Katavi is arguably the most remote national park in Africa, it can be logistically tricky and getting there is expensive, however, once there it is most definitely worth the effort. A destination on many safari enthusiasts bucket list it is definitely somewhere that we feel strongly about, with some of the best walking on the continent, an incredible fly camping experience and a beautifully rustic camp to return to what is there not to love…
Most safari aficionados will tell that the holy grail of safari is fantastic wildlife viewing with no other people, the previously mentioned challenges keep many people away from this pristine wilderness, and while it may seem that these are frustrating obstacles they are in fact a benefit to the national park, naturally limiting visitor numbers and leaving this wilderness to be just that.
Katavi is most commonly combined with Mahale Mountains National Park, the only other park in Tanzania that is similarly remote. Together they offer an incredibly varied itinerary with some great classic safari and a chance to track habituated chimps in one of the most stunning settings on the planet! The other thing that we love to do is to combine Katavi with Ruaha and the Selous to make quite a long but very wild and special itinerary.
Katavi is a brilliant place to be in the dry season, during the rains the area is essentially shut down due to flooding and the weather making safari operations inoperable. During the period from June to October, however, it is one of the best places in Africa to be in our opinion.
Katavi can be accessed from a number of places although it is a long way from anywhere. The most common access points are Arusha, the Serengeti and Mahale Mountains, however it can also be linked by light aircraft with Dar es Salaam and the Selous and Ruaha.
Katavi is a huge landscape of mostly open plains, it lends itself to both driving and walking safaris brilliantly and it is home to one of the best sleepout experiences in Africa.
Top Katavi camps
Chada Katavi
Katavi, Tanzania
Perfect for one of the most incredible and remote safari experiences available in Africa today, top of the bucket list for many a safari enthusiast.