Kitulo plateau national park in southern Tanzania tourism circuit is the destination for hikers and botany paradise the flower garden. Kitulo is a great place to for botanists and birders. Kitulo plateau national park is the unique place in tropical Africa mostly recognized in largely for botany significance with stunning yellow orange red hot poker, variety of aloes, proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies, aster daisies and multitude of orchids.
It covers an Area of 412.9 sq km perched around 26,000 meters 8,500 ft between rugged peaks of Kipengere Poroto and Livingstone mountains. Here with over 350 species of plants discovered including 45 species of orchids which are not found anywhere else in the world rather than KItulo plateau area. Some of 31 species are endemic to Tanzania 26 to the Kitulo region at least three to the plateau itself and two are found only on the plateau and in the adjoining forest the Nundulu mountain reserve adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains, where the rarest monkey in Africa highland manga bey monkey discovered
The activities to do in this park are hiking trails, walking across grasslands to watch birds and wild flowers, Hill climbing, Best hike across the park and Livingstone mountain range leads to the sumptuous Matema beach in lake Nyasa. The park is easily accessible on road
The accommodation varies from luxury hotels to simple guesthouses, while two simple guesthouses also exist in Matamba. There is no accommodation in the park as yet, but very basic accommodation and meals are available at the adjacent Kitulo Farm. Three special campsites are planned within the park, catering to fully equipped campers. Two moderately priced church-run hostels are situated on Matema Beach.

The Udzungwa are the most extensive mountain range in Tanzania. They were formed at least 100 million years ago and many endemic species have evolved here, making them something of ‘an African Galapagos’. Local taboos have helped to preserve the wildlife, and now this national park protects almost 20% of the Udzungwa Mountains.
Amongst the larger attractions are 10 species of primate, three of which are endemic: the Uhehe (aka Iringa) red colobus, the Matunda galago and the Sanje crested angabey. The last of these is amongst the world’s 25 most threatened primates. With a day to explore slowly, you’ll usually see the red colobus, along with the black and white Angola colobus. Blue and velvet monkeys and yellow baboons are also common.
More than 400 species of birds live here, including many regional endemics like the Udzungwa forest partridge, which was new to science in 1991. With more scientific research, further new species are bound to be discovered. A quarter of the plants here are endemic, including some Saitpaulia species, closely related to African violets. There are also endemic amphibians, reptiles, and butterflies.
Setting off in walking shoes, with water and snacks, you’ll explore the park’s walking trails with a national parks’ guide. These trails vary in length from a few hours to three days, and do have steep sections, but are always taken at your own pace. Expect to pass streams and waterfalls amidst the thick forest vegetation. We recommend Udzungwa as an excellent day-trip from Mikumi – or perhaps a short stay at the new Udzungwa Forest Mountain camp.
The visitors can drive from Dar es Salaam or Mikumi National Park. Tourists can camp inside the park and bring their own food and supplies. There are two modest but comfortable lodges with en-suite rooms within 1km of the park entrance

Rubondo is the largest national park on an island, which is found on Lake Victoria which is the second largest lake in Africa. Even though the park is near Uganda and Rwanda, it is owned by Tanzania and has not been habited for years.
A number of indigenous mammal species like hippo, velvet monkey, genet and mongoose – share their protected habitat with introduced species such as chimpanzee, black-and-white colobus, elephant and giraffe, all of which benefit from Rubondo’s inaccessibility. It is dense with vegetation and this creates a great habitat for over 200 species of birds.
Wild jasmine, 40 different orchids and a smorgasbord of sweet, indefinable smells emanate from the forest. Ninety percent of the park is humid forest; the remainder ranges from open grassland to lakeside papyrus beds.
There are scheduled flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Mwanza in peak season, charter flights only in low season. By road from Mwanza and then boat transfer, the tourist has to contact the park for the transfer.
Accommodation in the park includes one Luxury tented camp – owned by a private company called Safari legancy. There are also Self contained and self catering visitor bandas, a campsite and hostel which are owned by the park.

