Katavi is Tanzania’s third largest national park, it lies in the remote southwest of the country,east of lake Tanganyika.its covers 4,471 square kilometre(1,727 square miles).
The bulk of Katavi supports a hypnotically featureless cover of tangled brachystegia woodland,home to substantial but elusive populations of localized 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 heaven for myriad water birds and they are also support Tanzania densest concentrations of hippo and crocodiles.
Its during the dry season,when the flood waters 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 convenge on the area,together with several herds of 1,000 plus buffalo while an abundance of giraffe,zebra,impla,and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous lion prides and spotted hyena clans whose territories convenge on the floodplains.
Things to See and Do in Katavi
The main activity, of course, is game-viewing, which can be done on both game drives and guided walking safaris. The bonus of game drives in Katavi, is that you’re unlikely to come across any other humans. Walking safaris are an experience not to be missed, to really get up close to the African bush – its sights, sounds and aromas.
Fly camping is offered. This is the definition of bush camping, where normal tents (so don’t expect luxury!) are set up in the bush at a temporary camp site – no fences, no flush toilets or showers. It’s living in the wild: cooking food over a fire and spending evenings chatting around the campfire, staring up at the breath-taking African night sky and listening to the nocturnal calls of wild animals.
There are a number of places of cultural and historical interest in Katavi. These include Stone and Iron Age sites and sacred sites such as the Katabi Tree, where the Wabende spirit, Katabi, lives.
The park accommodation facilities include one rest house and six tourist huts(bandas) at headquarters(also camping sites with water provision).Use of kitchen facilities is possible.