Katavi National park is one of Tanzania’s remote wildlife parks from the southwestern region that receive minimal tourists compared to those that are recorded for Serengeti or Lake Manyara Park in the northern safari circuit.
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Katavi Park occupies an area of 4,471sq km and is ranked third in Tanzania’s largest National park. The park is found within a larger
Katavi-Rukwa eco-system
that roughly cover 12,500sq km of enormous grassland plains, wooded areas, shrubs, swamps, rugged hills, lakes, rivers, valleys, hotsprings and so much more
Attractions in Katavi Park
The park area extends to include the rift valley cliffs,
Rukwa Game reserve
,
Luwati Game reserve
, Lake Rukwa, lake Chada, Katuma River, seasonal lakes like Katavi and the Chada floodplains. Other beautiful features within the park include hot springs like Kasima and Ikuu, Ndido, Chorangwa and lloba waterfalls, Rukwa valley cliffs, Magogo Pools and many others
Lake Rukwa
is a shallow lake bordering Rukwa and Luwati game reserves with a rich habitat for wildlife in Katavi. The surrounding area is a good hunting ground besides its lush rainforest habitats.
The Karema-Inyonga-Tabora slave route passed through the protected are in the Park bringing to light the historical diversity of this Tanzania safari park. There are also Stone age and iron age sites, towns recorded with 19th century existence and many others of the same kind near Wamweru Hills and Katabi tree near the airstrip.
Katavi Park Wildlife
Game viewing in Katavi National Park is best during the dry season, the savannah plains fill with herds of zebra, topi, elephants, impala, lions, hartebeest, vervet monkeys, giraffe, buffalos, Defassa waterbuck, spotted hyena, wild dog and the elusive leopards are found roaming in the woodlands. Katuma and Kappa river are the sole water points within the parks and several herds of game flock the riverbanks for an afternoon drink. You’ll find hippos and crocodiles along the river banks.
The park is a protected habitat for endangered species such as the African wild dog, cheetah of Mbuga ya Duma, roan and sable antelopes found in llumbi, Lake Katavi elands and many other smaller mammals.
The rainy season in Katavi National Park Tanzania brings more than 400 species of birds to life in the marshy lake shore, forest woodland, beyond the escarpment and valleys. Large flocks of open-billed storks, vultures, saddle billed stork, spoonbills, paradise fly-catchers, hammerkop, crested cranes, fish eagles, African golden orioles, pink-backed pelicans and pennant-winged nightjars among other s are found within the park’s diverse bird habitats.
Katavi Park Accommodation
Katavi Tanzania park share its accommodation facilities with the neighboring
Mahale Mountains National Park
located in the same area. There is accommodation from Chada Katati camp, Katavi Wilderness camp and many other small campsites with basic camping facilities.
Access to the park
The park is linked by an airstrip that receives charter flights from Dar-es-salaam and Arusha twice a week-Monday and Thursday.
By road, the park is reached by driving from Mbeya for 550km or from Kigoma port town near
Lake Tanganyika
for 390km. the railway crosses from Dar-es-salaam to Tabora, from where you can get public means to Sitalike and proceed on to the park. Roads within the park are often flooded during the rainy season but mid-December to February is good for game drives. The dry season is on from May to October and is the best time for game viewing around the pools.