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Katavi National Park

Katavi River from the Air - Safari holiday

Katavi is in remote south western Tanzania and is about as far off the beaten track as it is possible to get. Until recently you would find more people climbing Everest every year than visiting Katavi. And whilst visitor numbers have increased, staying in Katavi undoubtedly remains at the very pinnacle of safari holiday experiences.

It is the country's third largest national park and is dominated by a dry Miombo woodland, cut through by a number of big rivers. In places these rivers open out into vast floodplains for which Katavi is renowned. During the dry season from May to November, these open floodplains attract some of the greatest concentrations of large mammals to be seen in Africa.

Buffalo graze the tall yellow grasses in herds a thousand strong; hippo rub shoulders in every bit of available water; and giant crocodiles line the sandbanks. Elephant, eland, waterbuck, topi, impala, zebra, giraffe, and roan antelope are all resident. The predator count is also very impressive, with leopards and, especially lions, present in high numbers.