Western Circuits

In the far west of Tanzania lies another stretch of unexplored, untouched wilderness named Katavi National Park. With flood plains of thick reeds and water ways swarming with viscous crocodiles and hippos, large open plains of beautiful knee deep golden grass, pristine seasonal lakes, thick forests and woodlands, Katavi National park is one of those rare gems that are basically untouched.

Being deep in the west, Katavi slightly challenging accessibility makes it receive about a thousands guests each year, a fraction of those who arrive in Serengeti(about 250,000 each year), however this makes the park unspoiled and exclusive giving you a true adventurer and lover of African wilderness what may seem as a solo journey through Africa’s wild.

The easiest and most cost effective way to get to Katavi is by scheduled three hour flights from the major cities of Arusha and Dar-es-salaam. You can take a drive from the nearby up and coming city of Mbeya, which in itself is an exciting prospect.

Although an isolated destination, Katavi lodges benefit from the exquisite landscape and varied vegetation providing tourists fascinating and memorable lodging experience. Lodges are available in all prices and mobile camps to those who feel outdoorsy.

Activities

Take a game drive through Katavi’s two huge golden grasslands, watch as prides of lions patiently wait in the savannah to pounce on an isolated buffalo this strange predator prey dynamic is one of the things that sets Katavi apart, lions here like the taste of the Buffalo’s so their encounters are very common and exhilarating, watch impalas, zebras and hartebeest graze in the luscious grass. You are more likely to see herds of buffalos in your game drive than other safari jeep giving you the alone time we promised.

Guided walks and hikes are provided by specifics camps allowing you to get a little bit closer to the Katavi wilderness.

Time to go & Climate

The park is a delight all year round but during the dry season, August to October when the grass are sparse and water is drying up it is easier to spot wildlife as they congregate around the few available water holes.

Katavi is a warm place generally, temperatures during the day can reach 30 ⁰C and go as low as 17 ⁰C during the night time. Areas at a higher altitude, camps and lodges are cooler.

Katavi National Park Wildlife

Katavi National Park has the highest population Buffalos in the world! It is very common to see a herd of up to one hundred Buffalos. This also provide the unique lion vs. Buffalo action. Prides of lions normally take their shot at a lone Buffalo giving you to a chance to witness one of the most brutal wildlife wrestling match with ferocious tussling and jostling all round, another exciting story for your friends back home. Other predators like cheetahs, spotted hyyenas and leopards are also seen roaming around the park in search of prey like Zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, Defessa waterbucks and more.

Katavi hosts flocks of open-billed and saddle-billed storks, crested cranes and pink backed pelicans. The park also has huge Raptors as a major attraction in the park making Katavi an ideal birders destination.

If you are really invested in knowing more about the wild in a private secluded destination with unbeatable action, Please Contact us at Extreme wilderness Adventure. Let us show you the side of Tanzania you never knew existed.

The Gombe Stream National Park is located on Tanzania’s western boarder to Congo, it is the smallest National park with just around 35 square kilometers. Its highly placed on the Great Rift Valley’s escarpment with Lake Tanganyika flanking the park on its west side. The mountainous rainforest National Park is famous for its chimpanzees and Dr. Jane Goodall detailed study of the highlands primate natives. The landscape of the area is dominated by valleys and vegetation ranges from grassland to thickets to woodlands to thick tropical rainforest making a hike along the Gombe treks in retrospect a very rich experience.

In 1960, British primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall arrived in Gombe area hell-bent on studying the ways of the chimpanzees, human’s distant cousins. she was financed by another renowned scientist Dr. Louis Leaky. Records state that Dr. Jane Goodall is the only human to get accepted by the chimpanzee community and was able to closely monitor and come up with interesting findings on how this primates are more similar to humans than not. Her studies opened the world’s eyes on the life of chimpanzees which was used to help solidify Dr. Leaky’s evolution theory. Walk in he path of this great scientist on Dr.Goodall’s trail and learn a lot more fascinating facts on the Park’s pioneer’s journey.

Reaching Gombe National Park is not as easy as the others, it is on the other side of Arusha and Dar (Tanzania’s major tourist entry points) and once you get closer the last stretch of your journey is done by boat (one might argue that this is actually very epic) however if you hold on it is a very unique destination and a satisfying experience. A trip to Gombe can be coupled with a visit to the nearby Mahale Mountains. Flights from Arusha and Dar-es-salaam to Kigoma (park’s connecting town) are available every day and the boat ride is usually only a couple of hours.

Comfortable accommodations are available in Gombe National park that have the capacity to cater for travelers providing necessary relaxation amenities to shed the tires of the hike.

Activities

Take hikes off the beaten path with expert local guides who will take you to where this intelligent creatures troops are found. Chimpanzees are said to have the as close as 98% genetic similarity to human beings. Sit close to this primates and enjoy the drama and antics as they unfold.

Visitors of Gombe National park can also enjoy Lake Tanganyika. Snorkeling scuba diving and fishing are some of the remarkable experience done in Lake Tanganyika.

Time to visit & Climate

The best time to visit the chimps in Gombe is between August to November, however with a guides leading your trek you are bound to experience the park’s glory anytime of the year.

A beautiful cool atmosphere is associated with the highlands of this great National park. You might want to pack a jacket though as the chills can be unforgiving sometimes.

Gombe wildlife

Chimpanzees are the parks major draw but it is also home to beach comber, red colobus, blue monkey, velvet monkey, diadems and sometimes leopards can be spotted in the rich woodlands. The Park is also famous for the bird-life it nesting in its thick rain-forests.   

The half of the largest lake in Africa and the third largest in the world is in Tanzania. Found in North of Tanzania and encircled by regions like Mwanza, Musoma and Bukoba the lake does not enjoy throngs of tourists like other destinations, however the lake and its shores have plenty of unique attraction that will make your vacation here very memorable and relaxing.

Immerse yourself in the rhythms of the local cities of Mwanza, Musoma and Bukoba, soak in the shores charm and enjoy the air north of the country. Get to the many islands floating in this great lake, Rubondo island National Park is one of the awesome island in the archipelago , a National park on an island you don’t see that every day!

Activities & Accommodation

Thinking about lake tourism, you start picturing fishing and boat rides(normal and boring if you ask me), However this is not the case with Africa’s largest lake, there are plenty of activities available in and around the great Lake.

Get soaked into the local pulsating life style of the lake city Natives, get intertwined in their daily run ins, visit the Sukuma museum and learn about the history of the lake natives

Visit the various islands in the Lake, with their unique ecosystems and vegetation dude to their isolations. Islands like ukara, Ukerewe, Rubondo and more are very diverse in their vegetation and species occupying. Rubondo is one of the few National Park in an island in the world. Take a trip to this Park and other islands in the largest lake in Africa.

The city shores have luxurious and comfortable hotels and restaurants beautifully placed. Enjoy sundowner cocktails and watch the sun disappear in the water living you with a cool warm air.

Lake Victoria is an awesome must see destination if you feel like enjoying the country’s beauty off the beaten paths of the famous wilderness. It is also a great combination to a trip to Serengeti, Ngorongoro loop. 

A trip to the lake and lake shores is not talked about enough, Be adventurous and try a trip to the North and live to tell the world about the marvelous experience you had. Contact Us at Extreme Wilderness to live the dream you never knew you had.