Mikumi is one of Tanzania’s tourists impressive national park locate in southern within Morogoro region and most accessible from Dar es Salaam, with almost guaranteed year round wild life sightings, for those without much time. It’s open horizons and abundant wildlife draws common comparison to the more famous Serengeti Plains and hence the name (“Little Serengeti”). The park borders the Selous Game Reserve to the south and the two areas form an exclusive ecosystem within its 3230sq km – set between the Uluguru mountains in the northeast, the Rubeho mountains to the northwest and the Lumango Mountains to the southeast- This area is especially good for sporting buffaloes –often quite near the roadside-as well as giraffes, elephants and zebras with also Hippos in the northwest of the main entry gate, predators like Lions are fermace too.
If you are travelling for education purpose and note for leisure Mikumi National Park is also the super destination for students and Researchers. However Mikumi is an important educational and research centre. Among the various projects being carried out is ongoing field study of yellow baboons, which is one of just a handful of such long-term primate study on continent.
Sharing a common border and ecosystem with Selous Game Reserve to the south, Mikumi National Park is only three to four hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam, lying astride the main highway to Zambia, and en route to Udzungwa Mountains, Ruaha and Kitulo Plateau National Parks. The main feature of the park is the Mkata flood plain that is very good for wildlife spotting. Open grasslands dominate in the flood plain, eventually merging with the miombo woodland covering the lower hills.
WILDLIFE.
An area of 3,230 sq. km, with variety of vegetation type is rich in wildlife including buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, lion, elephant, impala, hippos, baboon, giraffe, warthog, waterbuck and eland which can be viewed throughout the year. Reptiles including crocodile, monitor lizard and python are also resident in the park. Other animals that can be sighted although rare seen are the Sable Antelope resident in the southern part of the park bordering the Selous, the Greater Kudu, leopard, and the wild dog also known as the African Hunting Dog. And more than 400 bird species have been recorded, including European migrants during the rainy season.
Mikumi National Park is one of the most popular visitor points from Dar es Salaam being easy accessible. Being close to Dar es Salaam on good road, day trips are popular especially for those who have little time to spend an overnight there. But we recommend to spend at least a night in the or nearest accommodation to enjoy a fulfilling game viewing in this fascinating park.
Mikumi Camp and Lodges are more basic compared with other national parks. But we would recommend some for you:
TRAVEL DURATION & TIME TO MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
Dar es Salaam – Mikumi: 4 hrs. drive
Selous – Mikumi: 10 hrs. drive through the interior villages that might leave you with wonderful experience (Some do take flight)
Udzungwa – Mikumi: 1.5 – 2 hrs.
Ruaha – Mikumi: drive 5-6 hrs. Via Iringa Town. (Some do take flight)
Throw your eyes to this untouchable and golden wildlife area.
The greater part of the Selous Game Reserve with an area of over 23000 sq. km was established as Nyerere National Park in 2019, then is allocated for photographic tourism, and it is one of the exquisite and game-rich areas in the whole ecosystem. Three-quarters of the reserves is woodland of various types, short grassy plains, and seasonally flooded pans. Impressive riverine forests and dense impenetrable thickets are important habitats within the Park. The wide, meandering Rufiji River is one of the largest water lake and swamps; it is one of the most exceptional ecological systems in the whole East Africa.
THE RUFIJI RIVER
The river scenery is made all the more spectacular by the groves of Borassus palms, an indigenous species with tall fronds that sway majestically in the African breeze. With the channels, lagoons and oxbow lakes the river supports life of animals in big percentage such as Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, Fish, Birds and all that depend on water.
WILDLIFE
The park supports enormous numbers of wild animals from 200,000 buffalos, 30,000 elephants, (more than half of the country’s population) 80,000 wildebeests also plenty of Impala, Kudu and Baboons as well as one of the healthiest populations of the endangered African Wild Dog without forgetting its predators like Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and Hyenas. Also its habitat support life of many other animals. A successful project is underway to nurture the reserve’s population of black rhino back to health following their depletion by poachers in the 1970s and 80s, and sightings are now possible in the tourist area. The most conspicuous bird life is to be found around the constantly changing pattern of sandbanks, oxbow lakes, lagoons and channels along the Rufiji River. Generally there are more than 450 to 500 bird species which include migrant and resident birds’ dwells in the park.
