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

$$$
A Tent with a View Lodge

Kristen K. (USA)

December 15, 2016

“A2T brings a level of professionalism to every aspect of the safari trip preparation process. We asked for a number of specifics (bean bags for the cameras, an extra battery to power a CPAP) and all was in order in the safari vehicle when we got there. David was asking why we went with A2T and I mentioned using some of these questions to sort through almost 2 dozen tour operators that I contacted on the way to choosing A2T. Having so much information available from A2T at every step of the process, including how to fill out the visa forms (and a link to the form), how much cash to bring for various things, how to pack, etc. makes what is otherwise a complicated and somewhat atypical trip to prepare for very straightforward. Karen spoke with us about why one would wish to choose one versus a different lodge and we found that each one brought a unique, wonderful experience on our trip.”