Katavi
The wilderness of
Katavi National Park, located in the western area of Tanzania, is one of the
most untouched areas in the entire country. It offers un-spoilt wildlife
viewing in the country’s third-largest national park, in a remote location far
off the beaten track. The national park is Africa at its most wild —
unadulterated bush settings, spectacular views, and rich wildlife.
Katavi’s dramatic scenery is as varied as it is pristine. Flood plains of thick reeds and dense waterways are home to a huge population of hippo and varied birdlife. In the woodlands to the west, forest canopies shroud herds of buffaloes and elephants. Seasonal lakes fill with dirty coloured water after the rains and animals from all corners of the park descend in them to drink. The park is also home to the rare roan and sable antelope species, and it is a must-see for the visitors intending to explore the wilds of the continent.
Isolated,
untrammeled and seldom visited, Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few
intrepid souls who make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as if it must
have been a century ago.
Tanzania’s third
largest national park; it lies in the remote area southwest of the country,
within a truncated arm of the Rift Valley that terminates in the shallow,
brooding expanse of Lake Rukwa.
The bulk of Katavi
supports a hypnotically featureless cover of tangled brachystegia woodland,
home to substantial but elusive populations of the localised eland, sable and
roan antelopes. Nevertheless the main focus for game viewing within the park is
the Katuma River and associated floodplains such as the seasonal Lakes Katavi
and Chada. During the rainy season, these lush, marshy lakes are a haven for
myriad water birds, and they also support Tanzania’s densest concentrations
of hippos and crocodiles.
It is during the
dry season, when the floodwaters retreat, that Katavi truly comes into life.
The Katuma, reduced to a shallow muddy trickle, forms the only source of
drinking water for miles around, and the flanking floodplains support game
concentrations that defy belief. An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge on
the area, together with several herds of 1,000-plus buffalo, while an abundance
of giraffes, zebras, impalas and reedbucks provide easy pickings for the
numerous lion prides and spotted hyena clans whose territories converge on the
floodplains.
Katavi’s most
singular wildlife spectacle is provided by its hippos. Towards the end of the
dry season, up to 200 individuals might flop together in any riverine pool of
sufficient depth. And as more hippos gather in one place, so does male rivalry
heat up – bloody territorial fights are an everyday incident, with the
vanquished male forced to lurk hapless on the open plains until it gathers
sufficient confidence to mount another challenge.
About Katavi National Park
Size: 4,471 sq km
(1,727 sq miles).
Location; Southwest
Tanzania, east of Lake Tanganyika.
The headquarters at
Sitalike lie 40km (25 miles) south of Mpanda town.
Getting there
Charter flights
from Dar or Arusha.
A tough but
spectacular day’s drive from Mbeya (550 km/340 miles), or in the dry season
only from Kigoma (390 km/240 miles).
It is possible to
reach Mpanda by rail from Dar via Tabora, then to get public transport to
Sitalike, where game drives can be arranged. If travelling overland, allow
plenty of time to get there and back.
What to do
Walking, driving
and camping safaris.
Near Lake Katavi,
visit the tamarind tree inhabited by the spirit of the legendary hunter Katabi
(for whom the park is named) – Offerings are still left here by locals seeking
the spirit’s blessing.
When to go
The dry season
(May-October).
Roads within the
park are often flooded during the rainy season but may be passable from
mid-December to February.
Accommodation
Two seasonal luxury
tented camps overlooking Lake Chada. A resthouse at Sitalike and campsites
inside the park. Basic but clean hotels at Mpanda.