Katavi National Park
One of Africa’s great untouched wildernesses. In the dry season the Katuma River shrinks into pools packed with hippos and crocodiles, and huge herds of buffalo draw lions across the floodplains.
At a glance
- Size
- About 4,470 km²
- Getting there
- By flight or by road; the road journey is long, so we plan the route with you
- Best for
- A true wilderness safari, buffalo and lions, hippos
- Best time
- June to October, especially late in the dry season
Why go
Katavi is one of Tanzania’s most remote and least visited national parks. As the dry season goes on, water becomes scarce and wildlife gathers around what is left: hundreds of hippos in the Katuma River pools, crocodiles, large buffalo herds, elephants, giraffe and zebra, and the lions that follow them. You may not see another vehicle all day.
Highlights
- Hundreds of hippos in the dry-season pools
- Large buffalo herds and the lions that follow them
- The Katisunga and Chada floodplains
- Walking safaris with an armed ranger
- Almost no other visitors
The conservation story
Katavi survives as true wilderness partly because it is so hard to reach. With so few visitors, each one makes a real difference to the income that pays for rangers and protection. Water is the park’s lifeline, and the health of the rivers that feed it is closely tied to how land is used around it.
How your visit helps. The park and conservation fees in your trip price go to the authority that protects this place, paying for rangers, anti-poaching patrols and park upkeep. We hire local guides and staff and use locally owned suppliers wherever we can.
A trip built around Katavi
We do not have a set itinerary here yet, so we plan each visit around you: how long you have, how you like to travel, and what you most want to see. Katavi can be combined with Mahale Mountains for chimpanzees, or with Ruaha.
When to go
June to October is the time to go, and the later in the dry season, the more dramatic the gatherings at the water. Most camps close during the rains, roughly from November or December to May.
Where to stay
We choose your lodges and camps to suit your budget and travel style, from simple tented camps to luxury lodges, and name them in your personal itinerary and quote.
Combine with: Mahale Mountains · Ruaha
Ready to plan your visit to Katavi?
Tell us your dates and how you like to travel, and we will send you a personal itinerary and quote. No obligation to book.
Adventure That Gives Back
Private safaris, treks and beach holidays across Tanzania, planned by a Tanzanian team.
Forest Hill, Kihimbwa St, Morogoro, Tanzania
Talk to us
WhatsApp +255 622 191 154
ecolegacy@ecolegacy-africa.com
★ 5.0 on Google, from 2 reviews
Tourism licence No. 035908
Insured with Sanlam Allianz