Safari experts & storytellers. Since 1991
Katavi National Park: remote & exclusive
Katavi, one of Africa’s most remote and wild parks, hosts some of the largest hippo pods and buffalo and elephant herds in the world. The park has robust populations of lions, painted wolves (wild dogs), cheetahs, and hyenas and piles of crocodiles hiding in sandbank caves.
Best of all, few tourists make the journey to Katavi because of how remote this slice of safari paradise is, so you are likely to have the vast floodplains and riverine woodlands all to yourself.
Far off the beaten track, Katavi transforms during the dry season into a thrilling predator-prey battleground around the Katuma River. It delivers a visceral, authentic adventure where wildlife is untamed and less accustomed to human presence.
3 Reasons We Love Katavi
It's remote and raw. Katavi is in the far west of Tanzania - far from the traditional safari circuits and visited by the relatively few safari connoisseurs who understand the value of an exclusive experience. The landscapes are vast, and the wildlife is unaccustomed to human presence.
Spectacular dry-season wildlife sightings. Katavi hosts some of the largest hippo pods and buffalo herds in the world, mega-prides of lions and piles of crocodiles hiding in sandbank caves. Predator action during the dry season is legendary: lions hunt buffalo, and cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas focus on smaller prey.
Classic, authentic safari camps. The handful of Katavi camps offer an authentic experience that harkens back to a simpler time when the essence of luxury was the rare privilege of having an entire wilderness almost entirely to yourself.
Our Favourite Kitavi Safari Idea
Remote Tanzania: Katavi & Mahale
8 nights, 9 days - from US$ 9,220 per person sharing
This safari ventures deep into the remote wilds of Western Tanzania. In Katavi National Park, where vast floodplains draw huge herds of dry season buffalo and elephant and tightly packed pods of hippo, and to the forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, to meet habituated wild chimpanzees.
Expect spectacular wildlife encounters, rare exclusivity and seamless flight connections.
All you need to know about Katavi National Park
About Katavi National Park
At 4,500km2 (450,000 hectares), Katavi is one of Tanzania’s largest national parks. It is situated not far from the country’s western border, just east of Lake Tanganyika in a truncated arm of the Great Rift Valley that ends around Lake Rukwa.
The protected area is significantly augmented by surrounding game reserves, including Rukwa, Lukwati and Luafi (also spelt Lwafi) Game Reserves. Together with the national park, these reserves encompass some 12,000km2 (1,2 million hectares) of prime wilderness, stretching to the Ruaha ecosystem to the east and the chimpanzee forests of Mahale Mountains National Park to the north.
Naturally, life revolves around the park’s rivers and floodplains. The Katuma River feeds the seasonal Katavi and Chada Lakes, its network supplemented by the Kavu and Kapapa Rivers. Ancient riverine forests dominated by tamarind trees line these river systems, providing ample shade for the elephants, buffalos and tourists that seek refuge beneath the canopy during the heat of the day.
What wildlife will I see in Katavi?
Katavi truly comes into its own as a safari destination during the dry season. As the grass turns golden, the vanishing water turns the park into an extravaganza of nature at its most raw.
Pods of hippos pack themselves into mud wallows by the hundreds, desperately seeking protection from the blazing sun. The crocodiles prefer to avoid these shrinking mud pits and crowd into caves in the riverbanks, slithering over each other for a prime spot and entering a state of dormancy to wait out the dry season.
Huge herds of buffalo gather at dwindling water sources, harassed by lion meg-prides. Katavi is also known for its large elephant herds and robust populations of painted wolves (wild dogs), cheetahs, leopards and hyenas. Elands gather in large herds in certain parts of the park, and roan and sable antelope are regularly seen seeking water.
Katavi's seasonal lodges and camps
Katavi is famous for having a very low lodge density. Being one of the least developed safari parks in Africa adds to its appeal. There are only a few camps inside the park, and a handful of mobile or seasonal bush camps. The established camps we send our guests to are Chada Katavi, Katavi Wildlife Camp and Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge.
These camps often close during parts of the rainy season (November to May), especially during peak rains (January to March). Although the park remains open year-round, access to certain areas and unusable roads during the rains often cause these camps to close until the landscape dries out. Wildlife also disperses during this time, making wildlife sightings less certain.
Flights into and out of Katavi are scheduled for only a few days per week, even during the peak dry season, making safari planning logistically complicated. Your Africa Geographic safari expert will arrange your flights to tie in with the rest of your itinerary.
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Frequently asked questions
Katavi has distinct seasons, which determine the quality of wildlife sightings, as follows:
Dry season - best wildlife viewing: June to October, when the bushveld thins out, and water is scarce, leading to excellent wildlife encounters near water sources. August to October is the absolute peak season for wildlife sightings, although September and October can be very hot.
Rainy/green season: November to May, when rains bring green landscapes, migrating birds and baby animals. This is a time of plenty, with rivers flooding over their banks and floodplains filling up. Expect hot weather and high humidity, especially during the peak rainfall months of January to March. Many parts of the park become inaccessible during this time, and camps often close until the landscape dries out.
Getting to Katavi is part of what keeps it so wild. It’s remote, logistically demanding, and almost always fly-in. We do not advise attempting to drive to Katavi.
There are flights in small planes (Cessna/Caravan type) 2-3 times per week from Dar es Salaam and Arusha, which is why the length of your stay in Katavi has to be managed around available flights. The flights last 4-6 hours and include several stops en route.
It is important to use our safari experts to manage your Katavi safari logistics to prevent costly mistakes.
Please get in touch with your local GP or travel clinic well before your trip to obtain professional medical advice and discuss up-to-date vaccination requirements for the areas you will visit.
Yellow fever
Tanzania is not a yellow fever country, so a yellow fever vaccine is not mandatory. However, if you are entering Tanzania from a yellow fever country (such as Rwanda), you will need to present your vaccination certificate upon entry.
Malaria
Malaria is prevalent in many parts of Tanzania, and we advise you to consult your GP before you depart about taking prophylaxis. It’s also essential to cover up in the evenings when the malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquito usually feeds. The malaria incubation period is 1-3 weeks, so if you experience any flu-like symptoms, headaches, aching joints and back or nausea and diarrhoea, it is recommended that you get tested at the earliest opportunity and let the medical people know you’ve recently travelled to Africa.
Katavi safaris typically cost from US$700 per person, per night, depending on the accommodation comfort level, time of year and activities. This price usually includes accommodation, all meals, game drives, experienced guides, airport transfers, and 24/7 support from our team.
You only make your first payment when you book your holiday. Your second (last) payment is about 105 days before you travel.
Peak season bookings require 12–18 months of advance planning. Trips outside of peak season can be arranged 6–9 months ahead, with better rates and availability.
Click here to schedule a no-obligation call with one of our Safari Experts or fill in our 2-minute form with your questions. Our team of experts are here to help! Whether you’re curious about the best time to travel, want to hear first-hand about an experience or need help planning your safari.
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