ACTIVITIES
ACOMMODATION.
DISTANCE & TRAVEL TIME TO NYERERE
Udzungwa Mountain National Park is one of the most beautiful park in southern Tanzania, located in two different regions in between Iringa region and Kilolo district in Morogoro region. Its habitat contains mountain forest, tropical rainforest, grassland, miombo woodland and steppe. It’s total area of about 1,990 sq km offers shelter to more than 6 primate species, over 400 bird species with 2.500 variety of plants. It is the only world Park where the Iringa red colobus and the Sanje crested mangabey found. Udzungwa has also the second largest biodiversity of any African National Park. This is one of the Park that you shouldn’t miss in your trip bucket list in southern Tanzania.
MAMMALS OF UDZUNGWA.
The Park has variety of wildlife include six primate species recorded in the park, five of which are endemic. The Iringa red colobus, Udzungwa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, the mangabey species was undetected by biologists prior to 1979. And new endemic species of chameleon was discovered in 2009. Also Elephants are found within the forest park and others such as Abbott’s duiker, Kipunji and scarce grey-faced sengi.
BIRDS OF UDZUNGWA.
With its 400 species of birds as a birder you won’t be missing your smile while at a visit in the park. Udzungwa is one of the top three bird conservation area. Some of the bird species are Ruppells Vulture, Crowned Eagle, African hobby, Marabou Stork, Olive-flanked robin-chat, White-chested alethe, Dappled mountain-robin and Sharpe’s akalat. Francolin and Rufous-winged Sunbird where discovered few years ago. The Udzungwa forest partridge was only discovered in 1991, which is related to the hill partridges of Asia.
UDZUNGWA’S CLIMATE
The rainfall seasons occur in between November then March-to-May as wet season, during the dry season June to November there is also sorts of few and light rains with mist that occurs at high elevations with cool temperature. We don’t recommend to visit the Park in the wet months while the best time is June to October.
ACTIVITIES
TRAVEL DURATION AND TIME
Explore the Wondering Nature
One of the country’s most outstanding and intact wilderness area. It is the second largest National Park, covering an area of 20,226 sq.km located in south-central Tanzania. During the dry season, when game viewing is at its best, animals are drawn to the Great Ruaha River and other water sources. The name Ruaha was derived from the hehe word called ”Luhava” meaning the great river.
With its climate the Park experiences only one rainfall season which is from Novermber to May with only 500 to 800 mm in an altitude of 750 to 1868 meters that brought variety of vegetation but the most dominant are Scattered Acacia and Baobab trees.
WILDLIFE.
This is the place where visitors can see both lesser and Greater Kudu because it is the southernmost limit for Lesser Kudu in African continent. It is also essential to see, Sable and Roan antelope, Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest, Topi, both Southern, Bohor reedbuck and Grants Gazelle. In addition to this, Ruaha boasts a healthy population of Wild Dogs, Leopard, Lions, Cheetah, Buffalo, and high concentration of Elephant, just to mention few species, of which there are plenty.
The park is also the best place for bird lovers with more than 574 bird species recorded, it is difficult to visit this beautiful Park and not be impressed by the number and variety of birds seen.
The Great Ruaha River
”This is the Heart of the Park” and one of the main attraction for many tourists with its magnificent land scape the cool green shade along the River its Crocodile and Hippos, also the scattered Baobabs trees, the rocky hillsides and the open grassy plains, all make a wonderful and exciting trip, though the best time to be there is mainly in the dry season and normally more than two nights are recommended here.
Accommodations in Ruaha are almost all of a high end level, I do recommend:
TRAVEL DURATION & TIME TO RUAHA
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