Mikumi National Park

With the completion of the paved road from the park entrance to Dar es Salaam, Mikumi National Park is poised to become one of Tanzania’s top tourism destinations. Located between the Uluguru Mountains and the Lumango Range, Mikumi is the fourth largest national park in Tanzania and is only a few hours drive from the country’s largest city. The park has a wide variety of wildlife that can be easily spotted and is well acclimated to game viewing. Its proximity to Dar es Salaam and the amount of wildlife that lives within its borders make Mikumi National Park a popular option for weekend visitors from the city, or for business visitors who don’t need to spend much time on an extended safari itinerary.

Most visitors come to Mikumi National Park hoping to catch a glimpse of the “Big Five” (cheetah, lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino), and they are never disappointed. The hippo ponds allow you to get up close to the mud-loving animals, and birding along the streams is particularly rewarding. Mikumi National Park adjoins Selous Game Reserve and Udzungwa National Park, and the three sites form a varied and enjoyable safari circuit.

Swirls of opaque mist hide the dawning dawn. The first rays of sunlight cast a russet halo over the downy tufts of grass that ripple across the plain. A herd of zebras, confident in their camouflage at this predatory hour, pose like ballerinas, heads lined up and stripes blending in fluid motion.

Mikumi National Park adjoins the northern border of Africa’s largest game reserve – the Selous – and is crossed by the paved road between Dar es Salaam and Iringa. It is therefore the most accessible part of a 75,000 square kilometer wilderness that stretches east almost to the Indian Ocean.

The open horizons and abundant wildlife of the Mkata floodplain, the centerpiece of Mikumi, are often compared to the more famous plains of the Serengeti.

ions watch their grassy kingdom – and the migrating herds of zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo – from the flattened tops of termite mounds or, sometimes during the rains, from tree-top perches. Giraffes feed in the isolated stands of acacia trees along the Mkata River, islands of shade also enjoyed by Mikumi elephants.

The Mkata floodplain is crossed by a good circuit of viewing routes and is perhaps the safest place in Tanzania to see the mighty eland, the largest antelope in the world. The equally impressive greater kudu and sable antelope haunt the foothills of the miombo-covered mountains that rise on the park’s bangs.

More than 400 species of birds have been recorded, with colorful common residents such as the lilac-breasted roller, yellow-throated longhorn and bateleur eagle, joined by a host of European migrants during the rainy season. Hippos are the main attraction at the two ponds located 5 km north of the main gate, supported by an ever-changing flock of water birds.

About Mikumi National Park

Size: 3,230 km2, the fourth largest national park in Tanzania, part of a much larger ecosystem centered on the uniquely large Selous Game Reserve.

Location: 283 km west of Dar es Salaam, north of Selous, and on the road to Ruaha, Udzungwa, and (for the intrepid) Katavi.

How to get there

A well-tarmacked road connects Mikumi to Dar es Salaam via Morogoro, a drive of about 4 hours.

There are also road links to Udzungwa, Ruaha and (in the dry season only) Selous.

Charter flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Selous. Local buses run between Dar and the park headquarters, where safaris can be arranged.

What to do

Game drives and guided walks. Visit the nearby town of Udzungwa or continue on to Selous or Ruaha.

Accommodation

Two lodges, three luxury tented camps and three campsites.

Guest houses in the town of Mikumi, on the park border. A lodge is offered at Mahondo and a permanent tented camp at Lumaaga.