Mikumi National Park
Mikumi Is The Closest Park To Dar Es Salaam (180 Mi./288 Km.) And Takes About Four Hours To Drive On Tarmac From Dar Es Salaam Via Morongoro.
The Park Covers 1247 Square Miles (3230 Km2) And Borders The Selous Game Reserve To The South Along The Tazara Rail¬road Line. There Is A Hippo Pool On The Main Highway Which Runs To Zambia And Divides The Park.
The Park Is Dominated By The Mkata River Floodplain With Swamps And Grasslands Dotted With Baobab Trees And Miombo Woodlands At An Average Altitude Of 1800 Feet (550 M) Above Sea Level. Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Hippo, Zebra, Wildebeest And Masai Giraffe Are Prevalent. Sable Antelope, Common Water-Buck, Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest, Eland, Bohor Reedbuck And Impala May Also Be Seen. Black And White Colobus Monkeys Are Frequently Seen In The South Of The Park.
During Our Two-Day Stay, We Saw Elephant, Zebra, Six Lion, Giraffe, Buffalo, Impala, Ground Hornbill And Guinea Fowl, Among Ther Species. There Is A Variety Of Birdlife As Mikumi Is In The Ransition Zone Between North And South.
The Long Rains Are March-May And The Short Rains From Jovember-December. Rainfall Within The Park Ranges From 20-10 Inches (510-1070 Mm) Yearly.
It Is Difficult To Say What Is The Best Time To Visit Mikumi. Jnlike Most Parks, Wildlife Is Concentrated In This Park In The Wet Season When The Vegetation Is The Thickest, Making Game Viewing More Difficult. Fewer Animals Are Present In The Dry Season, But The Ones Present Are Easier To Spot. Considering This, The Best Time To Visit Is June-February.
This Park Is Open All Year Although Some Roads Are Closed During The Rainy Season. There Is An Airstrip, Petrol Station And Garage At Park Headquarters.
Accommodation - Class B/C: * Mikumi Wildlife Lodge Has 50 Double Rooms With Private Facilities And A Swimming Pool.
Class D: * Mikumi Wildlife Camp Has Self-Contained Bandas, Restaurant And Bar.
Camping: Campsites Are Available.
Related Information
The South
The South The "Southern Circuit" Of Wildlife Reserves Includes The Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park And Mikumi National Park. The Selous And Ruaha Are Seldom Visited And Offer A Great Opportunity To Explore Wild And Unspoiled Bush.
Selous Game Reserve
Selous Game Reserve This Little-Known Reserve Happens To Be The Largest Game Reserve In Africa. Over 21,000 Square Miles (55,000 Km2) In Area, The Selous Is More Than Half The Size Of The State Of Ohio, Twice The Area Of Denmark And Three And Three-Fourths Times Larger Than Serengeti National Park. Unexploited And Largely Unexplored, No Human Habitation Is Allowed In This Virgin Bush Except For Limited Tourist Facilities. The Selous Is A Stronghold For Over 50,000 Elephant (Recently Down From 100,000 Due To Rampant Poaching), 150,000 Buffalo (Herds Often Exceed 1000), And Large Populations Of Lion, Leopard, Sable Antelope, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest,