





Welcome To Masembo Safari
Masembo Safari is a local Tour Operator, based in Arusha Tanzania. Our goal is to guide you through the adventure of a life-time. From the moment you contact us, to the moment we drop you off at the airport, we provide a made-to-measure experience that you will never forget. Our team is responsive, professional and thorough. We will help you to design your perfect trip, including Tanzania Safari, Zanzibar Beach Holiday and Kilimanjaro Mountain Climbing.
Explore Africa with
Masembo Safari
Discover Our
Best Selling Tours in Tanzania
This specific Africa safari and travel itinerary has been designed for visitors with more time for a longer travel tours. Purposely have
On this safari in Tanzania, you can look forward to the following highlights: Lake Burunge: Lake Burunge is one of three major lakes


MKOMANZI NATIONAL PARK
Located in North Eastern Tanzania, Mkomazi National Park is bordered


Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
If it is your dream to summit Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, standing on the roof of Africa (5895 m/19341 ft) and enjoying the spectacular landscapes around, hiking through the untouched tropical forests full of wild animals, looking at the shiny sky and realizing that you are among the few people who did it.
This is definitely the easiest and probably the most popular route for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s often called coca cola route because
This is definitely the easiest and probably the most popular route for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s often called coca cola route because
The Rongai Route is the only route that approaches Kilimanjaro from the north, close to the Kenyan border. Though gaining popularity amongst climbers, Rongai
The second most popular option among the climbers is the Machame route, also known as “the Whiskey Route”. This route offers a
The second most popular option among the climbers is the Machame route, also known as “the Whiskey Route”. This route offers a
The Lemosho Route is widely considered to be the best route on Mount Kilimanjaro. Not too long ago, there were only two main routes
The Lemosho Route is widely considered to be the best route on Mount Kilimanjaro. Not too long ago, there were only two main routes
Check Our Day Tours
Where to visit
TANZANIA TOP DESTINATIONS


NGORONGORO CRATER
The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s most famous sites and is said to have the highest density of wildlife in Africa. A UNESCO World Heritage Site located 180 km west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. Sometimes described as an ‘eighth wonder of the world’, the Crater has achieved world renown, attracting an ever-increasing number of visitors each year. You are unlikely to escape other vehicles here, but you are guaranteed great wildlife viewing in a genuinely mind-blowing environment. There is nowhere else in Africa quite like Ngorongoro!
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 square kilometers, with sides up to 600 meters deep; it is home to approximately 30,000 animals at any one time. The Crater rim is over 2,200 meters high and experiences its own climate. From this high vantage point it is possible to make out the tiny shapes of animals making their way around the crater floor far below. Swathes of cloud hang around the rocky rim most days of the year and it’s one of the few places in Tanzania where it can get chilly at night.
The crater floor consists of a number of different habitats that include grassland, swamps, forests and Lake Makat (Maasai for ‘salt’) – a central soda lake filled by the Munge River. All these various environments attract wildlife to drink, wallow, graze, hide or climb. Although animals are free to move in and out of this contained environment, the rich volcanic soil, lush forests and spring source lakes on the crater floor (combined with fairly steep crater sides) tend to incline both grazers and predators to remain throughout the year.
WILDLIFE IN NGORONGORO
Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most likely areas in Tanzania to see the endangered Black Rhino, as a small population is thriving in this idyllic and protected environment. It is currently one of the few areas where they continue to breed in the wild. Your chances of encountering Leopard here are also good, and fabulous Black-maned Lions. Many Flamingos are also attracted to the soda waters of Lake Magadi. Larger groups of Buffalos, Zebras and Wildebeest are very common in the crater.
OLDUVAI GORGE
- The Ngorongoro Conservation Area also protects Olduvai Gorge, situated in the plains area. It is considered to be the seat of humanity after the discovery of the earliest known specimens of the human genus, Homo habilis as well as early hominidae, such as Paranthropus boisei. The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge is a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley, which stretches along eastern Africa. Olduvai is in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania and is about 30 miles long. It lies in the rain shadow of the Ngorongoro highlands and is the driest part of the region. The gorge is named after ‘Oldupaai’, the Maasai word for the wild sisal plant, Sansevieria ehrenbergii.
MAASAI VILLAGE TRIPS
- Part of the reason behind the Ngorongoro Conservation Area has been to preserve the environment for the Maasai people who were diverted from the Serengeti Plains. Essentially nomadic people, they build temporary villages in circular homesteads called Bomas. There are possibilities to visit a couple of these now, which have been opened up for tourists to explore. Here you can see how the huts are built in a strict pattern of order according to the chronological order of the wives, and experience what it must be like to rely on warmth and energy from a fire burning at the heart of a cattle dung dwelling with no chimney. These proud cattle herding people have a great history as warriors, and even though they are no longer allowed to build villages inside, they continue to herd their cattle into the crater to graze and drink, regardless of the predators nearby.
THE SHIFTING SANDS
- Beyond the Olduvai Gorge, about 15 km northwest there is a remarkable volcanic ash known as the ‘shifting sand’. It is believed and observed that this elegant black sand dune is constantly being pushed by the Eastern winds and slowly inch by inch it moves forward across the Ngorongoro crater’s plains. It has been estimated that the Ngorongoro dune moves at about 17 meters per year. The volcanic ash it’s believed to have being originated from the Mount Oldonyo Lengai volcanic eruption. This mountain is an active volcanic mountain and its recent eruption happened in the year 2007.
WHY VISIT NGORONGORO:
- All the Mammalian fauna essentially to the East African can be found in the Ngorongoro crater
- Big migrations, an outstanding natural event on the plain in the west and North
- Best Chances to see rhino in Tanzania
- Superb scenery, extending from plains to volcano
- An extremely popular park
WHAT TO DO:
- Game viewing in the crater
- Safaris in the crater’s highlands
- Walking to the museum
- Hiking with a guide – a good variety of trails
- Birds watching in the crater
- Cultural tourism with Maasai and Hadzabe tribes
- Archeological finding at Olduvai Gorge and shifting sand attraction
BEST TIME TO VISIT
- Since the wildlife mainly stays in the crater all year round, there is really no good or bad time to visit. However, given that the crater floor does get busy with vehicles, it can be more pleasant to visit during low season. Higher water levels in Lake Magadi (in the center of the Crater) also result in higher concentrations of flamingos. Whenever you visit to Ngorongoro, you are guaranteed excellent safari action.
GETTING THERE:
- Easy drive from Arusha or Lake Manyara
- Scheduled and Charter flight


LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
Located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is worth a stop in its own right. Its ground water forests, bush plains, baobab strewn cliffs, and algae-streaked hot springs offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and incredible numbers of birds.
The alkaline soda of Lake Manyara is home to an incredible array of bird life that thrives on its brackish waters. Pink Flamingo stoop and graze by the thousands colorful specks against the grey minerals of the lake shore. Yellow-billed storks swoop and corkscrew on thermal winds rising up from the escarpment, and herons flap their wings against the sun-drenched sky. Even reluctant bird-watchers will find something to watch and marvel at within the national park.
BIRDLIFE IN LAKE MANYARA
Lake Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. The birdlife here is exceptionally varied, in the middle of the lake you’ll often see flocks of Pelicans and the pink-shading of distant Flamingos, whilst the margins and floodplains feed innumerable Herons, Egrets, Stilts, Stalks, Spoonbills and other waders. With so much water around, the woodlands are equally productive, but it’s the evergreen forests where you’ll spot some more entertaining species such as the noisy silvery-cheeked Hornbills, Crowned Eagles and Crested Guinea Fowl.
WHY VISITING LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
- The unique and conspicuous ground water forest
- The rich flora of the ground water forest
- An amazing profusion of birdlife, particularly on the lake shore
- A good cross-section of all the essential feature of nature in Tanzania
- Fascinating element of Landscape
- Easy to reach but a popular park
WHAT TO DO:
- Game drives
- Bird Watching
- Canoeing when the water levels is sufficiently high
- Cultural tours
GETTING THERE:
- Drive from Arusha enroute to Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Park
- Scheduled and Charter flights
BEST TIME TO VISIT
- Dry season (July – October) for large mammals; Wet season (November – June) for bird watching, the waterfalls and canoeing.


UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
The biodiversity of this park is by far one of Tanzania’s most special features. Habitats include mountain forests, tropical rain-forests, Miombo woodlands, grasslands, and steppe. The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains which are found in Kenya and Tanzania and were formed some 200 million years ago. Today they hold a unique collection of flora and fauna and cover only 2% of Tanzania’s area but hold between 30-40% of the countries plant and mammal species.
The vertical height of the Udzungwa forests ranges from 250 m to 2,576 m and with numerous forest trails, offering different kinds of activities, the park is a true hikers paradise. A half day tour to Sanje waterfall at a towering 170 m is worth doing.
The park is home of six primates, two of which are Iringa red colobus and the sanje crested Mangabey which occur nowhere else in the world. Other wildlife found in the parks includes elephants, leopard, bush bucks, duikers, palm civets, miombo genets, and hyenas.
Bird watchers are also in for a treat as the park boasts with over 400 species of birds. Some of them are endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains and four of them are found only in Udzungwa. Other common birds include ruppells vultures, marabous, crowned eagles, malachite kingfishers, woodland, kingfishers, silvery cheeked hornbills, and trumpeter hornbills. Over 2500 species of plant have been identified in this park of which 25% are endemic to area.


MKOMANZI NATIONAL PARK
Located in North Eastern Tanzania, Mkomazi National Park is bordered by Tsavo West National Park in Kenya to the north-east and by the Pare Mountains to the south-west. The park lies at the southern edge of the great arc of the Sahel region, between the Sahara to the north and a more humid zone (Sudan) to the south. The 3,701 km2 Mkomazi Park is predominantly dry and vegetated mostly by savanna vegetation.
The nature is dry open savanna dominated by acacia-commiphora vegetation, which is an ideal habitat for elephant, African buffalo, lion, leopard, lesser kudu, fringe-eared oryx, aardwolf, and gerenuk. In addition, the park is a refuge for two highly endangered species, the captivating black rhino and the African wild dog, both of which were successfully reintroduced in the 1990s.
Just over 390 species of birds have been recorded in Mkomazi, making it an ideal destination for birdwatchers. It was recently in 2007 that Mkomazi was upgraded to a national park.


