What is unique about Mikumi National Park? The primary draw for tourists visiting Mikumi National Park is its wildlife. Four of the African Big Five mammals—the rhinoceros is the exception—live there in large numbers, along with numerous herds of animals that include Great Kudu, Hartebeest Impalas, Hippos, Baboons, Giraffe, Warthogs, Waterbucks, Gazelle, and Elands. These animals can be seen all year round, and dry country antelopes like the long-necked Gerenuk and Fringe Eared Oryx are frequently spotted, among many other species. The park is home to a variety of reptiles, including crocodiles, monitor lizards, and pythons. Abandoned drifts, or anthills, are frequently the habitat of mongoose colonies. Widely regarded as the northern Serengeti, Mikumi is a vast national park that shares a boundary with the enormous Selous Game Reserve.
Lions can be seen idly surveying the large herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and impala that graze the grasses in the expansive Mkata floodplain. Elephants search for cover under acacia trees, as hippos frolic in pools near the main entrance.
Mikumi’s enormous eland population and population of African Wild Dogs are perhaps its most distinctive features during your Tanzania safari tours. The park is a birder’s delight with over 400 species of birds, and the largest member of the antelope family makes a striking figure as it grazes on the vast grasslands.
The distinct African wild dog population is another one of Mikumi National Park’s tourist attractions. It’s also thought that there are better chances of seeing tree-climbing lions here, making Mikumi National Park an excellent place to go game viewing.
This national park is home to several elephant species that are thought to be subspecies that connect the Masai and Somali giraffes. Additionally, there are many hippos living in the two man-made lakes north of Mikumi’s Main Gate, which are regularly joined by a wide variety of birds.
Birdwatching
Mikumi National Park is home to a staggering 440 different bird species, including the most sighted Black-Billied Bustard, Secretary Bird, Guinea Fowl, Ox Peckers, Bateleur Eagles, and Cattle Egret. These birds are both permanent residents and migratory visitors. Savour the opportunity in your Tanzania safari to observe an abundance of vibrant and rare bird species that coexist with the marshes found throughout Mikumi National Park. The water pools in the dry season draw a variety of water birds, including fish eagles, cattle egrets, blacksmith plovers, and many more. The Mkata plains are an excellent location for birdwatching.
The magnificent rock formations of the mountains Rubeho and Uluguru, which are major tourist attractions in Mikumi National Park, are located at the far end of Mkata Plains in the park’s northwest and are well-known for the high concentration of animals. These mountains can be perfect for casual hikers.
Overall, those who enjoy wildlife and bird watching may find this intriguing park interesting. Focus East Africa Safaris can help you plan an amazing Tanzania safari to Mikumi National Park so you can take advantage of these fantastic features.
The Best Time To Visit
Since Mikumi National Park is one of Tanzania’s southern circuit national parks with excellent accessibility and has always allowed daily trips, there shouldn’t be as much worry from many tourists who may wish to visit this country’s fourth-largest national park but are still unsure of the best time to go. The proximity of Mikumi National Park to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and the primary entrance point for all foreign visitors, makes it easier to visit the park during the ideal season than it is in other national parks. Mikumi National Park is located 283 kilometres from Dar es Salaam in southern Tanzania, along the well-maintained Tanzam Highway that leads to Lusaka, Zambia. You may get to Mikumi National Park via road or by air.
Accommodations in Mikumi National Park
Considering the ideal accommodations while on Tanzania safari in any national park is very important because all fantastic lifetime Tanzania safari moments for any tourists involve not only their magical nature/wildlife experiences but also the breathtaking and very authentic lodging experiences. Even yet, it’s thought that the lack of accommodations in Mikumi National Park stems from the park’s ongoing growth and the fact that fewer people stay there overnight.
However, there are many different types of accommodations available to tourists in Mikumi National Park, providing them with peaceful, genuine, and primitive nature experiences.
These lodging options in Mikumi National Park are classified as luxury lodges, mid-range, and budget accommodations that are found in tented camps and public campgrounds inside the park’s protected area, as well as in the town of Mikumi and its neighbouring areas. These accommodations include;
Luxurious lodges
Stanley’s Kopje
Stanley’s Kopje is a luxurious camp located in Mikumi National Park. It offers visitors 360-degree views of the surrounding wilderness and is perched atop a rocky kopje on the Mkata flood plains. The camp is made up of 12 tents that are arranged around the lower edge of the hill and offer breathtaking views of the plains below. Pitch these tents on tall wooden platforms, and enjoy the shade of your veranda while you watch the game around the camp and the mwanamboga waterhole. The traditional thatched roofs of these tents provide protection from the sun.
Vuma Hills Tented Camp
Another place to stay in Mikumi National Park is the mid-luxury Vuma Hills Tented Camp, which is situated above the woods and overlooks the area southwest of the park that seems to go on forever. The Vuma Hills Tented Camp provides a refreshing respite from the heat of a day’s game drive, nestled in the woodlands of the Vuma Mountains with views of the Mkata Plains of the Mikumi below. There isn’t much more to ask for with its sixteen tastefully equipped tents, evenly distributed rooms, covered wooden porch at the front, and private bathrooms at the rear.
Midrange lodges
Mikumi Wildlife Safari Camp
Mikumi Wildlife Safari Camp is a well-known Accommodation in Mikumi National Park situated in the heart of Mikumi National Park 100 kilometers from the main entrance gate and has 6 Bandas. Each of our en-suite bandas is large and well ventilated with large verandas. All bandas can accommodate four people, in two separate rooms, making it convenient and friendly for families, the bandas, as well as the lounge, dinning-area, and bar, overlook the well-attended waterholes in front of the camp which creates more chances for watching a variety of wildlife in Mikumi National Park.
Tan Swiss Lodge
Situated 13 km away from the Mkata Plains water pools, Tan Swiss Lodge is a mid-range, affordable establishment close to the park’s entrance gate. It provides cosy accommodations in five spacious bungalows and cosy ensuite guesthouses. Additionally, the lodge boasts a large campsite.
Budget lodges includes;
Mikumi safari lodge
Mikumi Safari Lodge is a regular hotel that is accessible in 10 minutes by car from the main road. It is a remote, serene retreat for those in need of a total getaway from their hectic lives, and it offers cosy lodging in private cottages that are 7 kilometres from the main road. There’s a good possibility you’ll witness a good number of mammals throughout your visit.
