Katavi National Park

About Katavi National Park

Katavi is Tanzania's least-visited major national park, and that is precisely its appeal. During the dry season, the Katuma River and seasonal lakes shrink to reveal some of Africa's most extraordinary wildlife spectacles — hippo pools containing thousands of animals packed shoulder to shoulder, enormous buffalo herds, and lion prides feasting on the abundance. Budget travellers who make the journey to Katavi are rewarded with a genuinely wild Africa that has all but vanished from more famous parks. Park fees are low, there are rarely more than a handful of visitors at any time, and the basic campsites offer an authentic bush experience. Reaching Katavi takes effort — the best budget option is a bus from Mbeya or Tabora — but those who make it discover what safari purists call the real Africa.