Mikumi National Park

Mikumi National Park is the fourth largest national park in Tanzania. The open horizon and abundance of wildlife are comparable to the more famous Serengeti plains. The park borders the Selous Game Reserve to the south and the two areas together form a unique ecosystem. The chance of encountering tree-climbing lions here is greater than in other parks and this is therefore a good reason to add this park to your Tanzania safari .

Wild animals in the national park

The park has a great variety of animals and most visitors come to Mikumi National Park to spot the 'Big Five' : cheetahs, lions, elephants, buffalos and rhinos. You will definitely enjoy it! Hippos live in mud pools and it is a highlight to see them there. These mud pools are located 5 km north of the main entrance of the park. There are also many different water birds to see.

The Mkata Foodplain is a large area in Mikumi National Park that is great for wildlife watching. Lions survey their grassy kingdom, where herds of zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo roam. During the rains, the lions like to climb into the trees, which is a special sight to see. Giraffes are often seen along the Mkata River, while the shade of the trees is a favourite with the elephants that live here. In addition, the Mkata Floodplain is perhaps the best place in Tanzania to spot the giant eland, the world's largest antelope. The equally impressive greater kudu and sable antelope chase each other at the foot of the mountains of Mikumi National Park.

Birds in Mikumi

Mikumi is a great place for bird lovers as there are over 400 different species of birds living here!

The Mkata River offers a majestic view of storks trying to catch fish. Marabou stork, Red-billed bustard, Black-bellied bustard, Francolin, Cattle egret, Guinea fowl, Hornbill and Malachite kingfisher are common in Mikuru National Park. The most colourful species are the Yellow-throated shrike, Lilac-breasted roller and Bateleur eagle. During the rainy season, many European bird species are found in Mikumi National Park.

Travel time to Mikumi National Park

Dar es Salaam – Mikumi: 4 hours

Selous – Mikumi: best to fly, this flight takes about 3 hours

Udzungwa – Mikumi: 2 hours

Ruaha – Mikumi: best done by plane, 5-6 hours by car

Travel tips from our experts about Mikumi National Park

My name is Aaron and I have been a guide in Mikumi National Park for 10 years. In Mikumi you can see the Big Five, although they are a bit harder to find than in the northern parks. Most of our guests are impressed by the hippos and the diversity of birds.

My advice:

How long to stay?: 1 or maximum 2 days

Some tips on when and how best to get there:

• Visit the park from June to October and avoid the wet months, as the park is not accessible during the wet months.
• Visit this park at the beginning of your trip, so that the trip builds up properly. Selous and Ruaha are definitely the highlights.
• Do not combine Mikumi and Selous by car. The distance by car is far too long. The journey by car takes the whole day and is not very comfortable due to the bad roads. We therefore advise to travel this route by plane.

Which hotel?:

Hotels in Mikumi are more basic compared to hotels in other national parks. Taking this into account, I would recommend:

• Camp Bastian (silver)
• Vuma Hills (golden)
• Stanley's Cup Camp (platinum)