Thank you for an amazing safari. Our guide Patrick was the best. His extensive knowledge of flora and fauna was amazing. He has a great sense of humor; he is warm, patient and professional. Patrick not ...
Constantine and Luis Regalado Physician Wellington, FL
Mikumi National Park at 3,230 square kilometers (1,250 sq miles) is Tanzania's fourth largest. It lies on the northern border of the immense Selous Game Reserve and is convenient to Dar es Salaam via the Tanzam Highway, which makes Mikumi a popular first stop on the Southern Circuit.
Two landscapes prevail at Mikumi: miombo woodland in the hilly regions of the park to the south and southeast, and grassland savannah found on the Mkata floodplain in the center of the park. Of the two, the floodplain is the main attraction, as it attracts most of the familiar East African wildlife. The floodplain can be driven around in five or six hours, during which one can expect to see wildebeest and zebras, giraffes and impalas. Lions and other predators aren't so easily spotted – the woodlands provide good cover – but vigilance is usually rewarded.
Mikumi offers two safari lodges and three luxury tented camps to visitors who arrive by car or by plane. It is a short drive from Mikumi to Udzungwa National Park, which doesn't offer comparable lodging, for montane rain forest hikes and montane rain forest game viewing. It is a longer drive to the Selous Game Reserve and the next stop on many Southern Circuit itineraries.
Wildlife
Wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, impala and eland all roam the floodplain which seems a miniature Serengeti. Lions and leopards are difficult to spot, but always watchful. Miombo woodland species such as greater kudu, bushbuck, waterbuck, and hartebeest can be spotted on the fringes of the floodplain and deeper in the woodlands. More that 400 bird species have been recorded here. Between October and April the local birdlife is joined by plenty of Eurasian migrants.
