Mikumi National Park

Mikumi, a national park since 1964 and with about 3,230 square kilometres the fourth largest in the country, is the most reachable of the large parks from Dar es Salaam, about four hours by road, and the highway to Iringa runs straight through it, so animals are visible from the tarmac. The Mkata floodplain in the north is open grassland with palms and acacia and holds buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, elephant and lion, with hippo pools at the Mkata river. It adjoins Nyerere National Park to the south, and animals move between the two.

What you'll find

• The Mkata floodplain - open grassland with palms, the park's main game area.
• The hippo pools - permanent pools on the Mkata river with resident hippo.
• The roadside viewing - animals visible from the highway crossing the park.
• The Uluguru backdrop - the mountains standing to the northeast of the plain.

When to go

June to October in the dry season, when animals concentrate at water. The rains from December to April green the plain and disperse the game. Early morning and late afternoon are best.

Practical notes

The highway through the park brings heavy lorry traffic and animals are killed on it regularly. Game densities are lower than in the northern parks. It is often done as a rushed day trip, which does not suit it.

Nearby

Udzungwa is south, and Morogoro is east.

Key facts