Overview
Katavi is Tanzania at its wildest. In the dry season, hippos crowd the shrinking rivers and buffalo gather in their thousands, with lions never far away.
Katavi is Tanzania’s third-largest national park and one of its most remote. Few visitors make the journey, so you may have whole floodplains to yourself.
In the dry season the Katuma River shrinks to pools, and huge herds of buffalo, crowded hippo pods and crocodiles gather at the last water, with lions close behind.
Highlights
- Buffalo herds in the thousands
- Crowded hippo pools
- True wilderness
- Pairs with Mahale chimps
Wildlife to look for
- Buffalo
- Hippo
- Lion
- Crocodile
- Roan antelope
Good to know
Best time to visit
June – October
Getting there
By scheduled or charter light aircraft only.
Where to stay
A handful of seasonal tented camps.
How long to stay
3 nights
Key facts
- Ranking
- Tanzania’s third-largest national park
- Landscape
- Floodplains of Lake Katavi and Lake Chada, the Katuma River
- Access
- By light aircraft only
Seasons
Dry season (June – October)
The time to go, when wildlife concentrates along the river.
Rainy season
Most camps close and the area is very hard to reach.
Practical tips
- Pair it with Mahale’s chimpanzees for a western Tanzania safari.
Questions about Katavi National Park
June – October.
Itineraries visiting Katavi National Park
More places nearby
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