Katavi National Park
The Katavi National Park is a remote park located in the Mpanda region of western Tanzania. Although it is Tanzania’s third largest park, it is less frequently visited than other parks. It measures an area of 1727 square miles, including the Katuma River and the seasonal Lake Katavi and Lake Chada floodplains. Together with the neighbouring Rukwa, Lukwati and Luafi Game Reserves and numerous forest reserves, this ecosystem is considered the richest wildlife area in Tanzania.
Two large plains of golden knee high grass, surrounded by woodland, dominate the parks landscape. The seasons define much of the parks ecohydrology and the best time to visit the park is during the dry season when Lake Chada and Lake Katavi are grasslands, attracting thousands of zebra, topi and impala. During the rainy season between October and April they transform into shallow lakes.
Giraffe, hartebeest and waterbuck are common as are large herds of elephant and impressive herds of buffalo. Spotted hyena are frequently seen on game drives whilst the elusive leopards tend to stay on the fringes of the woodland. Wild dog are present and are sometimes spotted however they are rarely seen on the plains as they prefer to roam the escarpment. Katavi is a great place for watching lion – buffalo interaction.
Katavi is also home to an impressive array of birdlife, including large flocks of open-billed storks, saddlebills, spoonbills, pin backed pelicans and crested cranes. Other birds like raptors, African golden orioles, paradise fly catchers and pennant winged nightjars are plentiful in the parks woodlands.
Due to its isolated location, Katavi remains largely unvisited. The only access to the park is by a five hour light aircraft flight from Dar or Arusha. As a result it only receives a few hundred visitors a year – making it an appealing location for those in search of an exclusive and authentic Tanzania safari experience, far from the crowds of the more touristy reserves.
