Katavi National Park
22 -25 July 2021
This park in south-west Tanzania is very remote and rarely visited. Although it is the third largest national park in the country and has an incredible diversity of wildlife, it receives only a few hundred tourists per year.
The park is mainly a wet plain, with many rivers flowing lazily down from the highlands to Lake Rukwa and, in the rainy season, overflowing for miles, bringing life to the plain. In the dry season, the permanently remaining waterholes are the only way for the wildlife of the region to drink around. Once again, the availability of water and the abundance of life go hand in hand!
Here, unfortunately, the government housing is located 50km outside the park. Before the Covid period, there was the possibility to organise a mobile camp inside the park but the manager of these tents gave up due to lack of tourists.
So we had to stay in a luxury lodge, Katavi Wildlife Camp, where there were no guests. Our friend Emmy was able to negotiate a more decent price!
On our way to this remote lodge in the middle of the park at night, we were lucky enough to see a female Leopard, Panthera pardus, with her two young at the edge of the track!
The luxurious lodge offers a beautiful view of the Ikuu River, with its procession of birds, ranging from Herons, Great White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus, Collared Pratincoles, Glareola pratincola, Whiskered Terns, Chlidonias hybrida and various Raptors attracted by so much potential prey. Mammals, Ungulates and Hippos are everywhere. This park has the highest density of this species in Tanzania.
A walk with a ranger along the river was very appreciated! Indeed, in the National Parks of Tanzania in the middle of the savannah, it is generally forbidden to walk other than by car because of the presence of Lions, Buffalos and other animals potentially dangerous for Homo sapiens....
In short, another wonderful place in Tanzania and also seemingly well protected, which only makes you want to go back!
The other visited regions:
- Nyerere National Park (Big river, lots of hippos and crocodiles)
- Ruaha National Park(Lions, Elephants and more...)
- Mahale National Park (Chimp!!)
- Burigi-Chato National Park (new!) and Rubondo island (Victoria lake)
- Lake Mburo and Bwindi impenetrable National park (Uganda, Gorillas and co)
