Size: 430 sq miles
Location: 65 miles Northwest of Dar es Salaam
Saadani National Park was gazetted in 2003 and is the only park in Tanzania where the bush meets the ocean. The park has become a popular a popular day trip destination from the beach resorts spread along the Tanzanian coastal circuit as well as the city of Dar es Salaam. A variety of ecosystems, including the bush, beach and river makes this park unique in comparison to the rest of East Africa. Saadani National park is a destination where those idle hours of sunbathing might be interrupted by a lion coming to drink water in a nearby waterhole or even an elephant strolling by while reaching out for food from trees in the immediate surroundings.
Wildlife
Animals to see include hippos, buffalos, crocodiles, which could be sighted along river Wami, wildebeests, giraffe, antelope, waterbucks, eland, sable antelope, yellow and velvet monkey. Herds of elephants are encountered with increasing frequency, and several lions are resident.
How To Get There
Charter flight from Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam. There is also a Thrice-weekly road shuttle from Dar es Salaam.
What To Do (Activities)
Activities include game drives and guided walks, boat trips on the mangrove – lined Wamu River and swimming in the prestine aquamarine waters of the Indian Ocean. Other activities include a visit to the Saadani fishing village, which lies within the park itself.
When to go
The park is accessible all year round but roads could be impassable during the heavy rains in April and May. The best months for safari game viewing are January and February and from June to August.
