Katavi is one of the most remote parks in Tanzania, and few travellers ever make it here. It lies in the far west of the country, between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Rukwa, and its wide floodplains, palm-fringed rivers and seasonal lakes feel almost untouched. You may go a whole day without seeing another vehicle. This is a park for people who have already done a safari or two and now want wilderness on its own terms, with time to sit and watch.

What you will see

Katavi is at its most dramatic late in the dry season. As the Katuma River shrinks, hundreds of hippos crowd into the last pools and mud, jostling and grunting for space, and crocodiles gather in the same channels. Buffalo move across the plains in very large herds, and lions follow them closely. Elephants, giraffe, zebra, topi and several kinds of antelope are here too, and the floodplains are rich in birds, from storks and herons to birds of prey.

Game drives on the open floodplains and along the rivers
Walking safaris with an armed ranger
Long, unhurried days with a picnic lunch out in the bush

When to go

The dry season, roughly June to October, is the time to visit, and the later months bring the most striking hippo and crocodile scenes as the water runs low. It becomes very hot by October. In the rains much of the park floods and is hard to reach, and many camps close for the wet months, including the long rains of roughly April to May. See our Tanzania weather guide for more on the seasons.

Getting there

Katavi is a fly-in park. Scheduled light-aircraft flights from Arusha, with connections from Dar es Salaam, reach the west, but they often run only on certain days of the week, so your trip is planned around the flight schedule. The flight takes several hours with a stop or two along the way. Driving is possible but takes days, so we do not usually suggest it.

How it fits your trip

Katavi is most often combined with Mahale Mountains, as the same flights serve both. That lets you pair floodplain game viewing with chimpanzee trekking on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Many guests begin with the northern parks or a Kilimanjaro climb, then fly west, and some finish with a few days on the beach in Zanzibar. Because of the travel time, we recommend at least three or four nights in Katavi itself.

Where to stay

There are only a handful of camps, mostly tented and set beside the rivers and floodplains. They are simple in style but comfortable, with meals included and guides who know the park well. With so few beds, space fills early in the peak months, so it helps to plan ahead. Send us your dates and we will check what is possible.