Western Circuit
Western Part of Tanzania
Katavi National Park
Katavi National park is the third-largest park in Tanzania. It is also by far one of the least visited in the country, making it a truly untouched wildlife paradise. It is located in the west of Tanzania and is quite hard to access by road, so the easiest way to and out is by charter flights.
The park is primarily fed by the Katuma River which in the rainy season – April and May – transforms the park into a wetland. Lake Chada and Lake Katavi are both seasonal lakes that are situated within the park boundaries. In terms of vegetation, the park hosts a varied mix of bushland, Miombo forests, riverine forests as well as grasslands.
Wildlife of Katavi National Park
Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few intrepid souls who make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as if it must have been a century ago.
An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge on the area, together with several herds of 1,000-plus buffalo, while an abundance of giraffes, zebras, impalas, and reedbucks provide easy pickings for the numerous lion pride and spotted hyena clans whose territories converge on the floodplains.
Birdlife
With over 400 species of birds, Katavi is a great place for birdwatchers. Large flocks of storks like saddle bills, open-billed, and spoonbills as well as African fish eagles, Bateleurs, lilac-breasted rollers, crested barbets, and paradise flycatchers are but a few on the long list of birds in Katavi.
Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park is one of the most picturesque places in Tanzania. The park borders Lake Tanganyika, one of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world. Getting to the park is an adventure as it is accessible only by air and boat. There are no roads in the park, only forest paths through the lush vegetation. This park is a hiker’s paradise, but most importantly it is a chimpanzee paradise. Mahale is a haven for primates, with chimpanzee trekking one of the prime reasons for visits. The park is teeming with life, rivers and waterfalls are everywhere and around the shoreline of the lake, are the most unspoiled white sandy beaches anyone could imagine.
Wildlife of Mahale Mountains National Park
The chimpanzee trekking takes visitors on a wild adventure through the misty forests. Hikes can vary between 30 minutes for the first sightings to up to 3 hours. During these walks hikers also have the chance to spot other animals such as roan and sable antelope, mongoose, warthog, and sometimes even lion and leopard. Crocodiles are also known to live in the park. Hippos are sometimes sighted in Lake Tanganyika, swimming in crystal clear waters.
Birdlife
With almost 355 species of birds, the park will satisfy both amateur and serious birders. On the sandy beaches, one can spot pelicans and different storks as well as malachite kingfishers, pied kingfishers, and fish eagles. Closer to the forests Livingston’s turacos, Narina trogons, crested guinea fowls, and blue cheeked bee-eaters can be seen.
Gombe National Park
Gombe stream National Park is home to one of the most beautiful and stunning natural forests in Tanzania. Stop at this park for an amazing chimpanzee trek. Chimpanzees are known to be the species of primates closest to humans, sharing 98% of the genes that we also have. Efforts to conserve the chimps are widely acknowledged and supported. The Jane Goodall Foundation plays a big role in the conservation of the Chimpanzees here as well as the gorillas in Uganda.
Wildlife of Gombe National Park
Chimpanzee trekking is the main activity carried out in Gombe national park but you can also walk the shoreline close to the resident baboons, see waterfall and swim in the lake. Apart from chimpanzee trekking, you are able to sight beautiful primates like the blue and red tailed monkeys, colobus.
Birdlife
Bird species in Gombe national park include African broadbill, Black saw-wing, Crowned eagle, Double-toothed barbet, Kenya rufous sparrow, Livingstone’s turaco, Palm-nut vulture, Peter’s twinspot, Red-capped robin-chat, Red-chested cuckoo, Ross’s turaco, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird and many more
