Lions Bluff lies 48km west of Voi on the Taveta Road within the 125,000 acre Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary.Direct down the main Mombasa road to Voi.
From Voi take the turning to Taveta. This turning is the Mombasa side of the petrol station. Initially about 20km of broken tarmac to Mwatate, beware two nasty unmarked bumps within one village on a straight piece of tarmac about 10km from Voi. At Mwatate the road improves to a murram surface for the rest of the drive. The road follows the route of the railway ( now disused but once a vital supply line for the British led forces of world war one ). Once on the murram after Mwatate continue to Bura. You enter the Taita Hills Sanctuary by passing a cattle grid and electric fence. Continue, but be mindful of elephants, and you will come to the turning for the Taita Hills Lodge. From there it is exactly 5 km further down the road to the entrance gate to Lumo. You cross a second elephant grid to leave Taita Hills sanctuary and immediately pass a small shop on your left. Continue about 600m from the elephant grid and you will see a sign for Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary and Lions Bluff on the left hand side of the road. Turn in left here, take the most obvious track. 1km along this you will come to a fence line and the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary entrance gate. You can see Lions Bluff Lodge from the gate and it is a 5 km game drive to and along the Bluff to reach the comfort of Lions Bluff.
MORE RELAXED SCENIC ROUTE THROUGH TSAVO WEST GAME PARK
Remember to bring KWS Smart card. If no smart card, residents will need an aliens pass to prove residency, or passport or work permit, driving licence no longer sufficient.
Residents Ksh1,000 citizens Ksh200, visitors U$50, payment by smart card only. There is a top-up facility for smart cards at Mtito Andei gate.
Leave Nairobi on the main Mombasa-Nairobi road.
Take the turning left for Machakos, about 60 km out of Nairobi
Follow that road through Machakos town, turning right at the roundabout, past the Caltex and Kenol fuel stations. Follow this road to Wote and Makueni. In Wote turn right. After approx 2km turn left. Follow signs to Makindu to rejoin the main Nairobi-Mombasa Road.
Drive 50km south on main Mombasa-Nairobi road to Mtito Andei.
At Mtito Andei turn right into KWS Tsavo West. Pay at gate
Follow signs to Mwaktau gate
From Mtito gate pass signpost 1, 2, 2c, left at 4, 15, 16, 55, follow main track to 66, right at 66 to Mwaktau gate
Route passes through Rhino valley, leaving Roaring Rocks and Rhodesian Ridge to your west
and Ngulia Mountains to your east, you cross Engineers Bridge (wooden) and pass Kudu Campsite
BETWEEN ENGINEERS BRIDGE and 66 the roads do not follow the map.
You turn right after Engineers Bridge, drive along an airstrip and then double back on yourself to rejoin the road.
You come out on the Pipeline road. The map suggests you go straight on, but this is not an option! So follow the road to the east towards Voi and you will reach post 66 after about 2 km.
Turn right ( south) to Mwaktau gate.
At Mwaktau - Get your smart card exited (often staff are at the Jipe gate and have to cross the road so wave, and be patient)
Turn left (east towards Voi) on the Taveta-Voi Road. There is a police check with spikes across the road at Mwaktau village. Lions Bluff is about 10 km further east along this road. The turning to Lions Bluff and Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary is a few metres after the first railway crossing, marked with a large wooden signpost on your right. Turn right and take the most used road. 1 km to the gate, 5km to the comfort and beauty of Lions Bluff Lodge.
SCENIC ROUTE AVOIDING GAME PARK
This avoids most of the bad road between Voi and Maktau
As above, but instead of turning into KWS at Mtito Andei, continue to Mombasa on the main road
Pass KWS Manyani gate entrance on your left and continue about 15km, passing a range of about four large hills on your right. Look out for a large (4 foot high x 6 ft wide) signpost, made of painted white stone with an American flag, a Kenyan flag and FRIENDS OF AMERICA FOUNDATION written on it. This is on your turning on the right.
This occurs just before the main road passes over a river.
Your turning goes to Kishushe around (to the west of) the Taita Hills and avoids Voi and most of the bad road between Voi and Lions Bluff
Follow the road southwest staying on the main track. After about 50kms you will come out on the road from Voi- Taveta. Turn left (east). The turning to Lions Bluff and Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary is about 5 km from here signed on the right immediately after the railway crosses the road. Take the most obvious road in to the gate (about 1km) and from there to the comfort and beauty of Lions Bluff
DIRECTIONS FROM ARUSHA TO LIONS BLUFF
Drive due East from Arusha to Moshi then cross the border into Kenya
Follow the (murram) road from Taveta ( The Kenyan side of the border) to Voi again due East.
60 kms along this enter Mwakitau town. There is a police check and on the left of the road a green metal Lions Bluff signpost signing 16 kms to the turning.
15 km out of Mwakitau town, just across a railway crossing, there is an identical sign on the right together with a larger wooden and stone signpost for Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary.
Take this turning to your right and follow the most obvious road. 1km to the gate. 5 km from the gate to the lodge |
