Mikumi is Tanzania's fourth-biggest national park and most accessible from Dar es Salaam, with almost guaranteed year round wild life sightings, for those without much time. Within its 3230sq km – set between the Uluguru mountains in the northeast, the Rubeho mountains to the northwest and the Lumango Mountains to the southeast- get the opportunity to explore the most reliable wildlife watching at Mkata floodplain, to the north west of the Main road, with the open vistas of the small but lovely millennium ("Little Serengeti") area at a highlight. This area is especially good for sporting buffaloes –often quite near the roadside-as well as giraffes, elephants and zebras.
Another attraction: the hippo pools, just northwest of the main entry gate, where you can watch hippos wallowing and snorting at close range, plus fine bird watching.
If you are travelling for education purpose and note for leisure Mikumi National Park is also the super destination for students and Researchers. However Mikumi is an important educational and research centre. Among the various projects being carried out is ongoing field study of yellow baboons, which is one of just a handful of such long-term primate study on continent. To the south Mikumi is contiguous with Selous Game Reserve.
Sharing a common border and ecosystem with Selous Game Reserve to the south, Mikumi National Park is only three to four hours drive from Dar es Salaam, lying astride the main highway to Zambia, and en route to the National Parks of Udzungwa Mountains, Ruaha and Kitulo. The main feature of the park is the Mikumi flood plain, along with the mountain ranges that border the park on two sides. Open grasslands dominate in the flood plain, eventually merging with the miombo woodland covering the lower hills.
Mikumi National Park covers an area of 3,230 sq km, and is rich in wildlife including buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, lion, elephant, impala, hippos, baboon, giraffe, warthog, waterbuck and eland which can be viewed throughout the year. Reptiles including crocodile, monitor lizard and python are also resident in the park. Other animals that can be sighted although rare are the Sable Antelope resident in the southern part of the park bordering the Selous, the Greater Kudu, leopard, and the wild dog also known as the African Hunting Dog. More than 400 bird species have been recorded, including European migrants during the rainy season.
Mikumi National Park is one the most popular visitor points sold from our Dar es Salaam branch office. Being close to Dar es Salaam on good road, day trips are popular especially for those who have little time to spend an overnight there. But it is recommended to spend at least a night in Mikumi to enjoy a fulfilling game drive in this beautiful park. A number of accommodation facilities are available in Mikumi.