Mikumi National park
Welcome to Mikumi National park
Mikumi National Park is only three to four hours drive from Dar es Salaam, lying astride the main highway to Zambia and en route to the national parks of Udzungwa Mountains, Ruaha, and Kitulo. It shares a common border and ecosystem with Selous Game Reserve to the south. The Mikumi flood plain, as well as the mountain ranges that border the park on two sides, are the park’s main features. The flood plain is dominated by open grasslands, which eventually merge with the miombo woodland that covers the lower hills.
Mikumi National Park has a total area of 3,230 square kilometers and is home to a variety of wildlife, including buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, lion, elephant, impala, hippos, baboons, giraffe, warthog, waterbuck, and eland, which can be seen all year. The park also has reptiles such as crocodiles, monitor lizards, and pythons. Other animals that can be seen, though rare, include the sable antelope, which lives on the park’s southern border with the Selous, the Greater Kudu, leopards, and the wild dog, also known as the African Hunting Dog. During the rainy season, over 400 bird species have been recorded, including European migrants.
Mikumi National Park is one of the most popular visitor attractions available through our Dar es Salaam branch office. Because it is close to Dar es Salaam on a good road, day trips are popular, especially for those who do not have time to spend the night there. However, it is recommended that you stay at least one night in Mikumi in order to enjoy a fulfilling game drive in this beautiful park. Mikumi offers a variety of accommodation options.
Mikumi National Park is encircled by mountains and protected land. Mikumi’s landscape is often compared to that of the Serengeti National Park, but with a fraction of the tourists. It is located in the southern region of the country, bordering the Selous Reserve. Although less spectacular than some of Tanzania’s more famous national parks, Mikumi still provides a good safari experience with typical East African flora and fauna.
THE HISTORY OF MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
Mikumi National Park, which was first gazetted in 1964 and expanded to the north and south in 1975, has risen through the ranks to become Tanzania’s fourth-largest national park, with an area of 3230 square kilometers. When combined with the Selous Game Reserve to the southwest, this larger ecosystem is the size of Denmark.
Mikumi National Park was established in 1964 and is named after the spindly-shaped Borassus palm trees. The Mkata plain is home to large herds of plains game such as wildebeest, impala, zebra, and giraffe, which are hunted by their associated predators, whereas the surrounding less fertile hills are home to Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, greater kudu, roan, and sable antelope. Although sightings of game are never guaranteed, there have been numerous sightings of the African ‘wild dog’ hunting the plains in packs.
Mikumi Weather
WEATHER AND CLIMATE IN MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
Because of its equatorial location, Mikumi has consistent weather. The dry season months (June to October) are among the coolest. This is especially true at higher elevations, which are mostly inaccessible to tourists. The wet season (November to May) is humid and hot, particularly in the winter months.
WHY VISIT MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK?
With almost guaranteed wildlife sightings, it is an ideal safari destination for those who do not have a lot of time. Mikumi National Park is a popular weekend destination for city dwellers due to its proximity to Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam.
The open horizons and abundant wildlife of Mikumi’s popular centerpiece, the Mkata Floodplain, are frequently compared to the more famous Serengeti Plains.
On safari game drives, visitors will see lions surveying their grassy kingdom, gazing down at buffalo herds migrating below and the flattened tops of termite mounds.
Giraffes forage in the isolated acacia stands that line the Mkata River, which are also popular with Mikumi’s elephants.
The Mkata Floodplain, which is crisscrossed by a good circuit of game-viewing roads, is perhaps Tanzania’s most reliable location for sightings of the powerful eland, the world’s largest antelope. The miombo-covered foothills of the mountains that rise from the park’s borders are home to the equally impressive greater kudu and sable antelope.
Head over to the Mkata Floodplains from the game viewing roads to get a good look at the world’s largest antelope, the eland. This is the most reliable place in Tanzania to see elephants, but it also has sightings of kudu and sable antelope, which live on the park’s “miombo”-covered hillsides. Accommodation is also available in the surrounding area, with reasonably priced lodges.
MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK LANDSCAPES
Mikumi is not only a fantastically colorful place for ‘getting your eye in’ on game drives, but it is also a fantastically colorful place. Throughout the day, the open grasslands stretching out before you change through a spectrum of oranges and yellows—a photographer’s dream!
With the Uluguru Mountains to the east and the Mbesera, Madzini, and Mazunyungu hills to the north and west, the park is surrounded by an arc of mountains and protected land. Mikumi is renowned for having the most fabulous light and color, possibly due to the shadow cast by these mountainous areas, making it a favorite with wildlife and safari photographers, both professional and amateur.
A road divides the landscape in two, and it appears that the road separates two distinct environments. Alluvial plains, baobabs, acacias, and palms characterize the park’s north-west, while the south-east is less accessible and less popular with wildlife.
Wildlife and Birds of Mikumi
MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK ANIMALS
Elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, elands, greater Kudu, wildebeest, roan and sable antelope, buffalo, Burchell’s zebra, sable, eland, Liechtenstein’s hartebeest, spotted hyena, and yellow baboons are all common in the park. Tree-climbing lions, leopards, wild hunting dogs, and black-backed jackals are among the many predators.
Along the Tanzania-Zambia highway, lions, giraffes, and leopards are common, especially in the evenings and at night. Hippos are frequently joined by flocks of open-billed storks and other waterbirds in the two pools north of Mikumi’s main park gate. The surrounding mountains and hills provide compelling natural beauty as well as excellent light, making it an ideal location for wildlife photographers. On the grassy plains, zebra, wildebeest, impala, and buffalo can be found.
Lions, which prey on these animals, share the same habitat and can be seen on occasion. Giraffes eat the leaves of the isolated acacia trees that line the Mkata River, and elephants enjoy the small islands of shade provided by these acacias.
MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK BIRDS
More than 400 different bird species have been identified here, including migratory birds from Eurasia like the lilac-breasted roller, marabou stork, and red-billed oxpecker, which stay from October to April. The Miombo woodland is home to a variety of fascinating bird species, including the Shelley’s double-collared sunbird, pale-billed hornbill, violet-crested Turaco, violet-backed starling, yellow-throated longclaw, and bateleur eagle
OTHER ACTIVITIES AT MIKUMI NP
Mikumi walking safari: An authentic and affordable way to discover the wildlife and nearby viewing points, such as the Vuma trail and Kikogoba trail, is to go on a day-trip walking safari with a local guide.
Birding tours: Many visitors come specifically for the birding park tours, which offer a unique opportunity to see colorful common residents like the lilac-breasted roller. There is an incredible variety of birds to see, including the Zanzibar red bishop and the yellow-throated longclaw.
Picnicking: On a game drive, enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the picnic areas in Kusungura or the Mkata Plains.
How to get to Mikumu
Mikumi National Park is now easily accessible for safaris as it is only a four-hour drive from Dar es Salaam thanks to the completion of the paved road connecting the park gate to Dar es Salaam. You can drive to Mikumi National Park, which is located between Udzungwa and Ruaha national parks. Due to each park’s distinctive characteristics, the three together make up a beautiful and varied safari circuit.
