Saadani National Park, Tanzania: A Complete Safari Guide

A Comprehensive Safari Guide to Saadani National Park, Tanzania. Saadani National Park is located on the North Coast of Tanzania, 100km North West of Dar es Salaam, and covers an area of 1,062 sq km (415 sq miles). The Park contains a fluctuating mix of coastal and mainland flora and animals. Saadani is the perfect blend of tropical chill and safari thrills.

Saadani National Park is a unique oasis, with a special environment where beach life and wilderness mix. This provides you not only the chance to dive right into the Indian Ocean after your safari, but to experience a unique exhibition of both marine and mainland flora and animals in a naturally intriguing environment.

The name Saadani is closely associated with the Arab settlement in the area in the 19 Century. Utondwe, renamed Saadani. Fishing village. Saadani is such a significant name in the country’s history since the time immemorial centuries or more, recorded in chronicles of the Portuguese and prominent visitors like Johannes Rebman, El-Masoud, Ptolemy and Richard Burton among others. The historical Saadani provides us not only with the evidence of the travels of these travellers but also with a past town which was a trading center coordinating abroad and hinterland bather trade including slave trafficking.

Game drives and walks provide opportunities to see a wide variety of grazers and primates including giraffe, buffalo, warthog, common waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, red duiker, greater kudu, eland, sable antelope, yellow baboon and velvet monkey. Herds of up to 30 elephants are becoming more and more frequent. Several lion prides live in the area as well as leopards, spotted hyenas and black-backed jackals. The Wami River is a mangrove-lined waterway where you’re likely to spot hippos, crocodiles and a variety of marine and riverine species, like the mangrove kingfisher and lesser flamingo, on a boat ride. The beaches are one of the last significant nesting locations of green turtles in continental Tanzania.

Saadani National Park

Boat Safari

Explore the wonders of the famous Wami River, a paradise for bird lovers and nature lovers. The Wami River is an example of overwhelming natural beauty, full of birds and wildlife.

The boat safari starts right from your lodge, as there are many hippos in front of the suites, and takes you from there to the river mouth. Along the way you see groups of hippos, many crocodiles, osprey, colobus monkeys and dozens of bird species. No trip on the Wami is ever the same.

Madete Beach and green turtle breeding site

The green turtle has one of the most substantial breeding populations in Madete Beach.

Green turtle females lay their eggs along the shore before heading back into the water. A moderate season runs from January to March, with the peak months being July through November.

There may be around 8 nests accessible during the season. The buried-egg incubation period lasts 45 to 60 days, following which the eggs hatch.

Zaraninge Forest

It is a lowland coastal forest with a closed canopy that is evergreen. Some endemic, uncommon, and threatened plant and animal species have been found in Zaraninge. During the dry season, it largely supports elephant life.

Mafui Sandbank

It is located in the park’s maritime section, where vibrant coral reefs serve as crucial breeding grounds for numerous fish species. Tourists love snorkeling, scuba diving, and learning about a variety of Indian Ocean living creatures while on the sandbank. The likelihood of witnessing dolphins and humpback whales performing in the Indian Ocean is extremely remote.

Visit Saadani Village and Slave Building Ruins

Visit Saadani fishing village, which lies within the reserve, where a collection of ruins pays testament to its 19th century heyday as a major trading port.

Saadani Village Slave buildings ruins is a site where slaves were held temporarily before they were shipped.

Getting to Saadani National Park

By Air: Charter flight from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Tanga, Arusha or any other major town landing at all seasons Saadani Airstrip in the South or Mkwaja Airstrip in the North.

By Road

  • 131km from Dar es Salaam via Bagamoyo off Makurunge to Gama Entrance Gate
  • 146km from Tanga via Pangani and Mkwaja to Madete Entrance Gate
  • 225km from Dar es Salaam off Chalinze and Mandera junction via Miono to Mvave Entrance Gate
  • On the Arusha – Dar es Salaam road, off Mkata Junction via Kwamsisi to Madete Entrance Gate 79km from Mkata to Madete.
  • On the north coast, roughly 100km (60 miles) northwest of Dar es Salaam, and a similar distance southwest of the port of Tanga.

Best Time to Visit Saadani National Park

Generally accessible all-year round, although the access roads are sometimes impassable during April and May. The best game-viewing is in January and February and from June to August.