Katavi National Park is a remote Tanzania national park and one of the secret safari gems in the country located in the far west of the country.
Katavi is the 4th (forth) largest park in Tanzania at a size of 4,471 square kilometers and is an ideal destination for safari enthusiasts.
The dominant feature in Katavi national park is the 425 square kilometers Katisunga Plan – a vast grassy expanse at the heart of the park, Katisunga and other flood plains in the park make up the vast tracts of bush and woodland which are the best areas for sighting various wildlife species including excellent sightings of roan and sable antelopes that only exist in Katavi and Ruaha National Parks.
Katavi National Park is an isolated national park and a true wilderness offering tourists on a safari in Tanzania a thrilling experience in Tanzania, the park is located in western region of Tanzania about 40 kilometers south of Mpanda Town and is situated in the shortened arm of the Great Rift Valley which ends in the shallow area of Lake Rukwa and lies just east of Lake Tanganyika.
The headquarters of the park are found at Sitalike approximately 40 kilometers south of the Mpanda Town, the park is also found approximately 503 kilometers from Mbeya town which is about 838 kilometers from Dar es Salaam. The park is also 382 kilometers from Kigoma town and 1,062 kilometers from Arusha Town.
The park is primarily fed by the Katuma River in the rainy season that is April and May which transform the park into a wetland, other water bodies found in the park are Lake Chada and Lake Katavi which are both seasonal lakes. In terms of vegetation, the park is dominated by a varied mix of bushland, Miombo forest, riverine forests and grasslands.
History of Katavi National Park
Katavi National Park was first designated as a protected area in 1911 during the German occupation, the area was later named Rukwa Game Reserve under British occupation until 1932. In 1974, the protected at a size of 1,823 square kilometers was declared a National Park, in 1997 it was extended to 4,471 square kilometers and was officially opened as a national park in 1998.
Katavi National Park’s name was derived from the Wabende Spirit “Katabi” who according to the local legend lives in a tamarind tree near Lake Katavi. the name Katabi was the name of a legendary hunter and is believed that the tamarind tree is inhabited by the spirit of Katabi.
The local people visit The Tamarind tree looking for blessings from his spirit and they leave offerings at the foot of the tree.
Wildlife in Katavi National Park
The Park is renowned for its outstanding volumes of wildlife that are believed to be higher than in Ngorongoro according to researchers, the park is home to both roan and sable antelopes which are rare species, a healthy population of about 3,000 elephants and predators such as cheetahs, hyenas, jackals and servals.
Other wildlife found in Katavi National Park include giraffes, topis, elands, duikers, hartebeests, impalas, topis, duikers among others.
During the dry season, the Katavi, Katuma and Chada Rivers become just pools thus attracting lots of resident game.
Birdlife in Katavi National Park
Katavi National Park is home to over 400 species of birds making it a great place for birdwatchers, the park’s various habitats such as rivers harbor a large concentration of waterbirds, forests host many forest birds among others.
Birds in Katavi include Large flocks of storks like saddle bills, open-billed and spoon bills as well as African fish eagles, Bateleurs, lilac breasted rollers, crested barbets and paradise flycatchers.
Other birds in Katavi National Park include Black Heron, Rufous – bellied Heron, Dwarf Bittern, Pygmy Goose, Dickinson’s kestrel, Forbes’ plover, Go-away-bird, Brown – necked parrot, Boehm’s Bee-eater, Swallow – tailed Bee-eater, Pale – billed Hornbill, Fiery – necked Nightjar, Pennant – wing Nightjar, Red – faced mousebird, Black – backed Barbet, African pitta, Blue swallow, White – breasted cuckoo shrike, White – winged babbling starling, Yellow – throated petronia and Tanzania masked weaver among others.
TOURIST ACTIVITIES IN KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
Game drives
Katavi National Parks supports a high concentration of wildlife which makes it one of the best destinations in Tanzania for game viewing safaris, game drives are in Katavi are offered as day game drives lasting from 06:30 – 18: 30 hours and night game drives from 08:00 pm – 11 pm.
Day game drives in Katavi national park offers you a chance to enjoy sightings of various wildlife species including elephants, leopards, lions, buffaloes, warthogs, gazelles, elands and many more.
Night game drives in Katavi National Park last for 2-3 hours offers visitors a chance to watching hunting action as lions look for their prey, hear songs of night birds and nocturnal animals.
Walking/hiking safaris
Hiking/walking safaris is a unique way to experience and explore Katavi National Park, on the activity you are escorted by a ranger guide. The excursion starts begins at the headquarters and there are both long and short walking safaris, long walking safaris follow the Chorangwa hiking trail which takes more than five hours of walking and it is 17 kilometers of walking to an elevated point where you will get to view Chorangwa, Lukima and Ndido waterfalls found within the park.
Short walking safari follows the Sitalike Walking trail that ranges from 1-9 kilometers long and takes more than three hours.
Birding
Katavi National Park is a great destination for Tanzania bird watching tours, the park is home to over 450 bird species which you will get sight of during birding excursion. Some of the birds to lookout for include Black Heron, Rufous – bellied Heron, Dwarf Bittern, Pygmy Goose, Dickinson’s kestrel, Forbes’ plover, Go-away-bird, Brown – necked parrot, Boehm’s Bee-eater, Swallow – tailed Bee-eater, Pale – billed Hornbill, Fiery – necked Nightjar, Pennant – wing Nightjar, Red – faced mousebird, Black – backed Barbet and African pitta among others.
The best time for birding in Katavi is during the months of November to April when migratory birds come from Europe and Northern Africa to join resident species in the park.
Camping
Katavi National Park has a number of camping sites where visitors can stay and get first hand experience of wilderness and nature while sleeping under the stars. There are public campsites which have all the important facilities like toilets, bathrooms, kitchen, dining and water.
There are also flying camping, a very prominent model of special camping where visitors have more privacy.
WHEN TO VISIT KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
The best time to visit Katavi National Park to enjoy a great Tanzania safari experience is during the dry season running from June to October, this is the best time to see animals as they get to congregate in large number around the remaining waterholes in the park. Katuma River is one of the only sources of water in the park during the dry season.
July to October is the peak season for Katavi so if you plan to visit in these months, you should book for safari as early as possible, about 3 months to the dates of your safari.
ACCOMMODATION IN KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
There is a number of safari lodges and camps in Katavi national park ranging from luxury lodges, midranges to budget. These accommodations include
- Katavi wildlife camp
- Nomad Tented Camp
- Chada Katavi Camp
- Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge
- Palahala luxury camp
- Campsites including Ikuu public campsite, HQ Public campsite, Katavi Picnic Site among others
HOW TO GET TO KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
Road, Rail and air are the only methods of transport used to get to Katavi National Park.
By Air – There are several companies offering domestic and chartered flights from Dar es Salaam to Katavi National Park’s airstrips that is Sitalike and Ikuu airstrips including Zantas air, Safari air Link.
By Road – from either Dar es Salaam via Mbeya (1,513 kilometers), Dar es Salaam via Tabora (1016 kilometers) or Mwanza via Tabora – Inyonga (741 kilometers).
By Rail – it is possible to reach Mpanda by train from Dar es Salaam via Tabora then catch public transport to Sitalike where game drives in the park are arranged.
