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
“Excellent staff. Casey was extremely responsive in planning the trip. I had certain things I did and didn’t want to do, he tailored our experience accordingly (and with keeping our budget in mind). The trip was perfectly proportioned, mostly because of him. Our guide on the ground, Wilfred, spent 12 days with us. We couldn’t have asked for someone better. We became comfortable companions, easily sitting together in silence over long drives or telling stories during dinner. He didn’t wait for us to ask something, he anticipated our needs. When he saw we didn’t finish our lunch boxes, he asked us what we liked and didn’t like. He made sure to relay the information to the hotels and we finished out lunches going forward. He saw I had an itch to get into the Wildebeest migration. Even though it was far away and our chances of finding it could be small, he made sure it happened. The staff set everything apart, especially when we compared it to our tour companies we saw in the area.”