Udzungwa National Park
Description: Udzungwa is the largest and most biodiverse of a chain of a dozen large forest-swathed mountains that rise majestically in Eastern Tanzania.
Known collectively as the Eastern Arc Mountains, it has also been dubbed the African Galapagos for its treasure-trove of endemic plants and animals, most familiarly the delicate African violet. It is a magnet for hikers, with its excellent network of forest trails.
Ornithologists are attracted by the avian wealth of more than 400 species. Of six primate species recorded, the Iringa red colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey (discovered in 1979) both occur nowhere else in the world.
Undoubtedly, more treasures are yet to be uncovered as scientific exploration continues.
Location: Just south of Mikumi, between Ruaha and Selous. A visit can be done as a day trip from Mikumi
Things 2 Do: Hiking
Time: Spend from 1 day to several, depending on your interest in hiking
Animals: 11 species of Primates, Buffalo, Elephants, 400+ bird species, 3 endemic Reptiles (a Gecko, a Skink and a Chameleon), Millipedes, a Tree Frog and more than 70 species of Spiders.
Accommodations
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Wami River Camp
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Foxes Safari Camp (Mikumi)
Vuma Hills Tented Camp (Mikumi)
“Access 2 Tanzania was awesome! Visiting Africa and going on Safari was on my bucket list and A2T fulfilled it completely. My husband likes spontaneity but I insist on long term planning so when my husband told me he wanted to go to Tanzania in just over 3 weeks I laughed. Two days later he came to me with a plan that Casey and he put together. I was dumb-founded. It was not a canned tour planned by A2T for a group. It was a private itinerary planned by my husband and Casey to accommodate exactly what WE wanted to do and where WE wanted to go. We left for Tanzania 3 weeks later! Amazing!
We changed plans many times after the initial plan and Casey was very patient and accommodated us with no resistance. Casey always had answers to our questions and gave us recommendations that we would never had thought of. A2T didn’t just give ‘lip service’ they provided what they said they would and told us what they could not. I questioned this because they offer so many wonderful options and I wondered what we would actually get when we arrived. Another thing I was pleased with is that during our planning Casey did not constantly try to ‘up sell’ us.
‘Wilfred’ was our guide and he was wonderful. He is such a nice, good and fun person. We felt so lucky to have him. That said, we spoke to others from A2T and they also felt the same about their guides so it is clear A2T chooses their guides carefully. (We still feel lucky to have Wilfred throughout our safari!)
I wish I could remember the names of all the others that we met and who helped us from A2T. We didn’t run into one bad seed. It’s been 5 months since we returned from Africa and although the names are not clear in my mind the warm, wonderful and exciting feeling of Africa will never fade.
If you have the opportunity to go to Africa go with Access 2 Tanzania! AMAZING!!”