Lake Manyara national park covers 330 sq km of the northern rift valley southwest of Arusha. At the center of the park there is an alkaline Lake known as Lake Manyara.
The climate at Lake Manayara brings out a lot of animals for instance the tree climbing lions, the elephants. The groundwater forest is superb for observing primate interaction: hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, while shyer blue monkey s hides in the foliage. The grassy floodplain hosts large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and giraffe, the latter often so dark as to appear to black from a distance.
The celebrated hippo pool is not only inhabited by hippos, but also attracts water birds such as herons, storks, kingfishers and the iconic fish eagle. Antelope abound, but do look out for klipspringer pairs silhouetted on the cliffs, and the tiny Kirk’s dik-dik with its trademark twitchy nose. It’s a perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife, with 400-plus species recorded, including 50 birds of prey, raucous forest hornbills, pink-hued flamingos and flotillas of pelicans.
The ways to get there is by road, charter or scheduled flight from Arusha, en route to Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crate. There are various fun activities that can be carried out for full enjoyment of the tourists this includes day and night game drives, canoeing when the water levels is sufficiently high.
Cultural tours, picnicking, bush lunch/dinner, mountain bike tours, abseiling and forest walks on the escarpment outside the park.
The accommodation is recommendable since there are varieties to choose for instance there are one luxury tree house-style camp, public bandas and campsites inside the park. One luxury tented camp and three lodges perched on the Rift Wall outside the park overlooking the lake. There are several guesthouses and campsites in nearby Mto WA Mbu.

Mahale Mountains National Park is located in a remote area in Tanzania, on the western border with the Congo, against the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The park covers an area of 1,613 sq kms (615 sq miles) and can only be reached by boat or small aircraft and is home to a large chimpanzee population that is well acclimatized to human contact.
The best experience is watching the chimpanzee in their natural habitat. Hiking through the forest is fantastic and one must be prepares for a tough hike. Allow at least two days for tracking the chimpanzees – though habituated, they are wild animals which means sightings are not guaranteed and finding them can take a gentle twenty. There are no roads in the park, only tracks and trails. In addition to the chimpanzees there are several species of monkey including red colobus and a notable array of colorful forest birds.
The mountains rise from the shores of the lake to over 2,460 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level and encompass seven vegetation zones ranging from grass steppe, acacia savanna and baobabs to montane forest and bamboo bush land. Lake Tanganyika is the world’s longest, second-deepest and least polluted fresh water lake – with an estimated 1,000 fish species. There are Swim, snorkel and fish in the lake.
Accommodation is in small lakeside camps and lodges and the best time to visit is May to October although forest walks are no problem in the light rain of October/November. The park was originally habited by the local Tongwe people who hold the highest peak, Nkungwe, sacred.

Mikumi National Park is the fourth largest park in Tanzania and covers an area of 3230 km2. It is bordered by Uluguru Mountains in the North and Rubeho Mountains to the south-east. The main feature in the park is Mkata River Flood Plain. The common animals found in the park elephants, giraffes buffaloes, zebras, elands, greater Kudu, wildebeest, roan and sable antelope. Predators include tree-climbing lions (which are in large number), leopards, wild hunting dogs and black-backed jackal.
More than 400 species of birds have been recorded here including Eurasian migrants such as red billed oxpecker, marabou stork and lilac breasted roller, which stays between October and April. There are more interesting bird species in the Miombo woodland, for example, Shelley’s double collared sunbird, and pale billed hornbill and violet-crested Turaco as well as violet-backed starling
The surrounding mountain and hills brings compelling natural beauty with addition to superb light, make it a wonderful venue for wildlife photographers. The main activities carried out are game drives, guided walks and visit nearby Udzungwa or travel on to Selous or Ruaha.
The easiest way to get there is through surfaced road connects which Mikumi to Dar es Salaam via Morogoro, a roughly 4 hour drive. There are Also road connections to Udzungwa, Ruaha and (dry season only) Selous and Charter flight from Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Selous. Local buses run from Dar to park HQ where game drives can be arranged.
There park is accessible all year round and there are accommodations which are in plenty for instant there are two lodges, three luxury tented camps, three campsites. There are also guest houses in Mikumi town on the park border. One lodge is proposed at Mahondo and one permanent tented camp at Lumaaga

