Tanzania's medium-sized Mikumi National Park (650 sq mi/1,685 sq km) offers good viewing of giraffes, impalas, warthogs, elephants, lions, hippos and other animals. The landscape is woodlands and grassy plains fed by the floodplains of the Mkata River. Mikumi is the Kiswahili name for the borassus palm found in the area. Mikumi is especially known for its birdlife, with more than 400 species, many of which are not found in the parks of the Northern Circuit.
There are adequate accommodations at the Mikumi Wildlife Camp and at a couple of exclusive tented camps, and it's a popular weekend destination for people living in Dar es Salaam—the drive takes around five hours. From Mikumi, the main road then carries on to southwest Tanzania and eventually Malawi, and it actually runs right through the middle of the park, so there is also the chance to spot wildlife from the road without paying to go into the park. Mikumi National Park is 183 mi/294 km west of Dar es Salaam.
To request access to the full version of this destination guide, please provide your email address below. Your email address will only be used for verification purposes and will not be used for marketing purposes.