Huge Buffalo Herds
Herds of buffalo, sometimes over a thousand strong, roam the floodplains in the dry season.
Tanzania National Parks
Katavi National Park
Isolated, untrammelled and rarely visited, Katavi is true wilderness: vast floodplains, enormous buffalo herds and rivers packed with hippos and crocodiles.
- Location
- 40 km east of Mpanda
- Known For
- Buffalo herds & hippo pools
- Size
- 4,471 km²
- Best Time
- June – October
Discover Katavi
The real Africa, far from the crowds.
Established in 1974 and covering 4,471 km², Katavi National Park lies in southwestern Tanzania, east of Lake Tanganyika and about 40 km east of Mpanda town on the Mpanda–Sumbawanga road. It shares its boundary and ecosystem with the Rukwa Game Reserve and the Sitalike-Inyonga and Kavuu River areas.
Katavi hosts a higher mammal biomass, over 23,000 kg per km², than almost any other park in East Africa. With few vehicles and no crowds, visitors enjoy the real tranquillity of Africa, the silence broken only by the calls of wildlife.
Why Katavi
A wilderness experience of a lifetime.
Katavi offers extraordinary wildlife concentrations with almost no other visitors.
Hippo Pools
As the rivers shrink, hundreds of hippos crowd into the remaining pools of the Katuma and Kapapa rivers.
True Wilderness
One of Tanzania's least visited parks, with no congestion and a genuine sense of remoteness.
Predators
Lions, leopards and hyenas follow the herds, offering dramatic sightings.
Location
Where is Katavi National Park?
Katavi lies in southwestern Tanzania, about 40 km east of Mpanda town, east of Lake Tanganyika. Most visitors fly by light aircraft from Arusha, Ruaha or Dar es Salaam to the park's airstrip, as road journeys are long.
The park's heart is the Katisunga floodplain, crossed by the Katuma River, together with Lakes Chada and Katavi, which become lush grassland in the dry season.
When to visit
Every season tells a different Katavi story.
Katavi's wildlife experience is highly seasonal, peaking at the end of the dry season.
Dry Season
Spectacular concentrations as wildlife gathers around shrinking rivers and pools. The best time to visit.
Green Season
The park turns lush and green and birdlife is superb; game viewing remains good.
Long Rains
Very wet conditions; most camps close and roads become difficult.
What is the best month to visit Katavi?
The later in the dry season, the more dramatic the wildlife concentrations become.
Green and lush, with excellent birdlife and few visitors.
The last month before most camps close for the rains.
Heavy rains; most camps are closed.
The wettest month; the park is very quiet.
Rains ease and the floodplains begin to dry.
Camps reopen; wildlife begins to gather near water.
Excellent game viewing as the plains dry out.
Big buffalo herds and crowded hippo pools.
Superb predator sightings as wildlife concentrates.
The peak of the dry season, with dramatic scenes at the rivers.
Short rains begin; the landscape turns green.
Green scenery and good birding, with very few visitors.
Explore the area
Discover the different faces of Katavi.
Floodplains, rivers, lakes and miombo woodland shape the park.
Central KataviKatisunga FloodplainA vast open plain where buffalo, zebras and giraffes gather, with predators close behind.
Central KataviKatuma RiverA river that shrinks in the dry season, crowding hippos and crocodiles into its pools.
Northern KataviLake ChadaA seasonal lake that becomes a lush plain, rich in wildlife and birdlife.
Southern KataviLake Katavi & ParadiseA seasonal lake and the aptly named Paradise plain, ringed by palm trees.
Wildlife
Where the rivers become a stage.
Katavi is home to large herds of buffalo, large pods of hippos and slender-snouted and Nile crocodiles living in the Katuma and Kapapa rivers. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, topi and the rare puku antelope roam the plains.
The park was established partly to protect the puku and the miombo woodland, as well as the breeding areas of the Katavi ecosystem. Guided walks and game drives offer a raw, authentic safari.
10 animals to look for
Buffalo
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Katisunga floodplain
Herds of over a thousand buffalo are a classic Katavi sight.
1 / 10
Hippo
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Katuma and Kapapa rivers
Hundreds crowd into the shrinking pools in the dry season.
2 / 10
Nile crocodile
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Rivers and pools
Crocodiles gather in the remaining water, sometimes sheltering in burrows.
3 / 10
Lion
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Floodplains, following the buffalo
Large prides prey on buffalo across the plains.
4 / 10
Elephant
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Woodland and floodplains
Family herds roam between the woodland and rivers.
5 / 10
Leopard
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Riverine woodland
Present along the rivers and woodland.
6 / 10
Giraffe
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Woodland and plains
Common across the park.
7 / 10
Puku
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Floodplain edges
A rare antelope protected in Katavi, found in few other places in Tanzania.
8 / 10
Topi
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Open plains
Often seen standing on termite mounds.
9 / 10
Spotted hyena
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Throughout the park
Common, especially near kills.
10 / 10
The Dry Season Spectacle
When thousands gather at the last water.
As the dry season progresses, Katavi's rivers shrink to muddy pools. Hippos crowd together in astonishing numbers, crocodiles gather in the remaining water and buffalo herds move across the floodplains, followed by lions.
With so few visitors, these scenes unfold in near-total solitude. All Katavi can offer is an experience of a lifetime.
Safaris to 中文
Katavi & Western Tanzania safaris
Itineraries that include Katavi, often combined with Mahale for chimpanzees.
Stay in 中文
Where to stay in Katavi
Classic tented camps and lodges overlooking the Katisunga plains.
Silver tier
Katavi, TanzaniaKatavi Wildlife CampA classic, family-run tented camp with one of the best views in Katavi, overlooking the wildlife-filled Katisunga plainsClassic tented campView lodge
Platinum tier
Katavi, TanzaniaMbali Mbali KataviThe most comfortable lodge in remote Katavi, set on high ground in the centre of the park with sweeping views over the KLuxury tented lodgeView lodge
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The story behind Katavi.
Katavi takes its name from a legendary hunter, Katabi, whose spirit is believed to live in a tamarind tree in the park. People still leave offerings at the tree, seeking blessings according to their beliefs.
The park was established in 1974 to protect the miombo woodland, the Katavi ecosystem and species such as the puku. It was later extended to its current size, remaining one of Tanzania's wildest and least visited parks.
Is Katavi worth visiting?
Yes. Katavi offers incredible wildlife concentrations, especially buffalo and hippos, with almost no other visitors.
How do I get to Katavi?
Most visitors fly by light aircraft from Arusha, Ruaha or Dar es Salaam.
When is the best time to visit Katavi?
June to October, especially late in the dry season when wildlife concentrates around water.
How many days do I need?
Three nights or more is recommended to enjoy the park fully.
What animals can I see in Katavi?
Buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes, topi and the rare puku.
Can Katavi be combined with Mahale?
Yes. Katavi and Mahale are a classic western Tanzania combination of big game and chimpanzees.
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