Maps of Tanzania, game reserves & islands

Northern Tanzania Safaris

Southern & Western Tanzania Safaris

Tanzania Safaris

Selous

Ruaha

Mahale

>Katavi<

Mount Kilimanjaro

Other Indian Ocean Islands

Mainland Indian Ocean locations

Dar and Arusha hotels

ALL LODGES - VIDEO, PRICES, PICTURES AND LINKS

Don't go without the 2nd Edition Cadogan Guide to Tanzania and Zanzibar - writen by Annie - one of our consultants

Katavi National Park - Katavi Safaris and Where to Stay

Despite its great size - 4471 sq km/ 2780 miles square - and its fantastic variety of animal and birdlife, Katavi is perhaps one of the most underestimated of all the Tanzanian National Parks (although those who safari here are quite content to leave it that way!).

Click here for Katavi Lodge Reviews

Katavi

Katavi National Park is wild, distant and impressive. Often described as being near Mahale NP, this is a purely relative term with reference to Tanzanian distances...

Katavi is often combined with Mahale on a flying itinerary to this western region, and the two parks make a well contrasted safari. Deceptively accessible on maps, the main road through Western Tanzania that runs merrily through the middle of Katavi is by no means a smooth ride.

Katavi Landscapes

The landscape of Katavi, together with Rukwa National Park, was created as a result of a fault in the Western Albertine Rift which formed a wide alluvial plain.

The park has a central, very flat valley floor which forms spectacular flood plains after the rains, and attracts huge herds to its bounty from the surrounding hills. The broad, blonde plain becomes a mass of tall flowing grasses at the height of the dry season, extending to distant mountains beyond.

To have a glimpse of Katavi landscapes, click on our Katavi video.

Katavi Wildlife

These grassy plains attract enormous herds of buffalo, especially during July, and herds of elephant gather here around February each year. Operators claim that the animals in Katavi haven't read any of the behavioural rulebooks for their species, so explaining why huge pods of hippos here routinely gather to sunbathe during the heat of the day!

Katavi Lodges

There are currently only two lodges in Katavi, listed below.
Clicking on the lodge links will bring up more information; our detailed view of the lodge, video, photos, key facts etc.
We have been to these lodges ourselves, and would recommend a phone call or an email to discuss the merits of each.

Ranking

- Outstanding

- Very good

- Good

- Average

- Poor

Foxes Katavi Wildlife camp
Our 5 paw rating goes out to the Foxes Katavi camp…this is a great no-frills safari camp, in an area adored by safari connoisseurs. It is certainly the lodge with the best location in the park, and a couple of superb guides. Overall we love it… but won't suit all tastes.

$460pp

More info & Video >

Chada Camp
We surprised ourselves when awarding Nomads Tanzania's Chada a 3 paw rating, as many people think it deserves more. However, the lodge does not have the greatest location compared with Foxes Katavi and is a somewhat basic camp. It is a good lodge, in a truly great park. But 3 paws are deserved...

$660pp

More info & Video >