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Overview
Four hours from Dar es Salaam by road, which makes it the practical choice for a short trip or an add-on.
Mikumi’s Mkata floodplain is open and easy to read: buffalo, giraffe, zebra, elephant and lion on grassland with the Uluguru mountains behind it. Comparisons to the Serengeti are overdone, but the habitat does look similar.
It borders Nyerere, and the two are often combined. The main road to Zambia runs through the park, which is unusual and occasionally jarring.
Wildlife
- Elephant
- Zebra
- Giraffe
- Lion
- Buffalo
- Hippo
What you actually see
Mkata floodplain game
Buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe on open grass.
Lion, often on termite mounds
The raised ground gives them a vantage point over the plain.
Elephant
Recovering populations, frequently seen near the hippo pools.
Yellow baboon and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest
Southern-circuit species not found up north.
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What it is good for
A road trip rather than a flight
Reachable by vehicle from Dar es Salaam, which removes the cost and schedule of a charter.
Access
Two nights that actually work
For people with limited time or budget, this is a real safari without internal flights.
Short trips
With Nyerere or Udzungwa
The Udzungwa Mountains, next door, are a walking and endemic-primate destination rather than a game-drive one.
Combining
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Where to stay
Lodge or tented camp near Mikumi
A proper room, often with a long view at the end of the day.
The kind of place and the area are fixed by the route. The property itself is chosen for your dates and budget, and named in your quote.
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Getting there
Getting there
By road from Dar es Salaam, about five hours.
Combine with
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Trips that include Mikumi
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Best time to go
Best months · Jun–Oct
The dry season
Animals gather along the rivers and the bush thins out — the classic months for the south.
The green season
Hot, lush and very good for birds. Some tracks become hard going.
The long rains
Many camps in the south close. Ask before planning these months.
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Practical
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More places to go
Nyerere (Selous)
Boat safaris and walking on the Rufiji.
Ruaha National Park
The largest park in the country, and very few vehicles.
Mahale Mountains
Chimpanzees on a mountain that falls into Lake Tanganyika.
