KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
Size: 4,471 sq
km (1,727 sq miles).Located Southwest Tanzania, east of
Lake Tanganyika.
Isolated, untrammeled and seldom visited, Katavi is a
true wilderness, providing the few intrepid souls who
make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it
must have been a century ago.
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 bulk of Katavi supports a hypnotically featureless
cover of tangled brachystegia woodland, home to
substantial but elusive populations of the localised
eland, sable and roan antelopes. But the main focus for
game viewing within the park is the Katuma River and
associated floodplains such as the seasonal Lakes Katavi
and Chada. During the rainy season, these lush, marshy
lakes are a haven for myriad water birds, and they also
support Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippo and
crocodile.
It is during the dry season, when the floodwaters
retreat, that Katavi truly comes into its own. The
Katuma, reduced to a shallow, muddy trickle, forms the
only source of drinking water for miles around, and the
flanking floodplains support game concentrations that
defy belief. An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge
on the area, together with several herds of 1,000-plus
buffalo, while an abundance of giraffe, zebra, impala
and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous lion
prides and spotted hyena clans whose territories
converge on the floodplains.
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 occurrence, with the vanquished
male forced to lurk hapless on the open plains until it
gathers sufficient confidence to mount another
challenge.
Getting There:
Shared charter flights from Arusha and Ruaha are there
most affordable way to access Katavi. Flights from/to
Arusha/Katavi depart Tuesdays and Fridays and from/to
Ruaha depart Mondays and Thursdays.
By road from Mbeya via Sumbawanga is an expedition in
itself but if you have the time it is an interesting
route through some of the most remote areas in Tanzania.
The train from Dar es Salaam to Mpanda via Tabora is an
alternative route as well for those with time and a
sense of adventure.
When to go
The dry season (May-October).
Roads within the park are often flooded during the rainy
season but may be passable from mid-December to
February.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Katavi Wilderness camp is very exclusive and located in
the best game area so that you can watch the daily
movements of game between food and water and witness the
dramas unfold before you.
The tents, luxurious is size and furnishings are
cunningly set back in amongst the trees that line the
floodplains, providing both shade and camouflage in the
prime game viewing area of the park.
Katuma Katavi Tented Camp - is situated in the centre of
the park, on an elevated point overlooking the vast
plains of Katisunga. Herds of animals coming in search
of fresh grazing grounds and water provide the perfect
view right from your tent. Tamarind and Acacia trees
provide shade and the sunsets behind the distant
woodlands surrounding the seasonal lake provide a
perfect background to the stunning scenery.
The camp consists of six spacious tents, where every
minor detail has been addressed to ensure comfort and
luxury – from sumptuous linens to international cuisine,
blending in with the natural surroundings to uphold the
spirit of Katavi.
Chada Katavi- is situated in the core of Katavi National
Park, in western Tanzania. It's said to be one of the
wildest places on earth. Filing the floor of the Rukwa
Valley - a minor fault of the western rift - Katavi
National Park spans over a million acres, and due to its
remoteness is one of the least visited parks in
Tanzania. Across these plains run the last great herds
of buffalo in east Africa.
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