Park regulations

Park rules and regulations

• Plan your journey! Start your trip early because you must be back in the camp by 7 pm.
• Unless you are specifically allowed to drive off-road, stay on the roads and tracks in all parts of the park. No game drives in the wilderness areas!
• Be considerate to wildlife – do not harass, feed or interfere with wildlife. Do not get out of the vehicle when close to any animal!
• Leave all plants, animals, skulls, bones, rocks or any other objects in the park where they belong.
• Do not bring live animals or plants into the park.
• Do not throw seeds of fruits and vegetables into the wild. They could start to grow.
• Do not start fires unless at authorized camps.
• Do not throw bottles, plastic bags, food waste from your car into the wild. Please make sure to take your trash with you or dispose it in proper dustbins.
• Do not waste water.
• Do not bring any firearms inside the park!
• For your safety and safety of the wildlife, keep to the 50 km speed limit on all roads including the public roads Mpimbwe and Sumbawanga! Wildlife has the right-of-way everywhere in the National Park!
• Do not cause any noise or create any disturbance which is likely to disturb other visitors and the animals.
• Take precautions against malaria.
• Tsetse biting has not yet caused medical problems in Katavi National Park.
• Be aware of snakes!

Access

Best time to visit the park

Katavi National Park can be visited all year round. During the drier months (May to October and December to February), the animals congregate around the remaining water bodies and can be reached easily. During the wetter months, the extensive wetlands offer splendid scenery to adventurous visitors.

Location

Katavi National Park is located in Mpanda District, Rukwa Region in Western Tanzania. Currently, the main road that connects Mbeya and Sumbawanga with Mpanda town and Kigoma still crosses the park. The main entrance gate is close to Sitalike village, which is located along that main road 40 km south of the district capital Mpanda and 205 km north of the regional capital Sumbawanga.

Access to Katavi National Park

By air:

• Fly directly to Katavi: This is the easiest way to reach Katavi at Sitalike or Ikuu airstrips. Another airstrip is available at Mlele
• Safari Air Link runs the only scheduled flights between Katavi/Mahale to Ruaha, Selous, and Dar es Salaam/Zanzibar (Terminal 1 Julius Nyerere International Airport), P.O. Box 18065, Dar es Salaam, T: +255 777 (or 784) 723274, +255 783 397235, +441 452 862288, [email protected]
• Fly to Tabora or Kigoma: Regular flights are operated by Precision Air from Dar es Saalam to Tabora and Kigoma. From there you will have to continue by public transport or other arrangements.

By railway:

• To Tabora and Mpanda: From Dar es Salaam regular trains go to Tabora from Tanzania Central Railways (from where they continue to Kigoma or Mwanza). From there a connection goes to Mpanda. The entire trip requires two travel days.
• To Mbeya: By Tazara Railway or Bus from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya (Iyunga), then by road using public transport.

By road:

• By road from Dar es Salaam/Mbeya: Drive to Mbeya in one day, then head to Sumbawanga and Sitalike/Katavi National Park. This is a two to three day safari (17hrs approximately).
• Take the adventurous route and come by car from Arusha/Tabora: via Babati, Singida, Nzega and Tabora. There are two alternatives: Tabora to Mpanda or Tabora to Inyonga, Mlele and then to Sitalike/Katavi National Park.
• By road from Kigoma via Uvinza and Mpanda to Katavi National Park.

From/to Mahale: Arrangements can be made from Katavi National Park HQ to go to Mahale National Park through Kabwe - Lukoma - Karema. If you are coming from Mahale National Park the arrangements can be made by the park warden.

Getting around inside the park

Hiring a vehicle is possible at TANAPA. A four-wheel drive car with a driver costs 100 US$ per day for 100 km

If you are driving yourself, you can obtain a map at the headquarters.
Hiring a guide (ranger) to the best places of Katavi is possible at the TANAPA headquarters.

Walking safaris guided by an armed ranger can be arranged.

Tariffs

All tariffs are available here.

Radio/telephone:

You can reach the Katavi National Park headquarter at the following satellite-phone number: +8821 621 277 242.

Katavi brochure & map

The brochure of the park can be downloaded here.

Accommodation

Park facilities

• Guesthouse and bandas
• Camping sites

For bookings, please contact: Katavi Mountains National Park, E-mail: [email protected]

Tented Camps & Lodges

Chada Camp
Run by Nomad Tanzania Ltd.
P O Box 681. Arusha
T: +255 255 3819
[email protected]

 

Flycatchers Seasonal Camp
Run by Flycatcher Safaris Ltd.
P O Box 591
Arusha
T: +255 27 254 4109
[email protected]
www.flycat.co.tz

 

Katavi Wildlife Camp (Fox family)
Run by Foxes Safari Camps
P O Box 18065
Dar es Salaam
T: +255 754 (or 784) 237422
T: +44 1452 862288
[email protected]
www.tanzaniasafaris.info

 

Katuma Katavi Camp
Run by Chimpanzee Safaris
P O Box 20965
Dar es Salaam
T: +255 22 213 05553
[email protected]
www.chimpanzeesafaris.com

 

Palahala Luxury Tented Camp
Run by Firelight safaris/Expedition
P O Box 1182
Arusha
T: +255 27 2508773
[email protected]
www.firelightexpeditions.com