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KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
Isolated, untrammelled and seldom visited, Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few intrepid souls who make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it must have been a century ago. Tanzania’s third largest national park, it lies in the remote southwest of the country, within a truncated arm of the Rift Valley that terminates in the shallow, brooding expanse of Lake Rukwa.
The bulk of Katavi supports a hypnotically featureless cover of     tangled brachystegia woodland, home to substantial but elusive populations of the localised eland, sable and roan antelopes.
But the main focus for game viewing within the park is the Katuma River and associated floodplains such as the seasonal Lakes Katavi and Chada. During the rainy season, these lush, marshy lakes are a haven for myriad water birds, and they also support Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippo and crocodile.
It is during the dry season, when the floodwaters retreat, that Katavi truly comes into its Own. The Katuma, reduced to a shallow, muddy trickle, forms the only source of drinking water for miles around, and the flanking floodplains support game concentrations that defy belief.
An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge on the area, together with several herds of 1,000-plus buffalo, while an abundance of giraffe, zebra, impala and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous lion prides and spotted hyena clans whose     territories converge on the floodplains.
Katavi’s most singular wildlife spectacle is provided by its hippos. Towards the end of the dry season, up to 200 individuals might flop together in any riverine pool of sufficient depth. And as more hippos gather in one place, so does male rivalry heat up – bloody territorial fights are an everyday occurrence, with the vanquished male forced to lurk hapless on the open plains until it gathers sufficient confidence to mount another challenge.
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WHY KATAVIÂ NATIONALÂ PARK?
Katavi National Park is one of the most pristine and rugged nature reserves in Tanzania. The enormous grass landscape with thousands of buffalo and antelopes are a true highlight. In the beautiful forests and around the lakes you find many hippos, crocodiles and birds.
Katavi is a classic dry season reserve. From June to October buffalo herds of up to 3,000 graze on the plains. Game drives offer superb photographic opportunities, whilst walks beside sluggish rivers are exciting. Large crocodiles lie in mud holes, marabou storks pick over hippo carcasses and spotted hyena lope off into the distance. Elephants drink from tiny water holes in mud-cracked pans, roan and sable antelope hide in dense thickets, while vultures clean and dry their wings in small streams. As the sun falls low in the sky, a visit to the hippo pool, where 600 hippo live in dense formation and engage in fierce territorial battles, provides a perfect place for a sundowner.
The Katuma River is home to the country’s densest concentration of crocodiles and hippos. During the dry season, hundreds of hippos are confined to shallow mud pools and impressive yet deadly confrontations often break out between males seeking to establish their territory. The park’s wetland areas also stand out for their astonishing birdlife, with aquatic species ranging from open-billed and saddle-billed storks to African spoonbills and pink-backed pelicans. Forest specials like the African paradise fly-catcher and the African golden oriole can also be spotted in the woodland areas, while raptors including fish eagles and bateleur eagles are common. In total, more than 400 avian species have been recorded at Katavi.
For true hiking enthusiasts, there's a 10-mile trail through the park's forests that leads to a scenic viewpoint overlooking the Rukwa Valley and passes by no less than three waterfalls. The best time to hike is in May at the beginning of the dry season when the waterfalls are still roaring but you don't have to deal with storms affecting your trek.
If you want to forgo the vehicle, many of the lodges offer a walking safari as well. Exploring the African bush on foot is the ultimate adventure, giving you the chance for closer and more intimate encounters with the local wildlife (always accompanied by an armed guard, of course). The longer Chorangwa Trail is over 6 miles long and takes at least five hours to complete, while the Sitalike Trail is broken up into shorter distances so you can choose something more manageable.
WHEN TO GO?
Katavi is a classic dry-country reserve. During the Wet season, from November to April, the wildlife disperses into the woodland and wildlife viewing becomes a challenge. The heat and humidity is oppressive in the Wet season. During the Dry season, the Katuma River is reduced to a narrow stream, and the floodplains become a magnet for wildlife.
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May to October –Dry Season
Vegetation is thin, so animals are easier to spot
It is clear and sunny – rain is very rare
Malaria risk is lowered because there are fewer mosquitoes
Humidity and heat is less oppressive
It is very dry and dusty
Some lodges might still be closed in May.
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November to April –Wet Season
The scenery is lush
November to May is low season with better rates
Migratory birds are present, and bird watching is at its prime
Roads might be hard to travel
Most wildlife disperses into the woodland and wildlife viewing becomes very hard
Many lodges close for the whole Wet season or part of it
It gets very hot and humid, and there are many mosquitoes and other insects