Katavi National Park
Description: Isolated, untouched and with few visitors, Katavi is a true wilderness, providing a taste of the untouched Africa.
As Tanzania’s third largest national park it would attract large numbers of visitors, but it is in the remote Southwest part of Tanzania and difficult to reach. It is best to visit during the dry seasons (June through October) when water is scarce and for miles along the Katuma River, animals congregate in unbelievable numbers.
Towards the end of the dry season, up to 200 hippos might gather in one place and as more gather, the male rivalry heats up with ferocious territorial fights.
Location: Western Tanzania, reachable only with shared
Things 2 Do: Game Drives, Walking Safari, Fly Camping
Time: Stay at least 3 or 4 nights. Go in dry seasons: June to October and late-December to early March.
Animals: Thousands of Elephants, several herds of 1000-plus Buffalo and an abundance of Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Hippos and Reedbuck, not to mention the numerous Lion prides and Spotted Hyena clans.
Accommodations
$
Chief Nsalamba Rest House
$$
Katavi Wildlife Camp
Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge
$$$$
Chada Katavi
“The entire trip was superbly planned, down to the tiniest details. In the planning stages, Casey was very receptive to what we were looking to do and was very straightforward about the pros and cons of each aspect of the trip. Once it was booked, he was very helpful with helping us plan and figure out what to expect when we got there. All of his recommendations and bits of advice were spot on. In particular, they went above and beyond when we had a problem during the trip. My wife had a reaction to one of the medications she was taking and we needed to seek out a doctor. Casey, our guide Maningo, and the rest of the A2T crew were on top of it, calling us in the middle of Ngorongoro Crater to make sure we got what we needed. Casey and Maningo got a local American doctor on the phone to consult, and we managed to fix the problem pretty quickly. Everybody was wonderful in a moment where we were feeling a bit nervous about what to do.”