Saadani National Park
Description: One of Tanzania’s newest national parks, Saadani bills itself as one of the few spots in the country where you can enjoy the beach and watch wildlife at the same time. It’s easily accessible from Dar es Salaam as an overnight excursion and is a good choice if you don’t have time to explore further afield. To the south of the reserve is the Wami River, where you’ll probably see hippos, crocodiles and many birds, including lesser flamingos, fish eagles, hamerkops, kingfishers and bee-eaters. Wildlife-watching can’t be compared with that in the better-known national parks, animal numbers are slowly increasing now that poaching is being brought under control. You’ll also likely see giraffes, and elephant spottings are increasingly common. With more effort, you may see hartebeests and even lions, although these are more difficult to spot. The birding is also wonderful.
Things 2 Do: Game drives, Boat trips, Bush walks, Village tours
Accommodations
“Five star! Eleven out of ten! Simply a flawless, stress free and fabulous experience from beginning to end!! Our beginning was pre-COVID 2019 and we embarked on our safari in 2023 so our relationship lasted for 4 years. During that long uncertain time, not once did we feel like our safari experience was at risk. From the first time I spoke with Casey to plan our trip, it was smooth sailing. Karen was amazing at keeping us on track with the payments and the daunting visa process and I simply can’t put into words how incredible both Maningo was at intuitively giving us the best safari experiences I could have ever imagined!”