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Katavi National Park

Unparalleled wildlife viewing during the dry-season

The park is Tanzania’s fourth largest at 2795 square miles (4471 square kms). While no scenery in Africa is boring, it is less spectacular than the Serengeti, until you get a glimpse of the park’s residents. Abundant throughout the year, the park’s rich wildlife population concentrates in spectacular number and variety when water sources recede during dry season. Elephant, giraffe, zebra, lion, eland, gazelle, and many more can be seen, as well as over 400 bird species.Â

The feather in Katavi’s wildlife-viewing cap, though, is certainly the hippo pools. As the dry season goes on, water recedes further and further, forcing hippos to gather in ever-tighter spaces. The famously aggressive animals can only take so much close contact, and fights and rivalries between male hippos are frequent and bloody. This rare (in other parks) scene is a unique opportunity to view the raw power of some of Tanzania’s most notorious animals.

hippo-lake manyara

Things to Do

Visitors to Katavi National Park come for one reason:

  1. Wildlife-viewing in a setting so remote that the likelihood of seeing other tourists from one day to the next is slim. When you book your stay at one of the lodges in the park, virtually all of them include safari packages with the accommodations.
  2. Game drives in an open-sided safari vehicle are the most popular method of looking for animals, including night drives when the animals are most active. If you want to forget the vehicle, many of the lodges offer a walking safari as well.
  3. Walking safaris – Exploring the African bush on foot is the ultimate adventure, giving you the chance for closer and more intimate encounters with the local wildlife (always accompanied by an armed guard, of course). The longer Chorangwa Trail is over 6 miles long and takes at least five hours to complete, while the Sitalike Trail is broken up into shorter distances so you can choose something more manageable.
  4. Hiking enthusiasts, there’s a 10-mile trail through the park’s forests that leads to a scenic viewpoint overlooking the Rukwa Valley and passes by no less than three waterfalls. The best time to hike is in May at the beginning of the dry season when the waterfalls are still roaring but you don’t have to deal with storms affecting your trek.
  5. Culture Safaris, If you have an interest in local culture, be sure to visit the sacred tamarind tree near Lake Katavi. It is said to be inhabited by the spirit of a legendary hunter, Katabi, after whom the park is named.Â
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