BAGAMOYO
The town of Bagamoyo is a home to world class Historical sites and one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites with rich cultural heritage waiting you to explore.
This town was once a most important trading port along the East African Coast and a German East Africa Capital. Bagamoyo is home to many ethnic groups, including the Wakwere, Wazaramo and Wazigua. Different cultures including people of Arab descent coexist in Bagamoyo making the town a peaceful and friendly place for visitors from all over the world.
The town of Bagamoyo was one of the most important trading ports on the East African coast and the penultimate stop of slave and ivory caravans travelling on foot from Lake Tanganyika on their way to Zanzibar. Missionaries active in abolishing the slave trade made Bagamoyo, whose name means ‘bury my heart’ in Kiswahili, a center for their activities.
Bagamoyo is a quiet village with a few German colonial buildings still standing. In the past, the town of Bagamoyo was one of the most important trading ports on the entire East African coast. Its port was the penultimate stop of slave and ivory caravans that travelled on foot all the way from Lake Tanganyika. Once the caravans reached Bagamoyo, the slaves and ivory were shipped by dhow to Zanzibar, where they were then dispatched all over the world. These days, Bagamoyo is a center of dhow building in the region and along the Tanzanian Coast.
MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:
KAOLE RUINS
The oldest ruins of an Islamic mosque in the region, a few km South of Bagamoyo near Kaole, at their Centre are the remains of a 13th-century mosque, which is one of the oldest in mainland Tanzania and also one of the oldest in East Africa. It was built in the days when the Sultan of Kilwa held sway over coastal trade, and long before Bagamoyo had assumed any significance. Nearby is a second mosque, dating to the 15th century, and about 22 graves, many dating to the same period.
Among the graves are several Shirazi pillar-style tombs reminiscent of those at Tongoni, but in somewhat better condition, and a small museum housing Chinese pottery fragments and other remnants. Just east of the ruins, past a dense stand of mangroves, is the old harbor, now silted, that was in use during Kaole’s heyday.
CARAVAN SERAI MUSEUM
A court yard which has a single building at front and square two-storey buildings. This undistinguished museum has a small display documenting the slave trade. It was here that preparations were made for the fitting out of the caravans to the interiors. Similarly, it was also the resting place for the caravan porters from interiors who nick named the town BWAGAMOYO- the place where one’s heart came to rest and relax after a long and tiring journey.
GERMAN BOMA “GERMANY STATE HOUSE”
This unique building was built in 1897 during the German colonies built this building to serve as the colonial administrative headquarters of the first capital of German East Africa and the residence of the German colonial administrator. The same building also He served as the regional administrative headquarters of the British colony after that the Treaty of Versailles (1919) offal takes to Germany of its overseas empire and gave Great Britain a mandate to administer all the former East Germany Africa under the supervision of the League of Nations. Under the domain British building was altered and the building received the name ‘Ingls Boma’ means Gestin administration of British overseas.
It is an impressive two-storey building topped by crenellations, constructed in a U shape. They are pointed arches on the ground floor, despite being used as German administrative center from 1897 Germany Boma first State House and Governor’s residence.
THE ANCIENT CHURCH IN EAST AFRICA
The pioneering mission was established by the Fathers of the Holy Spirit and built in 1872, according to reports, it is the most ancient church on the continent of East Africa, while the new church was built 1910-14. Has a great curiosity. It was here on 24th February 1874 that the porters brought the body of Dr. Livingstone, famous British explorer and missionary, after a journey of 1500kms from Ujiji-Tabora. He was interred for a night at the Holy Ghost Mission; the Livingstone Tower, a part of the original church, is named in his honor.
BAGAMOYO TOWN
With its cobwebbed portals and crumbling German-era colonial buildings, central Bagamoyo, or Mji Mkongwe (Stone Town) as it’s known locally, is well worth exploration. The most interesting area is along Ocean Rd. Here you’ll find the old German Boma (a fortified living compound; in colonial times, an administrative office), built in 1897, and Liku House, which served as the German administrative headquarters. There is also a school, which dates to the late 19th century and was the first multiracial school in what is now Tanzania.
On the beach is the German Customs House (1895), Bagamoyo port, where you can watch boat builders at work, and a busy fish market (on the site of the old slave market), with lively auctions most afternoons. Northwest of here are several small streets lined with carved doors similar to those found elsewhere along the coast. Further south is the mid-19th-century Old Fort.
COLLEGE OF ARTS “CHUO CHA SANAA”
This is a major art college in Tanzania where music, dance, drama and painting are taught. Students came from all over the globe to study African drumming, painting, sculpture etc. It is situated along the Kaole road, close to Kaole ruins. It is also possible to learn how to play various local music instruments with the college, but this has to be arranged and negotiated in advance.
CROCODILE FARM
Visit the Crocodile farm 3km from Bagamoyo right on the road to Kaole ruins, the crocodiles are in different ponds according to their age and growth. When visiting a crocodile farm in Bagamoyo you will have access to get a close view of some huge Crocodile and handle the babies.


RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
The Ruaha National Park is in the southern part of Tanzania and bear its name from a majestic river flowing 160km in the park, River Ruaha. The vegetations differs drastically between flat treeless savannahs, Miombo woodlands, dry bush lands, swamps, and riverine forests. Almost 1650 different plant species can be found in the park, creating a one of a kind botanical paradise.
Apart from the river the park is well known for its varied scenery – from large open plains to rolling hills, river systems to wetlands and kopjes to mountains. The Ruaha National Park marks the transition zone where eastern and southern species of flora and fauna overlap. The Great Rift Valley also runs through the park with escarpment walls rising between 50 and 100 m in height. Natural springs associated with the rift valley are scattered throughout the park.
During the dry season, the Ruaha River also dry and becomes waterholes of which predators take complete advantage of hide in wait, knowing that thirst will drive herds of impalas, gazelles, and other antelopes to come drink. The riverine vegetation on the shores around the river helps provide enough cover for lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, and hyenas making it the best hunting ground in the park.
The Ruaha National Park is famous for having one of the highest concentrations of African elephants in East Africa. Huge numbers of up to 200 are often spotted below giant baobab trees. Furthermore, the park is home to both species of kudu (greater and lesser) as well as the majestic sable and roan antelopes both of which are frequently seen.
Apart from mammals, 529 species have been sighted in the park. Some of the famous birds include the endemic Ruaha red billed hornbill, kingfishers, sunbirds, black collared lovebirds, ashy starlings, ground hornbills, bateleurs, fish eagles and many more.


KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
Katavi National Park is the 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 wilderness of Katavi National Park, located in the western area of Tanzania, is one of the most untouched areas in the entire country.
Katavi’s dramatic scenery is as varied as it is pristine. Flood plains of thick reeds and dense waterways are home to a huge population of hippos and varied birdlife. In the woodlands to the west, forest canopies shroud herds of Buffaloes and Elephants. Seasonal lakes fill with dirty colored water after the rains and animals from all corners of the park descend in them to drink. The park is also home to the rare Roan and Sable Antelope species, and it is a must-see for the visitors intending to explore the wilds of the continent.
WILDLIFE IN KATAVI
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 incident, with the vanquished male forced to lurk hapless on the open plains until it gathers sufficient confidence to mount another challenge.
Elephants live here in huge numbers (about 4000 in the park), there are large groups of Zebra, Giraffe, Hartebeest, Impala and other Antelope and impressive herds of Buffalo, sometimes numbering thousands. Several prides of Lion follow their prey around and Hyenas are common. Leopard are plentiful but as with everywhere, difficult to see.
WHY VISIT KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
- A true wilderness
- Almost all the mammals that are essential to East African plains are present in reasonable numbers
- An exceptional of rough natural beauty
- A great feeling of solitude because of the very small number of visitors
WHAT TO DO:
- Walking safaris
- Game Drives
- Camping safaris.
- Near Lake Katavi, visit the tamarind tree inhabited by the spirit of the legendary hunter Katabi (for whom the park is named) – Offerings are still left here by locals
GETTING THERE:
- Charter flights from Dar or Arusha
- Drive from Dar es Salaam or southern regions
BEST TIME TO VISIT
- Katavi National Park can be visited all year round. During the dry seasons (May to October and December to February), the animals congregate around the remaining water bodies and can be reached easily. During the wetter months, the extensive wetlands offer splendid scenery to adventurous visitors.


SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Tanzania’s oldest and most popular National Park, also a World Heritage Site and recently proclaimed a 7th world wide wonder, the Serengeti is famed for its annual migration. Serengeti National Park is unquestionably the best-known wildlife national park in the world, unique for its natural beauty and scientific value. With more than two million Wildebeest, half a million Thomson’s Gazelle, and a quarter of a million Zebra, it has the greatest concentration of plains game in Africa. The Wildebeest and Zebra moreover form the star cast of a unique spectacular – the annual Serengeti migration.
Located in northwest of Arusha, lying in a high plateau between the Ngorongoro highlands, Kenya and Tanzania borders and extending almost to Lake Victoria to the West. There is a variety of scenery, which includes the plains, lakes, hills and the rocky outcrops called kopjes. Hot air balloon safaris, Maasai rock paintings, musical rocks and visit neighboring attractions; Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Oldonyo Lengai volcano and Lake Natron’s flamingos.
HABITAT AND WILDLIFE
A unique combination of diverse habitats enables it to support more than 30 species of large herbivores and nearly 500 species of birds. Its landscape, originally formed by volcanic activity, has been sculptured by the concerted action of wind, rain and sun. It now varies from open grass plains in the south, savannah with scattered acacia trees in the center, hilly, wooded grassland in the North, to extensive woodland and black clay plains to the West. Small rivers, lakes and swamps are scattered throughout. In the south-east rise the great volcanic massifs and craters of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Each area has its own particular atmosphere and wildlife.
SERENGETI MANAGEMENT ZONE
The Park can be divided into 3 sections. The popular southern or central part (Seronera Valley), is what the Maasai called the “Serengit”, the land of endless plains. It’s classic savannah, dotted with acacias and filled with wildlife. The western corridor is marked by the Grumeti River, and has more forests and dense bush. The North, Lobo area, meets up with Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve, is the least visited section.
SERENGETI GREAT MIGRATION
The Serengeti hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, and one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world. Each year around the same time the circular great Wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro area of the Southern Serengeti of Tanzania. This migration is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing. It lasts from approximately January to March, when the calving season begins – a time when there is plenty of rain ripened grass available for the 750,000 Zebra that precede 1.2 million Wildebeest and the following hundreds of thousands of other plains game.
WHY VISIT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
- A unique savanna ecosystem with two million big mammals,comprising essentially all the plain species in East Africa.
- Big migrations are outstanding natural events
- Home of big cats and predators
- Great Natural Beauty – vast open, grassy plain, savanna environment dotted with thorn bushes or trees and occasional cluster of kopjes.
- An extremely popular park
WHAT TO DO:
- Game drive
- Balloon Safari – an unrivalled experience,
- A short Nature trail in Naabi Hill
- Guided hiking through the savanna
- Camping Safaris
GETTING THERE:
- Easy drive from Arusha or Lake Manyara
- Daily scheduled flight from Arusha, Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam
BEST TIME TO VISIT
- All Year around, the dry season (from late June to September) offers the best wildlife viewing in general- with the wildebeest migration as its absolute highlight. The timing of the migration varies every year (the best chance of seeing it is during June and July) while the wildebeest calving is from late January to February.


SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
The park is situated between Dar es Salaam (200 km, 4 hours) and Tanga (75km, 3 hours) and borders the mainland coast.
The Saadani National Park is home to a variable mix of both marine and mainland flora and fauna. The vegetation in the park is quite unique and includes mangrove forests around the winding Wami River and ocean, clumps of palm trees, coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, short and tall-grass savannah, and the harsh black cotton plains.
In terms of wildlife, Saadani has a thriving population of waterbucks, wildebeests, hartebeests, reedbucks, buffaloes, and giraffes. Warthogs, baboons, and colobus monkeys are often spotted, while elephants, lions and leopards are quite shy. But even for ornithologists this place is truly spectacular. A boat safari on the Wami River is a true highlight for any visitor and apart from pods of hippos and huge crocodiles, malachite, pied and even giant kingfishers can also be seen. Other common birds include the woolly necked stork, common sand pipers, lilac-breasted rollers, palm nut vultures, fish eagles and ground hornbills.
In Sadaani National Park you can enjoy game drives, boat safaris and walking safaris accompanied by an armed ranger. Historical tours to the old Saadani fishing village to see the remains of buildings that existed when this place was a bustling port trading ivory and slaves, can also be organized. Even cultural tours to the main ethnic tribes in the area (Waswahili, Wazigua and Wadoe) are on offer. Further ethnic groups from other regions have also migrated to the region because of better trade opportunities. The Wamangati, originally from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, send their cattle to Zanzibar on traditional dhows to make a living.
Unlike as in other national parks in Tanzania, visitors can combine a safari with a relaxing beach stay in Saadani National Park. The beaches are clean and lined with palm trees. Saadani’s coast is hot and humid and swimming is pleasant with the ocean’s temperatures usually reaching around 25°C. Maziwe reef can easily be reached by boat from anywhere along the Saadani coast.


MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
Mikumi National Park lie alongside the Northern border of Africa’s biggest Game Reserve – the Selous Game Reserve– forming a unique ecosystem, and is divided by the surfaced road between Dar es Salaam and Iringa. It is thus the most accessible part of a 75,000 square kilometer tract of wilderness that stretches East almost as far as the Indian Ocean. Other natural areas bordering the National Park are the Udzungwa Mountains and Uluguru Mountains. A good surfaced road connects Mikumi to Dar es Salaam via Morogoro, a roughly 4-hour drive.
The open horizons and abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain, the popular centerpiece of Mikumi, draw frequent comparisons to the more famous Serengeti Plains. Lions survey their grassy kingdom – and the Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala and Buffalo herds that migrate across it – from the flattened tops of termite mounds, or sometimes, during the rains, from perches high in the trees. Giraffes forage in the isolated acacia stands that fringe the Mkata River, islets of shade favored also by Mikumi’s Elephants.
Criss-crossed by a good circuit of game-viewing roads, the Mkata Floodplain is perhaps the most reliable place in Tanzania for sightings of the powerful Eland, the world’s largest Antelope. The equally impressive Greater Kudu and Sable Antelope haunt the Miombo-covered foothills of the mountains that rise from the park’s borders.
More than 400 bird species have been recorded, with such colorful common residents as the Lilac-breasted roller, Yellow-throated Long claw and bateleur eagle joined by a host of European migrants during the rainy season. Hippos are the star attraction of the pair of pools situated 5km north of the main entrance gate, supported by an ever-changing cast of water birds.
WHAT TO DO:
- Wildlife safaris
- Walking safaris
- Bird watching
- Camping safaris
GETTING THERE:
- Charter flight
- Drive from Dar es Salaam
BEST TIME TO VISIT
- Accessible all year round.




