Mikumi National Park
Mikumi national park is the fourth largest national park in Tanzania located in between the Uluguru mountains, Lumango range, western part of dare s salaam, north of the famous Selous game reserve and. The national park was gazetted in 1964 and covers a total area of 3,230 square kilometers which is comprised of savannah vegetation, artificial hippo pools and Mkata flooded plains which harbor abundant wildlife species including animals like buffaloes, zebras, elephants, impala, giraffes, lions, leopards, wild dogs, birds like Zanzibar red bishop among others.
Attractions in Mikumi national park
- Wildlife, the national park harbors abundant animal species including predators like lions, leopards, wild dogs, spotted hyenas, other animals like hippos, zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes, giraffes, impalas, elephants, greater kudus, sable antelopes, lichtensterins hartebeest, primates like vervet monkeys, yellow baboons
- Birds, Mikumi national park is a home of over 400 bird species including migratory birds, water birds among others which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Tanzania. During your safari in the park you can look out for bird species like bateleur eagles, guinea fowls, marabou storks, lilac breasted roller, black bellied bustard, yellow throated long claws, cattle egrets, African fish eagle, blacksmith plovers
- Mkata plains, the Mkata plains is one of the best places in the park where you will be able to spot large herds of animals like lions, buffaloes, wildebeest, impalas, zebras, elephants, giraffes, greater kudu, sable antelopes, predators like lions among others.
Top things to do in Mikumi national park
Game drive, this is one of the famous activities in the park which offers you an opportunity to explore the park and have scenic views while in the comfort of a 4WD safari vehicle. Game drives in Mikumi national park can either be done in the morning or in the afternoon, during this interesting activity you will drive to the artificial hippo pools where you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and other animals like giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, zebras, elands among others. You will also be able to view different bird species, predators like lions and leopards if you are lucky, take clear photos among others.
Bird watching, for visitors who want to engage in bird watching, Mikumi national park is a birding paradise in that it harbors over 400 bird species ranging from European migratory birds, water birds, savannah birds among others. birding areas in the park include the hippo pool, Mwanambogo dam, Mkata river among others and during bird watching you can look out for colorful bird species like bateleur eagle, open billed stork, lilac breasted roller, yellow throated long claw, African spoonbill, African fish eagle, black bellied bustard, African hawk eagle, malachite kingfisher, purple crested turaco, northern pied babbler, long tailed fiscal, Shelley’s sunbird, green wood hoopoe among others.
Guided nature walk, this is an amazing activity that gives you an opportunity to explore the park on foot. During the guided nature walk you will be accompanied with an armed park ranger to protect you from any danger and to help you spot various wildlife species. the guided nature walk will help you to walk close to natural habitats of different animals in the park, have spectacular views of the mountain ranges, listen to sweet sounds of bird species, have a closer look of animals like elephants, zebras, giraffes, impala, buffaloes, view colorful birds, enjoy the peaceful environment, take clear pictures among others.
Camping, Mikumi national park is one of the protected areas in Tanzania where visitors have an option of camping during the safari and the park has two camping sites which offer both private campsite which is in Vuma hills and public campsite which is at Nkata plains. Camping in both campsites offers incredible experiences irrespective of the difference in the management, camping safaris are however best done in the dry season in the months of June to October when there is less or no rainfall in the park.
Best time to visit Mikumi national park
Mikumi national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to October. During the dry season animals gather around the water holes to drink water and the vegetation in the park becomes thin which gives you an opportunity to clear spot different animals and take great pictures unlike the wet season where the vegetation grows tall making animal viewing difficult.
Where to stay in Mikumi national park
There are a number of accommodation facilities in Mikumi national park where you can stay during your safari. The accommodations range from luxury, midrange, budget, campsites and they include Mikumi safari lodge, Mikumi safari cottages, Mantis lodge and campsite, Vuma hill camp, Mikumi Nashera hotel, Mikumi Adventure lodge, Stanley’s Kopje tented camp, Mikumi wildlife camp, Tan Swiss lodge, Mikumi Ndovu lodge, Camp Bastian Mikumi, Voyage Village, Mikumi Faru tented campsite among others.
Getting to Mikumi national park
Mikumi national park is one of the most accessible protected areas in Tanzania and it can be reached by road and air transport means. When using road transport means there is a good surfaced road that connects the park to Dar es Salaam via Morongoto taking about 4 hours drive. There are local buses which operate from Dar es Salaam to the park headquarters and you can also hire a private taxi to the park.
Air transport, when using air transport means you will book scheduled or charter flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Selous game reserve to the park headquarters. Due to the parks accessibility, it can easily be visited as a weekend get-away and can also be visited together with other neighboring parks such as Selous game reserve, Ruaha national park among others.
Mikumi national park is an ideal place to visit on your safari in Tanzania in that it offers interesting activities like camping, nature walks, game drives, birding among others which give you an opportunity to have great views of animals, colorful bird species, mountain ranges, beautiful scenery and many more. The national park is also the best place for picnics due to its easy accessibility therefore in case you want to have lifetime experiences on your safari you should contact Focus East Africa Tours and we will make your safari unforgettable.