Mkomazi National Park is the youngest National Park of Tanzania (2006). It is located in North Eastern Tanzania on the Kenyan Border. It was established as a Game Reserve in 1951 and is found in Kilimanjaro Region and Tanga Region.
Mkomazi is one of the only places in the whole Tanzania to spot the black rhinoceros. The Reserve covers over 3,200 km² and is dominated by Acacia-Commiphora vegetation; it is contiguous with Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park
Mkomazi supports several dry – country specialists’ species that are rare elsewhere in Tanzania; these include the spectacular fringe – eared Oryx, with its long back – sweeping horns, and the handsome spiral – horned lesser kudu. Oddest of all is the gerenuk, a gazelle distinguished by its slender neck, bizarre alien – like head, and habit of standing tall on its hind legs stretch for acacia leaves that other browsers cannot reach.
By road, Mkomazi is easily accessible via same, which lies on the surfaced highway connecting Arusha to Dar es Salaam. The Park is also easily accessible on special arrangement through Njiro, Kivingo and Umba gates. Park can also be easily accessed from nearby/close existing tourist attractions in Eastern Arc Mountains, Coast and Kilimanjaro Mountain. Charter flights are available to Kisima airstrip.
The activities carried out are game drives, camping, site seeing, bird watching, walking safari, and hiking (uphill). There are several guest house and hotels in the same town, and if one desires to camp they have to bring their own gear and food.

Saadani national park is located in the center of a historic triangle of Bagamoyo, Pangani and Zanzibar. It covers around 1100km and is termed as the only national park that boarders the sea. The climate is coastal that is it is hot and humid and hence offers both marine and mainland flora and fauna. Saadani’s coast is notable for its stands of mangroves, and inland the coast is fringed by palm-lined beaches. The natural vegetation of the interior of Saadani is mostly open grassland, dotted with acacia thickets, with the occasional band of riparian forest lining the major watercourses.
The animals found in the savannah part of the park are buffalo, giraffe, waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, warthog and the very shy and uncommon red duiker.
There are small herds of elephant here, and also lion – although both can be skittish. Leopard, spotted hyena and black-backed jackal also occur. Hippo and crocodile are found in the river, and green turtles breed on the beaches.
Evergreen mangrove trees grow in the transactional zone, just above the mean sea water level. These salt tolerant tidal forests provide a resting and feeding place for many birds’ species, bats, monkeys, hippos and reptiles. Numerous species of fish such as prawns also lay their eggs in these protected habitats.
Saadani National Park is located roughly 45km North of Bagamoyo. The park will be easily accessible through Wami River from Dar es Salaam via Bagamoyo. However, currently in order to reach the park from Dar es Salaam one has to drive a 200km via Chalinze-Msata road. Transfers can also be arranged from Mkwaja or Saadani airstrip.
There are other privately owned accommodation facilities inside and outside the park such Saadani safari Lodge, KISAMPA and a tent with the view. There are also several camping sites.

Tarangire National Park is located on the northern part of Tanzania. It is well known for its vast dry land, swamps and the Tarangire River. Despite the fact that it is drier than Serengeti national park it is denser in terms of vegetation.
From November to May, most of the game leaves the park that is the herds of wildebeest and zebra head north-west onto the floor of the Rift Valley, whilst many animals disperse across the vast open areas of the Maasai Steppe. From around June to October, it’s dry and the game returns to Tarangire’s swamps, and especially, its river system. This is the best season for a game-viewing safari in Tarangire, which can be excellent. The animals that are predominantly found are particularly large numbers of elephant herds congregate here, as do many wildebeest and zebra. There are also populations of impala, giraffe, eland and buffalo. Thompson’s gazelle, Coke’s hartebeest, bohor reedbuck and both greater and lesser kudu are found here. The localized and unusual gerenuk and fringe-eared Oryx also occur here, though in our experience they are seen exceedingly rarely. There are still thought to be a few black rhino in the park.
There are varieties of birdlife which are about 551 species. The offers unique birds like the Kori burstad which is the heaviest flying bird, the stocking-thighed ostrich which is the world’s largest bird and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys. There are also large flocks of beautiful yellow-collared lovebirds, which are endemic to Tanzania.
The activities to be carried out are guided walking safaris, Day trips to Maasai and Barabaig villages, as well as to the hundreds of ancient rock paintings in the vicinity of Kolo on the Dodoma Road. To get there, there is an easy drive from Arusha or Lake Manyara following a surfaced road to within 7km (four miles) of the main entrance gate. There are also chart flights from Arusha to Serengeti.
There accommodation is easily accessible and it varies from tented camps, Lodges and luxury tented camps.