The attractions of Mikumi National Park : Mikumi National park is a Tanzanian National park which is located near Morogoro, Tanzania. It was established in 1964 with a surface area of 3,230 Km² and it is the fourth largest National park in the country. The park near the city of Dar es salaam and is crossed by Tanzania’s A-7 highway. Mikumi National Park together with Selous Game Reserve on the south of the park form a unique ecosystem. Udzungwa mountains and Uluguru mountains are the two natural physical features bordering Mikumi National Park . Malundwe mountain is found within the park with its highest belt running from east to west and through the park connecting the Uluguru mountains in the North east to with Uvidunda and Udzungwa mountains to the west. Malundwe mountain has three peaks along a ridge running north and south. The highest peak in the Mikumi National Park is Malundwe’s south peak which has a height of 1290 meters.
Mikumi National Park landscape is more often compared with the landscape of Serengeti National park. The A-7 highway that crosses the park divides the park into two area having distinct environments. The north-west part is characterized by the alluvial plain of the river basin Mkata. The vegetation of Mikumi National Park consists of savannah dotted with acacia, Baobab, tamarind and some palm tress. From afar distance one can see the rock formation of the Rubeho and Uluguru mountains. The south-East part of the park has little wildlife and it is also not very accessible.
The Mikumi National Park fauna has many species similar to a typical African savannah. The park has a unique subspecies of giraffes which biologists consider to be a crossbreed between the Maasai giraffe and the reticulated giraffe. Other animals found in the park are elephants, impalas, Civet, reedbuck, warthog, waterbuck, crocodiles, monitor lizard, hippos, pythons, wildebeest, zebras, elands, kudus, buffaloes, baboons, black antelopes, lion, leopard spotted hyenas jackals, some yellow baboons which are found in the southern part near Kiboga. The park is simply home to the Big five animals: lion, leopard, Buffalo, elephant and Rhinos together with wide range of other animals. The hippos are located in two artificial pools which are 5kilometers North of the park.
Birds
Mikumi National Park is also home to plenty of the birds species and a perfect destination for bird watchers. Some of the common birds in Mikumi National Park are yellow-throated long claw, the Bateleur eagle and the Lilac-breasted roller. Other birds include Marabou storks, Red- billed oxpeckers, Black-bellied Bustard, cattle Egret, Hornbill, Malachite Kingfisher, Francolin, Guinea fowls, Cardinal woodpecker, Green wood-hoopoe, long-tailed fiscal, pale-billed hornbill, yellow-crested turaco, Shelley’s sunbird, African hawk eagle, African grey Hornbill, African Openbill and many more.
The best time to visit Mikumi National Park
The best time to visit Mikumi National Park, just like most of the other National parks in Tanzania is during the dry season. The period between June to October is the best time to visit Mikumi National Park, it is during this period that there is optimum wildlife life viewing because the animals tend to concentrate around the rivers and the waterhole becoming easier to spot them. The park’s main waterhole is a magnet for the thirsty animals with huge herds of buffaloes being the most likely to be seen around the waterhole.
Udzungwa mountains
Udzungwa mountains are a mountain range which are located in the South-Central Tanzania. The mountains are mostly found in Iringa region which is south of Tanzania’s capital city Dodoma. The Udzungwa mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains and are home to large number of endemic species found within the region, The attractions of Mikumi National Park
The Udzungwa mountains has the highest peak being 2,579 m which is equivalent to 8,461 ft. The inhabitants of the region within the Udzungwa mountains are the Hehe people. The name of the mountain Udzungwa comes from the Hehe word “Wadzungwa” which means the people who live on the mountainside. The largest settlement and the regions headquarters is in Iringa.
The Udzungwa mountains has a surface area of 16,1131.40km² the largest in the entire Eastern Arc ranges. The highest peak in the range is Luhombero which has a height of 2,579 meters with the range extending from Northeast to Southwest. The Great Ruaha river and its tributaries which drains its water to Usangu plain in the northwest. It also separates Udzungwa mountains with Rubeho mountains and Uvidunda mountains in the Northeast. The Kilombero river valley is found on the south and Southeast. Makambako Gap in the southwest separates the Udzungwa mountains from the Kipengere Range.
The Rufiji River has two tributaries, Great Ruaha and Kilombero rivers both which flows and empties into the Indian Ocean. There is also Lukosi river which has its origins in the central part of the range, it flows eastwards and empties into the Great Ruaha. The little Ruaha River together with its tributaries from the western portion of the range flows Northwards into the Great Ruaha.
The Climate
Udzungwa mountains traps the moisture winds from the Indian Ocean and because of that it receives more rainfall than the surrounding lowlands. The wet season receiving more rainfall is the period between the month of November to May. It also has some region which receives rain and mist in the higher elevations even during the months of the dry season. The South and south-eastern slopes facing Indian Ocean receives high rainfall the other region in the north and west receives low rainfall. The temperatures are cool in the higher elevations.
The Udzungwa mountains are covered with montane rainforest, Miombo woodland, lowland rainforest, grassland and heathland. The forest extends from 300 to 2579meters elevation.
The climate in the southern Highlands climate is more influenced by lake Malawi than by the Indian Ocean. Some of the Montane species are kipunji and Kipengere seedeater, The attractions of Mikumi National Park
Transport
There is a Highway that runs from northeast to southwest through the central Plateau of the mountains. The road extends north-eastwards to Dodoma and south-westwards to Makambako in Mbeya and the border with Zambia. The A7 Highway then meets withnA104 at a place called Iringa before extending eastwards through the mountains to Morogoro and Dar es salaam.
The other transport available is the railway , Tazara railway which passes the southern escarpment of Udzungwa mountains which passes through Kidatu.
Uluguru mountain
This is a mountain range in eastern Tanzania, which is named after the Luguru tribe. Its highest point is 2,630 meters altitude at its highest point. There is 50 villages that touch the forest at its boundary with and more than 151,000 people live within the mountain area.
The Ulugurus is located 200km inland from the Indian Ocean. They are part of the mountains in Eastern Africa which are collectively called the Eastern Arc Mountains, which include the Taita Hills, Pare Mountains, Usambara Mountains, Nauru Mountains, Rubeho ,Ukaguru, Udzungwa mountains and Mahenge Mountains.
The mountains are the major tourist attractions in the area are due to the mountain’s proximity to the former capital of Tanzania Dar es salaam.
