Katavi National Park

Katavi National Park

The bulk of Katavi supports a hypnotically featureless cover of tangled brachystegia woodland, home to substantial but elusive populations of the localized eland, sable and roan antelopes. But the main focus for game viewing within the park is the Katuma River and associated floodplains such as the seasonal Lakes Katavi and Chada. During the rainy season, these lush, marshy lakes are a haven for myriad water birds, and they also support Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippo and crocodile.
Katavi’s most singular wildlife spectacle is provided by its hippos. Towards the end of the dry season, up to 200 individuals might flop together in any riverine pool of sufficient depth. And as more hippos gather in one place, so does male rivalry heat up – bloody territorial fights are an everyday occurrence, with the vanquished male forced to lurk hapless on the open plains until it gathers sufficient confidence to mount another challenge. 

Best to know in Katavi National Park

•  Has the highest hippo and crocodile population in the country.
•  Over 1500 buffalos roaming the plains, along with a vast varity of other african wild animals.
•  Its undisturbed natural landscape makes it stand out above the other more regularly visited Parks in the country.
•  The name Katavi immortalises a legendary hunter, Katabi, whose spirit is believed to possess a tamarind tree ringed with offerings from locals begging his blessing.
•  The animals rely on the Lake Katavi with its vast short grass flood plains in the north, the palm fringed Lake Chada in the southeast, and the Katuma Riverfor water throught the year.

Location

• Covers an area of 4,471 sq km.
• Located in the southwest of Tanzania
• It is on a high flood plain surrounding Lake Katavi and to the south of theMahale Mountains.
• It is about 40 km southeast of Mpanda town and is remote and quite difficult to reach – an air charter is probably the best way to access this Park.

From main towns  it is 550 km from Mbeya and 390 km from Kigoma

When to Go

• The best months to visit are in the dry season of May – October since the Park is inaccessible in the rains.
•  Tented camps only open in Dry Seasons.
•  Dry Season: May to October and mid-December to February.
•  Rainy Season: the long rains are from March to May, which makes the road impassable.
•  Temperature range between 15° C at night and 35° C during the hottest hours.

Activities

• Game driving in a 4×4 car to view the abundance animals and birds it has.  
• You can do a walking safari on request.
• Has over 400 speices of birds and large flocks of pelicans, making it a good place for bird watching.