The Katavi National Park In WesternTanzania

I n recent years the               and secret.                        Serengeti had 100,000                                              visitors; in contrast the       The thing that helps keep this     Katavi National Park in the           park a hidden jewel is the         remote and inaccessible west of       remoteness of the park. To drive  Tanzania had only 383 people          to this park is an endurance test  through the Park Gates. It is         in the extreme. Departing from     rumored that when a guest arrives     Aruhsa, or Dar es Salaam,          at the park gates the wardens         involves a three to five day,      there are shocked and bewildered,     spine breaking and brave drive in  so rare are tourists to this          a robust 4 x 4. Alternatively to   park. Here, in this park the only     hire a charter flight is an        other people you will meet are        easier option, if not equally      other guests and the staff at the     more expensive. I say easier but   one [tented] lodge in the entire      this also involves a four hour     park. Here you have one million       flight in a light aircraft, with   hectares to yourself.                 a refueling stop en-route.                                                                                  I am sure you have heard and read     If you dive with the intention to  many times about destinations         camp, you must be totally self     being ‘off the beaten track’ -        sufficient. You will be driving    this park is the personification      into the true wilderness. When     of overused term ‘well off the        you think of campsite, think of a  beaten track’. That is for the        cleared piece of ground for the    moment; with the tourists             pitching of tents. Here you will   insatiable appetite for something     be truly alone with nature. It is  new, somewhere not frequented by      well worth the effort if you are   other tourists, in this ever          up to the adventure.               shrinking world, one wonders how                                         long this park will remain remote     The park is truly magnificent,     covering over one million             this park is the place to see      hectares of land. There are two       them en-mass. Some of the pools    lakes, Lake Katavi in the north       and the centre of Lake Chada can   and Lake Chada and the Katuma         have three thousand hippo at any   River in the south. Diverse           one time. There are also leopard   woodland and acacia bush in the       and many lions in this park. The   park is home to elephant and many     buffalo being the preferred meal   types of antelope. The game here      for a lion means there are no      is said to be unrivaled in the        shortages of lion in this park.    rest of Africa, this park                                                offering an exceptional               There are over four hundred        opportunity to see Africa as it       species of birds, including -      once was. Reputedly there are         Angolan Pitta, Blackfaced Barbet   herds of buffalo in access of         and the Blue Swallow. A highlight  three/four thousand animals. The      of viewing the birds is to watch   park is mostly high plains            the Maribou Stork wading in the    grassland - grassland in the dry      mud and feeding on the barbel      season, and swampy wetland in the     [cat fish]. At times the mud       wet season. The best time to          boils with these fish and the      visit is in the dry season - June     storks causally extract them form  to October.                           the soft mud for a quick and easy                                        meal.                              In the dry season all the animals                                        in this park congregate around        If you get the chance visit this   the lakes and along the river.        park before more lodges open and   Huge crocodiles line the rivers       the remoteness and matchless       and share the lakes with a solid      beauty are lost to the tourism     mass of hippo. If you like hippo      industry.                          About the Author: For more information on Tanzania and safaris see http://www.betheladventure.co.uk and for community work, volunteering and helping make a difference in East Africa see http://www.tunaweza.com Published At: www.Isnare.com