Foxes Katavi Wildlife Camp; Safaris in Katavi, Tanzania

Katavi Wildlife Camp

This permanent tented camp was the first in Katavi National Park and is our pick of the places to stay for both service and game viewing.

Katavi Wildlife Camp – The Facts

Katavi Wildlife Camp – The Detail

Katavi National Park is universally recognized as one of the few truly remote and untouched areas of Tanzania’s immense conservation areas. This is primarily due to its position in the far south west of the country and the associated cost and time involved in reaching the park. For those who do take the time to visit, an unforgettable safari awaits them. Being one of the least visited National Parks is a bonus for the few who make it, not a reflection on the experience to be had there – it is a place for those seeking the Africa of decades ago.

Katavi is predominantly high plains grassland, which becomes swampy wetland during the rains, interspersed with fringes of miombo woodland and scattered acacia. At more than 1 million hectares, Katavi is the third largest National Park; it has 2 lakes, Lake Katavi in the north and Lake Chada in the south, fed by the Kutuma river. These lakes are cracked open plains during the dry season from June to November, only filling in the rains. Kutuma River shrinks to a narrow stream, with pools which become the extremely cramped quarters of hundreds of hippos and crocs. In fact, Katavi has the highest density of Hippos and the largest Crocodiles in all of Tanzania.

The remoteness and vast ecosystem has meant that the lush floodplains attract a very large biomass and huge herds of wildlife; it is not uncommon to see herds of 1600 Buffalo at a time. Along with large herds of Topi and Zebra the Buffalo graze the plains during the day when they are less vulnerable to predators, preferring to return to the relative safety of the woodland at night. Their predators maintain the balance by ambushing them as they return to the woodland.

Katavi Wildlife Camp – Our view

This lovely little camp, although simple, is what we think Katavi and safari is all about. Very comfortable considering where you are, the camp really benefits from having a prime spot at the mouth of the Katuma River. Every day during the dry season a whole host of game can be seen wandering into what is the only water source for miles around. It is not unheard of to have lion feasting under your tent! Katavi is definitely one of the three parks in Africa where the wilderness experience has not been tamed…and this is the camp to stay in while here.