Mikumi


Mikumi is a national park in the heart of Tanzania , on the banks of the Great Ruach. It is bordered by the Udzungwa Mountains and the Selous Reserve, to which the ecosystem belongs. By area, Mikumi Park is fourth in Tanzania , behind Serengeti , Ruach and Katavi . It is not only one of the largest, but also one of the oldest national parks in Tanzania: the date of its foundation is 1964, before it was founded only Serengeti, which became the first such park in the country, Lake Manyara and Arusha .

Its name was given to the park in honor of a spindle-shaped palm tree growing in these places. Its mountain ranges, green grass plains and lowlands, overgrown with forest, annually attract a lot of tourists and creators of television films about the nature of Africa. On the territory of the park you can drive by car or bus, and you can look at the life of local inhabitants and from a small height, after traveling on a balloon. This version of the safari is most popular, as it allows you to observe the life of local inhabitants without attracting their attention. Popularity Mikumi and as a place of family weekends, because it is very good transport accessibility.

Flora and fauna

The territory occupied by the National Park is the aboriginal habitat of lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, spotted hyenas. In forests consisting mainly of baobabs and acacias, there are badgers-honey eaters. In Mikumi you can find giraffes, elephants, zebras, buffalo, rhinoceroses, impalas, gazelles, warthogs. The main attraction of the park is the flooded meadows of Mkata, the habitat of the world's largest antelopes - reindeer herders, or canna.

In the southern part of the park there are reservoirs in which the hippos and crocodiles "lodge". Mikumi Park is also home to a large number of birds. Some of them live here permanently, some arrive for the period from October to April from Europe and Asia. In total, more than three hundred different species of birds can be found here.

Where to live?

On the territory of Mikumi there are also small tent camps, which provide a rather high level of service, and luxury hotels operating on the "all inclusive" system. When lodging in a camping site, you need to be prepared for the fact that any animal, including a large one (for example, an elephant) can enter the camp territory. Do not be afraid: all animals are followed by employees, so that no danger threatens you. Near the restaurants are often inhabited by lemurs, who are happy to feed visitors, and lemurs in response often steal sandwiches and other food from plates. Foxes Safari Camp, Tan Swiss Lodge, Mikumi Wildlife Camp, Vuma Hills Tented Camp, Vamos Hotel Mikumi have received the best reviews.

How and when to visit Mikumi Park?

Getting to Mikumi is very simple: from Dar-es-Salaam , a very good quality road runs here, and the journey will take about 4 hours. The tracks also connect Mikumi with Ruaha and Udzungwa. Half an hour you can get here from Morogoro. From Dar es Salaam, you can get here quicker: there is a runway in the park where charter flights departing from Salam International Airport land. You can visit the park all year round individually and as part of the excursion - at any time it affects its landscapes and the abundance of various animals.