Discover Katavi National Park
Created in 1974, Katavi National Park is situated in the Katavi Region in southwestern Tanzania. It is located north of the ‘Rukwa Rift’, an extension of the Western Rift Valley. With an area of roughly 4,471km², Katavi is the third-largest national park in Tanzania. The park is home to the Katuma River, Lake Chada floodplains, and the seasonal Lake Katavi. There are only 3 permanent camps in Katavi National Park: Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge, Chada on the Chada Plain, and the Foxes on the Katuma Plain. Each camp has the capacity to host 12 visitors, a limit which adds to the sense of exclusivity. Katavi National Park is home to an abundance of wildlife, including wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, zebras, African buffaloes, lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Crocodiles and hippos are frequently spotted on the banks of the Katuma River. During the dry season, hippos relax in mud-holes and cover themselves in mud sunscreen to protect their sensitive skin. Katavi is also a refuge for wild dogs, a critically endangered species.
Why visit:
Katavi is like travelling back in time, maybe to the Pleistocene era. Animals seem bigger and more bestial. As a human, for once, you don’t feel like you own the planet. It’s a thrilling experience. Survival here depends on fragile seasonal rivers, the Katuma, the Kavu and the Kapapa. Between the rivers, huge herds of buffalo and other herbivores concentrate for the rich grass of four great floodplains, including (our own backyard) Chada.
As months wear on, the grass dries gold and withers. By the end of the dry season, it’s all going a bit mad. As water becomes limited, so animals are drawn to the riverbanks. Hippopotamus in their thousands cram dwindling pools, crocodiles dig riverbank caves. Buffalo and elephant compete for waterholes. Lion, hyenas and other predators know this and wildlife watching here becomes even more outstanding.
Best time:
The best time to visit Katavi National Park is during the annual dry season from June to December. During the dry season, the Katuma River is one of the only water sources within the surrounding area, and you will have spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities around the river. Hundreds of hippos and crocodiles gather around the scarce
waterholes, and thousands of topis, impalas, and zebras pass through the plains. Despite the increase in visitor numbers during the peak season, you will virtually have the park to yourself.
Weather & Climate:
The average temperature in Katavi National Park in June for a typical day range from a high of 82°F (28°C) to a low of 57°F (14°C). Some would describe it as pleasantly warm with a gentle breeze. For comparison, the hottest month in Katavi National Park, October, has days with highs of 92°F (33°C) and lows of 63°F (17°C). The coldest month, July has days with highs of 82°F (28°C) and lows of 56°F (13°C). This graph shows how an average day looks like in Katavi National Park in June based on historical data.
Wildlife:
During the Dry season in Katavi National Park, the Katuma River is packed with hippo, while crocodile bask on the sandbanks. Huge herds of buffalo, topi and impala gather with elephant and defassa waterbuck around the drying water reserves of Lake Katavi and Lake Chada. Opportunistic lion prides are never far from the remaining water sources, waiting for their prey to come to them. Katavi isn’t particularly known for unusual animals, but it is the numbers of them that are staggering. Buffalo herds numbering thousands can be seen. Hippo burst out of the remaining puddles of the seasonal rivers at the end of the Dry season. Beautiful sable antelope can sometimes be found in the miombo woodland.
Bird:
At least 400 different species of birds have been recorded in Katavi National Park, including the African skimmer, Carmine bee ‒ eater, Racket tailed roller, Miombo bush warbler, Collared palm thrush, and Palm nut vulture). The different types of habitats which include extensive wetlands make Katavi National Park one of the best locations for bird lovers.
The birdlife in Katavi is good year-round, but at its best from November to April when Palearctic and intra-African migratory birds are present. This coincides with the Wet season. At this time, many resident bird species are nesting and are in breeding plumage. The problem, however, is that many roads become hard to travel after continuous rain. As a result, most camps close for part or all of the period from November to May.
Getting There:
The most convenient way to reach Katavi is via a 4-5 hour-chartered flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. Depending on your itinerary, your entry point to Katavi will be through Kilimanjaro International Airport (46 km from Arusha) or the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar. By car, Katavi is a 2‒3-day drive from Dar and the road journey from Arusha takes 22 hours. We recommend that you fly to save you from a long road journey. The only commercial flight is the bi-weekly service between Uaha, Katavi and Mahale which is operated by Safari Air Link