Mikumi National Park

On west side of the bustling town of Morogoro lies Mikumi National Park. This is a small reserve with some lovely scenery and offers a gentle game experience and a good base for day-trips to the Udzungwa Mountains. Guaranteed year-round wildlife sightings, Mikumi makes an ideal safari destination for those without much time.

Mikumi shares a border and its game populations with the Selous, the open horizons and abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain, the popular centerpiece of Mikumi, is often compared to the more famous Serengeti Plains. The park is very accessible by surfaced road from Dar es Salaam.

Mikumi National Park abuts the northern border of Africa’s biggest game reserve the Selous and is transected by the surfaced road between Dar es Salaam and Iringa. It is thus the most accessible part of a 75,000 square kilometer tract of wilderness that stretches east almost as far as the Indian Ocean.

Within its 3230 sq km – set between the Uluguru Mountains to the northeast, the Rubeho Mountains to the northwest and the Lumango Mountains to the southeast Mikumi hosts buffaloes, wildebeests, giraffes, elephants, lions, zebras, leopards, crocodiles and more, and chances are high that you’ll see a respectable sampling of these within a short time of entering the park.

Location

• Size: 3,230 sq km (1,250 sq miles), the fourth-largest park in Tanzania
• Located km (175 miles) west of Dar es Salaam, north of Selous, and en route to Ruaha, Udzungwa

When to go

• Accessible year round.
• A good surfaced road connects Mikumi to Dar es Salaam via Morogoro, a roughly 4 hour drive.
• Also road connections to Udzungwa, Ruaha and Selous. (Dry season only)

Activities

Game drives and guided walks. Visit nearby Udzungwa or travel on to Selous or Ruaha.