Katavi National Park is raw, remote and little known. The immense concentration of game, especially as the seasonal lakes disappear, will astound even hardened safari-goers.
WELCOME TO KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
Katavi NP, in the Rukwa Rift, was extended to its existing size of 4470km2 in 1998 making it the third largest park in Tanzania. Katavi’s landscape is dominated by 3 large floodplains strung together by the Katuma River which boasts one of the largest population of Hippo and Croc and provides a habitat for an abundance of water fowl. The savanna plains fill with huge herds during the day time and the equally impressive selection of predators wait patiently for their return to the woodland towards the end of the day.
KATAVI NATIONAL PARK. Isolated, untrammeled, and seldom visited, Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few intrepid souls who make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it must have been a century ago. Tanzania’s third largest national park, it lies in the remote southwest of the country, within a truncated arm of the Rift Valley that terminates in the shallow, brooding expanse of Lake Rukwa.
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 waterbirds, and they also support Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles.
It is during the dry season, when the floodwaters retreat, that Katavi truly comes into its own. The Katuma, reduced to a shallow, muddy trickle, forms the only source of drinking water for miles around, and the flanking floodplains support game concentrations that defy belief. An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge on the area, together with several herds of 1,000-plus buffalo, while an abundance of giraffe, zebra, impala, and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous lion pride and spotted hyena clans whose territories converge on the floodplains.
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 heats 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.
Mammals and Birds.
Katavi has similar wildlife to Ruaha, with an enviable selection of antelope including Topi, Roan, and Sable often found in large herds. Predators include some of the most luxuriously maned lions to be found, leopards, and hunting dogs. As the river dries up the hippo fight for space in the limited pools and the croc caves become visible along the bank, a fascinating sight. The greater Katavi area has 373 recorded species of bird. The green season months will have additional migratory species.
About Katavi National Park
Size: 4,471 sq km (1,727 sq miles). Location; Southwest Tanzania, east of Lake Tanganyika.
The headquarters at Sitalike lies 40km (25 miles) south of Mpanda town.
Getting there
Charter flights from Dar or Arusha. A tough but spectacular day’s drive from Mbeya (550 km/340 miles), or in the dry season only from Kigoma (390 km/240 miles). It is possible to reach Mpanda by rail from Dar via Tabora, then catch public transport to Sitalike, where game drives can be arranged. If traveling overland, allow plenty of time to get there and back.
When to go
The dry season (May-October). Roads within the park are often flooded during the rainy season but may be passable from mid-December to February.
Accommodation
Two seasonal luxury tented camps overlooking Lake Chada. A resthouse at Sitalike and campsites inside the park. Basic but clean hotels at Mpanda.
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Wildlife Safaris, Beach holidays, Kilimanjaro trekking, Hiking and cultural tours
