Udzungwa National Park

Udzungwa National Park

Udzungwa is the most significant and most biodiversity and a chain of a dozen large forest-swathed mountains that rise majestically from the flat coastal scrub of eastern Tanzania—known collectively as the Eastern Arc Mountains.

This archipelago of isolated massifs has also been dubbed as the African Galapagos for its treasure-trove of endemic plants and animals.

Most familiarly being the delicate African violet.

Brooding and primeval, the forests of Udzungwa seem positively enchanted: a verdant refuge of sunshine-dappled glades enclosed by 30-metre (100 foot) high trees, their buttresses layered with fungi, lichens, mosses, and ferns.

Udzungwa alone among the ancient ranges of the Eastern Arc has been accorded the national park status. It is also unique within Tanzania in that its closed-canopy forest spans altitudes of 250 meters (820 feet) to above 2,000 meters (6,560 ft) without interruption.

Although not a conventional game viewing destination, Udzungwa is a magnet for hikers. An excellent network of forest trails includes the popular half-day ramble to Sanje Waterfall, which plunges 170 meters (550 feet) through a misty spray into the forested valley below.

The more challenging two-night Mwanihana Trail leads to the high plateau, with its panoramic views over the surrounding sugar plantations, before ascending to Mwanihana peak, the second-highest point in the range.

Ornithologists are attracted to Udzungwa for an avian wealth embracing more than 400 species, from the lovely and readily-located green-headed oriole to more than a dozen secretive Eastern Arc endemics.

Four bird species are peculiar to Udzungwa, including the forest partridge, first discovered in 1991 and more closely related to an Asian genus than to any other African fowl.

Of six primate species recorded, the Iringa red colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey both occur nowhere else in the world – the latter, remarkably, remained undetected by biologists before 1979.

Undoubtedly, this great forest has yet to reveal all its treasures: ongoing scientific exploration will surely add to its diverse catalog of endemics.

Location: Five hours (350 km/215 miles) from Dar es Salaam; 65 kms (40 miles) southwest of Mikumi.

Getting there

Drive from Dar es Salaam or Mikumi National Park.

What to do

From a two-hour hike to the waterfall as well as camping safaris.

Combine with nearby Mikumi or en route to Ruaha.

Accommodation

Camping inside the park.

Bring all food and supplies.

Two modest but comfortable lodges with en-suite rooms within 1km of the park entrance.

Kitulo National Park

Kitulo National Park

Locals refer to the Kitulo Plateau as Bustani ya Mungu – The Garden of God – whereas botanists have dubbed it the Serengeti of Flowers, host to ‘one of the great floral spectacles of the world.’

Kitulo is a rare botanical marvel, home to a total of 350 species of vascular plants, including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchids, which erupt into a riotous wildflower display of breathtaking scale and diversity during the primary rainy season of late November to April.

Perched at around 2,600 meters (8,500 ft) between the rugged peaks of the Kipengere, Poroto, and the Livingstone Mountains, the well-watered volcanic soils of Kitulo support the largest and the most important montane grassland community in Tanzania.

Having its unique flower species remained wild, with birds singing and migrating to the highland forests, Kitulo Plateau National Park is the latest and newcomer to Tanzania’s tourist attraction sites.

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lake manyara national park

Lake Manyara National Park

Selous Game Reserve

Selous Game Reserve

Selous Game Reserve is Africa’s largest game reserve and one of Africa’s favorite game viewing areas. Covering 50,000 square kilometers is amongst the largest protected areas in Africa and is relatively undisturbed by human impact.

Africa’s largest and oldest game reserve is one of its most scenic wildlife destinations; the Selous is utterly beautiful. The park’s beauty is matched by the quality of a safari here; boating, walking, and fly camping complement standard game driving in thriving wildlife areas. 

This is a magnificent safari park and an essential component of any southern circuit itinerary.

The Selous is a superb safari destination for both family safaris and African honeymoons, all the better for the ease of getting there and the lack of crowds. The park has the widest diversity of safari activities, offering boating safaris and standard game drives, walking safaris, and legendary fly camping trips.

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Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha national park is one of the few Tanzania’s famous wilderness areas where one can have a rare experience of game viewing spiced up by the fascinating landscape. The park is rich in plants and animals such as Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), which can not be found in any other national park. The park boasts of her almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem, making visitors’ safari experience very unique.

Like other rivers like Mwagusi, Jongomero, and Mzombe save as the lifeline of the park, the Great Ruaha River. During the dry season, these rivers become mostly the primary source of water for wildlife. Few natural springs are saving the same purpose.

In the dry season, elephants obtain water from dry sand rivers using their front feet and trunks. The remaining water falls along the Great Ruaha River are also critical habitat for hippopotamus, fish, and crocodiles.

CLIMATE

Ruaha National Park has a bimodal pattern of rain forest; the short rainfall season begins November to February, while the long season is between March and April. The annual mean rainfall ranges between 500mm-800mm with an average yearly temperature of about 280c. The park experiences its dry season between June and October when the weather at Msembe headquarter reaches 350c.

PARK HISTORY

The park’s history dates back to 1910 when it was gazetted Saba Game Reserve by Germany; then the name was changed by the British to Rungwa Game reserve in 1946. In 1964 the southern portion of the Game was gazetted as Ruaha national park, and in 1974, The park incorporated a small section of the South-Eastern part of the Great Ruaha River. The name “Ruaha” originates from the Hehe word “Ruvaha,” which means “river.” Ruaha National Park is part of the Rungwa-Kizigo –Muhesi ecosystem which covers more than 45000km2. In 2008 Usangu game Reserve and other important wetlands in the Usangu basin had been annexed into the park, making it the largest park in Tanzania and East Africa with about 20226km2.

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Mikumi National Park

Mikumi National Park

Mikumi is Tanzania’s fourth-largest national park. It’s also the most accessible from Dar es Salaam. With almost guaranteed wildlife sightings, it makes an ideal safari destination for those without much time.

Since completing the paved road connecting the park gate with Dar es Salaam, Mikumi National Park has been slated to become a hotspot for tourism in Tanzania. Located between the Uluguru Mountains and the Lumango range, Mikumi is the fourth largest national park in Tanzania and only a few hour’s drive from Tanzania’s largest city. The park has a wide variety of wildlife that can be easily spotted and well acclimatized to game viewing. Its proximity to Dar es Salaam and the amount of nature that live within its borders makes Mikumi National Park a popular option for weekend visitors from the city or for business visitors who don’t have to spend a long time on an extended safari itinerary.

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