Katavi National Park is a Tanzanian National Park created in 1974 and is located in Katavi Region, Tanzania. It’s a very remote park that is less visited than other Tanzanian National parks. The park is 4,471 square kilometers in the area, which makes it the third largest national park in Tanzania. The park encompasses the Katuma river and the seasonal Lake Katavi and Lake Chada flood plains. The wildlife features include cape buffaloes, hippos, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, leopards and the lions.

How to access the park

Getting to the park for visitors will likely be arranged by the hosting camp, with one of the available charter flight services being the Mbali Mbali shared charter. All the flights will require landing on a dirt airstrip; the Ikuu airstrip has got minimal services, its three-hour flight from Katavi to Dar es Salaam and two hours’ flight to Mwanza via a small bush compatible light aircraft. A flight to Arusha is 3 hours distant and operates on limited service usually only twice a week on Moday’s and Thursday s. Access to Katayi via ground transportation; the most direct route to Dar es salaam as per google Maps is 1250km and needs 16+ hours.

The park can be accessed through charter flights from Dar or Arusha. By road a tough but spectacular day’s drive from Mbeya or in the dry season only from Kigoma. Its also possible to reach Mpanda by rail from Dar via Tabora and then catch public transport to sit alike, where the game drives can be arranged.

Attractions

Katavi’s hippos offer most singular wildlife spectacle. Towards the end of the dry season, up to 200 individuals might flop together in any riverine pool of depth. More hippos gather in one place to swim. You also meet many crocodiles and elephants.

The park has got many tourist activities that can be enjoyed by the tourists who visit the park. Some of these include;

Nature walks

These are carried out by experienced armed ranger guides who will help you pass through the trails as you enjoy the many animal species like the hippos, buffaloes, birds, and many more. You also get to enjoy scenery viewing as well as bird watching.

Game viewing

The National park has got many animals species that can be enjoyed on any game drive and some of the animals include; cape buffaloes, hippos, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, leopards and the lions. The game drives can be carried out in the morning or in the afternoon and during night time.

Cultural trails.

Just near Lake Katavi, visit the tamarind tree that lives by the spirit of the legendary hunter katabi for whom the park is named, offerings are still left here by locals seeking the spirit’s blessing.

The national park has limited facilities with just one camp in the park. One seasonal luxury tented camp overlooks lake chad rest house at Sit alike and campsite inside the park. There are also basic but clean hotels at Mpanda.