Tanzania Katavi National Park nijlpaarden
If you've 'seen it all' and want to experience the ultimate in unspoilt nature, Katavi National Park in the south-west of Tanzania is the perfect destination. You won't get any more rugged than this. It is one of Tanzania's least known and most difficult parks to access. You'll not only have to drive down dirt roads, but also occasionally have to create the roads yourself. Katavi National Park, which is twice as large as the province of Utrecht, receives very few visitors, giving you the feeling that you've got the place entirely to yourself.
The vast miombo forests of Katavi National Park (5,000 km2) are traversed by a number of rivers, which eventually join the flood plains that have made Katavi so famous. In the rainy season these swampy grass plains become populated by hippos and crocodiles, and in the dry season large concentrations of zebra, wildebeest and buffalo graze here - numbers that are seldom equalled across all of Africa. There are also 400 different species of bird here.
The vast number of crocodiles means that these reptiles are no longer able to conceal themselves. There are also buffaloes (you'll not encounter larger herds than these), lions, hyenas and leopards. Hundreds of hippos float in the water or graze on the riverbanks in enormous herds. At the end of November, when the dry season has ended and the most of the water has dried up, you will encounter an entire group of hippos lying side-by-side in the remainder of the mud. It's vitally important that the rain returns quickly if this happens, otherwise the animals will starve.
Despite the abundance of game, only 650 visitors come here each year, which is less than two per day. The reason for this is because Katavi National Park is so remote. Those who make the effort, however, will be rewarded with excellent safari opportunities in arguably the most unspoilt area of nature in Africa.
