nairobi and Mombasa and the Manyani Gate and Voi Gate are usual entry points. The Yatta Plateau is accessible through well-kept game drive tracks in the park and it is often accompanied by a visit to Lugard Falls, the Galana River and the Aruba Dam to give one a complete Tsavo safari experience. There are also charter flights to other local airstrips like Voi and Aruba, which are easily accessible to travelers with limited time or luxury safaris.
To the adventurous, the Yatta Plateau may be incorporated in self-drive tours whereby the tourist is free to tour the area at his/her own time and pace and experience the immense, open vistas that characterize Tsavo. Travelling with a local guide, who is well versed with the terrain, would be a good idea to make the safari experience much more enjoyable and safe in the course of exploration.
Tsavo and the Yatta Plateau Conservation Activities
The Yatta Plateau and greater Tsavo ecosystem are constantly under conservation by Kenya Wildlife Service and other partners to conserve wildlife corridors, poaching and reducing the human-wildlife conflicts. The plateau has a unique ecology and is an important elephant and predator habitat, which makes it of priority to wildlife conservation in Kenya.
Tourists can also help by paying entry fees into the parks, anti-poaching patrols, wildlife observation and local community projects that allow the people and wildlife to co-exist. Tourism that is responsible, such as viewing wildlife at a respectful distance, and not littering, contributes to keeping the delicate habitats around the Yatta Plateau intact.
What is the Reason to Visit Yatta Plateau in Tsavo National Park?
The Yatta Plateau is an excellent destination where one can have a safari tour to Kenya geological wonders, wildlife photography, and off the beaten track. It is unique in its rugged beauty, wildlife and volcanic history of formation as compared to other safari tourism destinations in East Africa. The Yatta plateau at the Tsavo East National Park is a place that will give you a real raw African safari experience; whether you are a wildlife tracker, a birdwatcher, a landscape photographer or a student of the geological history of Kenya.
The Yatta Plateau in Tsavo National Park is one of the most spectacular geological features in Kenya and a well-kept secret to safari enthusiasts who want a raw, real safari experience outside the busy circuits. It spans more than 300 kilometers and is believed to be the longest lava flow in the world, forming a jagged ridge that traverses through the Tsavo East National Park, providing an outstanding scenery, a wide variety of wildlife experiences and an inseparable attachment to the volcanic history of the park.
Geological Significance and Formation of Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau is an outflow of Lava through the Ol Doinyo Sabuk Mountain, forming a flat-topped ridge that is above the savannah and acacia woodlands of the Tsavo East National Park. The lava rocks of the plateau, eroded by the passage of centuries, have formed distinctive habitats to a number of species of plants and animals. This geological wonder does not only characterize the Tsavo landscape, but also significantly contributes to water drainage patterns and vegetation distribution in the area, therefore, forming an essential ecological feature in the Kenyan conservation landscape.
Wildlife Viewing in the Area of Yatta Plateau
The Yatta plateau region is characterised by the abundance of wildlife hence an excellent location of game drives in the Tsavo east national park. Tourists are likely to witness massive groups of elephants, many of which are covered with the characteristic red dust of the park, feeding along the Galana River, which runs parallel to the plateau. Other wild animals consist of buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, and many species of antelopes that include lesser kudu and elands.
Carnivores like lions, leopards and cheetahs are regularly seen on the edges of the plateau, where they perch on the rocky outcrop points to make hunting easier. The rocky surface of the plateau is also a home to smaller animals such as hyraxes, monitor lizards and various reptiles that live in the rocks that are warmed by the sun. To bird watchers, the region provides a chance to see martial eagles, hornbills and the elusive Taita falcon, and thus the Yatta Plateau is a good destination to wildlife photography and birding safari within Kenya.
Sights and Things to Do in Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau has numerous activities that can be enjoyed by visitors to the area to get closer to the core of Tsavo wild beauty. Game drives along the plateau provide a panoramic view of the savannah and riverine habitats below and guided nature walks with Kenya Wildlife Service rangers allow one to learn more about the unique flora that has adapted to the rocky conditions of the plateau.
The Lugard Falls on the Galana River is one of the most fascinating scenes around the Yatta Plateau as the water runs down the carved rocks forming pools that are visited by various wild animals. This is a good place to take photos and to see hippos and crocodiles in the wild. There is also the option of the traveler to visit the Aruba Dam which is a good viewing site of wildlife as animals go there to find water during the dry season with the Yatta Plateau acting as a dramatic backdrop.
When to Visit Yatta Plateau
The Yatta Plateau in the Tsavo National Park can best be visited during the dry seasons in June to October and January to February as this is the best time to see wildlife. These months are the best months to see animals as they are clustered around water sources and can be easily seen on game drives across the plateau. It is also a suitable weather to do outdoor activities as the skies are clear and offer a beautiful view of sunrise and sunset over the lava ridge.
Visitors who arrive in the green season, November to December and March to May will find the plateau green and full of wildflowers but some locations may be difficult to reach because of muddy tracks. Nevertheless, this is the season with fewer tourists and great chances of photography with dramatic clouds and bright colors throughout the park.
Access to Yatta Plateau in Tsavo East
The park is conveniently located by road to Nairobi and Mombasa and the Manyani Gate and Voi Gate are usual entry points. The Yatta Plateau is accessible through well-kept game drive tracks in the park and it is often accompanied by a visit to Lugard Falls, the Galana River and the Aruba Dam to give one a complete Tsavo safari experience. There are also charter flights to other local airstrips like Voi and Aruba, which are easily accessible to travelers with limited time or luxury safaris.
To the adventurous, the Yatta Plateau may be incorporated in self-drive tours whereby the tourist is free to tour the area at his/her own time and pace and experience the immense, open vistas that characterize Tsavo. Travelling with a local guide, who is well versed with the terrain, would be a good idea to make the safari experience much more enjoyable and safe in the course of exploration.
Tsavo and the Yatta Plateau Conservation Activities
The Yatta Plateau and greater Tsavo ecosystem are constantly under conservation by Kenya Wildlife Service and other partners to conserve wildlife corridors, poaching and reducing the human-wildlife conflicts. The plateau has a unique ecology and is an important elephant and predator habitat, which makes it of priority to wildlife conservation in Kenya.
Tourists can also help by paying entry fees into the parks, anti-poaching patrols, wildlife observation and local community projects that allow the people and wildlife to co-exist. Tourism that is responsible, such as viewing wildlife at a respectful distance, and not littering, contributes to keeping the delicate habitats around the Yatta Plateau intact.
What is the Reason to Visit Yatta Plateau in Tsavo National Park?
The Yatta Plateau is an excellent destination where one can have a safari tour to Kenya geological wonders, wildlife photography, and off the beaten track. It is unique in its rugged beauty, wildlife and volcanic history of formation as compared to other safari tourism destinations in East Africa. The Yatta plateau at the Tsavo East National Park is a place that will give you a real raw African safari experience; whether you are a wildlife tracker, a birdwatcher, a landscape photographer or a student of the geological history of Kenya.
