Katavi National Park

Just like others national parks of Tanzania, Katavi is best experienced during the dry season from the months of July to October or even early November. But after that rain sets in and park becomes impassable. During the dry season, park animals gather around the Katuma River and other reliable water sources, making game viewing better.

June and early July is when there’s very little rainfall and a lush green layer adorn the park.

Going off the beaten track is verily justified by a trip to Katavi National Park, which undoubtedly is the most remote and thriving wildlife haven in Tanzania. The third largest park is of deep cultural significance to the Pimbwe people, for their ancestors are buried there. Named after the legendary hunter bushman Katabi the park is revered and is the spiritual homeland of the Pimbwe who were traditionally hunters and horticulturists. Learn about the cultural norms of the Pingwe and their new way of subsistence after losing access to the rich floodplains. If you are planning a trip to Katavi don’t forget to include in your to-do list a visit to Stone and Iron Age sites and sacred sites such as the Katabi Tree, where the Wabende spirit, Katabi, lives.

The culinary sample of Katavi is not much different from the food available in the mainland. A typical breakfast would be bread with Chai. Other breakfast options in Tanzanian cuisine include Uji, a millet porridge, and chapatis – a mildly sweetened and deep-fried square of dough. Lunch would be the national dish ugali a cassava or maize porridge. If there is one dish that’s got Tanzania written all over it, it is Nyama Choma, grilled barbequed meat of goat chicken lamb. Ndizi Kaanga, a stew of green banana and fish is a side dish to ugali. Supu Ya Ndizi or plantain soup is traditional fare where mashed plantains are cooked in chicken stock and seasoned with pepper and salt. Wali na maharagwe (rice and beans) is a good source of protein if meats are not your thing

As it remains isolated from the regular safari circuit of Tanzania, it is relatively difficult -- and expensive -- to get here. Nonetheless, it can be reached both by road and by plane.

Roadways: You can get to Katavi from Arusha by following a difficult road which takes about 15 to 18 hours of drive time spanning over two days.

Airways: Fly in to Kilimanjaro International Airport if you’re coming from outside Tanzania and take a charter flight into the park which is around 3-hours of flight time.

The dramatic national park of Katavi offers ton of activities for the few tourists that make it to the park. Some of them are:

• Off-road trips
• Regular game drives (both day and night)
• Guided waking safari
• Fly-camping
• Swimming

Katavi is blessed with a distinctive and stunning ecosystem. It is located at the end of the Great African Rift Valley and features floodplains, network of seasonal rivers and streams. During the dry season, most of these dry up, so visit during the June-July time period to witness the lush dense environment.

The park also account for accommodating indigenous mammals like zebra, antelope, hippo, elephant, leopard, lion, cheetah, hyena, cape buffalo etc.