Mikumi is the Swahili word for the Borassus palm tree. Mikumi National Park is the fourth largest park in Tanzania covering an area of 3,230 sq kilometers. It lies on the western part of Dar es Salaam and easily accessed from the city being on the main road of Morogoro and Iringa. The main road runs through the park. Mikumi National Park is located between the Uluguru Mountains and the Lumango range, Mikumi National Park has a wide variety of wildlife that is easy to spot and well acclimatized to game viewing. Its proximity to Dar es Salaam and the amount of wildlife that live within its borders makes Mikumi National Park a popular option for weekend visitors from the city or for business visitors who don’t have long to spend on an extended safari itinerary.
Mikumi National Park is stunning in the early morning and late afternoons when its panoramic views are enhanced by the light and its wildlife is at its most active. Game drives around the Kisingura circuit, hippo pools and Vuma hills are among the most rewarding. The open horizons and abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain-the popular part of Mikumi National Park, draw frequent comparisons to the more famous Serengeti Plains. Criss-crossed by a good circuit of game-viewing roads, the Mkata Floodplain is perhaps the most reliable place in Tanzania for elands which are the world’s largest antelope. Greater kudu and sable antelope that live in the miombo covered foothills of the mountains that border the parks. During the dry season is the best for game viewing around the waterholes, not only for the herbivores but also their predators – the lions and leopards.
Major Attractions
Wildlife: Mikumi National Park is reach in wildlife like buffaloes, hippos, baboons, sable antelopes, lions, wild dogs, wildebeests, zebras, impalas, giraffe, warthog and elephants can be viewed all the year round. Reptiles including crocodiles, monitor lizards and pythons are also resident in the park.
Birds: over 400 species of birds have been recorded some of which are Eurasian Migrants flock to the park from October to April to join the park’s resident inhabitants.
Other trees that occur in the park and are not to be missed are the giant Baobabs especially the one in the south of the park which is considered to be the largest in the area. Hyphaene and Borassus palms are dotted through the park and along the water courses.
How to get there
By Road: A good surfaced road connects Mikumi National Park to Dar es Salaam via Morogoro. Also there is a road connection to Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Ruaha National Park and Selous Game Reserve.
By Air: Charter flights are available from Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Selous Game Reserve.
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