Mikumi National Park, Tanzania: A Complete Safari Guide

A Comprehensive Safari Guide to Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. Mikumi National Park is only a three to four hour drive from Dar es Salaam, situated on the main highway to Zambia and on the way to the National Parks of the Udzungwa Mountains, Ruaha and Kitulo. The Mikumi flood plain is the principal feature of the park, with mountain ranges bordering the park on two sides. The flood plain is dominated by open grasslands which merge with the miombo woodland covering the lower hills.

Mikumi is a perfect Tanzania safari destination for those short of time, with animal sightings nearly guarantyd year-round. The tamarind trees are popular with elephants and giraffes who spend hours eating the fruits.

The park features various wild animals like buffalos, Lions, Zebra, Giraffes and Elephants.Giraffe are regularly observed browsing on the leaves of the isolated acacia trees that line the Mkata river. The bigger Kudu and Sable antelope also inhabit the foothills of the mountain rising from the Park limits, covered in miombo woodland.

Mikumi National Park is also a paradise for birding-lovers, with over 400 bird species. The most prevalent ones include marabou storks, bateleur eagles, black bellied bustards, guinea fowls, ox peckers, colourful lilac breasted rollers, yellow throated long claws. Here are some of the many species you are likely to encounter. In the rainy season the park is also visited by a stream of migrating birds from Europe, among them blacksmith plovers, cattle egrets, a range of herons, fish eagles and many more.