Saadani National Park 

Saadani National Park was officially declared a national park in 2005 under Government Notice No. 188.

The Park covers an area of 1,100 sq km after the annexation of the former Saadani Game Reserve, Mkwaja Cattle Ranch, Zaraninge Forest Reserve, and the Wami River in Tanzania. 

Saadani National Park is a paradise with a unique ecosystem where beach life meets wilderness.

This gives you not only the opportunity to plunge into the Indian Ocean straight after your safari but also to be submerged in a unique display of both marine and mainland flora and fauna in a naturally fascinating setting.

The name Saadani is closely linked to the Arab settlement in the area during the 19th Century.

The name of a fishing village, called initially Utondwe, was changed to Saadani.

Saadani has been an essential name in the country’s history since antiquity, mentioned in Portuguese chronicles and by notable travelers such as Johannes Rebman, El-Masoud, Ptolemy, and Richard Burton, among others.

The historical Saadani leaves evidence not only of these travelers’ visits but also of a former town that was once a trade center coordinating overseas and hinterland trade, including the slave trade.

The best time to visit Saadani

The park is open year-round; however, the best time to visit is between June and February. Short rains typically occur from October to November, while long rains occur from March to May.

The climate is coastal, hot, and humid, with an annual maximum temperature of 29 °C and average yearly rainfall of 800-1200 mm.

Entry Gates to Saadani National Park

  1. Mvave Entry Gate is located in the south of the park, 65km from the Mandera junction.
  2. Gama Entry Gate is located Southwest of the Park, 66 km from Bagamoyo town through Makurunge junction.
    The gate is accessible only during the dry season.
  3. Madete Entry Gate is located north of the park and is easily accessible for visitors from Pangani, Muheza, or Tanga. It can be accessed year-round, but users may experience difficulties during the peak of the rainy season.

The attractions found in Saadani

These are places of interest that tourists visit, typically for their inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, and natural or built beauty, as well as the leisure, adventure, and amusement they offer.

Wild Animals

This beautiful park has a spectacular concentration of wild animals, including Waterbuck, Giraffe, Warthog, Yellow Baboon, Reedbuck, Bushbuck, Hartebeest, Elephant, Buffalo, and Lions.

The Wami River and Estuary

It is among the few African coasts where large wildlife remains present in estuarine habitats.

Here you are as close as you can get to hippos, crocodiles, and other wildlife. Bird watchers will also be treated to not-often-seen migratory birds that love the shore, such as different kinds of sandpipers, Eurasian oystercatchers, and the common greenshank.

Evergreen mangrove trees along the river provide a resting and feeding place for many bird species, bats, monkeys, and other reptiles.

Mafui Sandbank

It is within the park’s marine extension, which features colorful coral reefs that are essential breeding grounds for many fish species.

At the sandbank, tourists enjoy snorkeling and diving, and learn about various marine organisms in the Indian Ocean.

The chances of seeing dolphins and humpback whales putting on their show in the Indian Ocean are beyond.

Madete Beach is a nesting site for the Green Turtle

Madete Beach is one of the most significant breeding sites for the Green turtle, the largest of the hard-shelled sea turtles in Tanzania.

A Female Green turtle lays eggs along the shore and returns to the sea. The high season is from July to November, and the moderate season is from January to March.

Approximately eight nests can be available during the season. The incubation time of the eggs buried in the sand is 45 – 60 days, after which the hatching emerges.

Zaraninge Forest

It is an evergreen lowland coastal forest with a closed canopy. Zaraninge is home to endemic, rare, and threatened plant and animal species. It primarily supports elephant life during the dry season.

Tanzania Travel Tips

Our team carefully researched and focused on trips which attract people with the same interest and naturally get on well with each other through their shared interests.

Once you confirm your booking on a tour you will be sent further practical information – packing tips, detailed itineraries, including advice on health, passport and visa requirements, and minimum and maximum numbers of guests on tours.

Memorable meals are one of the hallmarks of an excellent holiday. With the support of the best cooks, the quality of food and drink service is guaranteed. Depending on the service level or type of tour you have chosen, pre-discussion with your tour planner is a win-win situation for an enjoyable diet. Other tours are accompanied by our cook and others are inclusive service from our accommodation partners include hotels, private camps, and luxury lodges.

The answer is absolute yes! The areas where safaris are organized are safe and free of political chaos. We conduct safaris in places that are politically stable to assure our clients’ safety and enjoyment.

Our Professional Safari Guides are well trained about wild animal behaviors and they have enough experience to lead our clients in the wilderness. Our vehicles are 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rovers with a hutched roof to give maximum visibility of a game.

African safaris guarantee unlimited sightseeing; millions of animals, birds, and plant life are the core characters of the African savanna. You roam across the countryside in search of Elephants, Lions, Rhinos, Cape buffalo, and Leopards (the so-called “Big Five”). On any given day, you will encounter Blue Wildebeests, Zebras, a large variety of antelope species, Gazelles, Giraffes, Baboons, and Hippos. The birdlife is fantastic – in some areas, up to 400 bird species have been identified! Think of the majestic Baobab tree (some tribes believe that the tree was indeed planted upside-down!), and there are hundreds of varieties of thorn trees! You will also see the acacia-dotted landscape, endless plains, majestic mountains, and the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises one could ever imagine! Think of a late afternoon thunderstorm, short but violent, and then the beautiful rainbow.

Tanzania destinations are accessible throughout the year but we advise you to take your tours during the dry session for the safari so as you can enjoy the best sightings at this time as the grasses and bush are at their least dense. July to October and December through February. The green session includes March through June. Discuss with us for the best option if you have also a plan to coincides with Wildebeest Migration in Serengeti National Park’

(We suggest you remember) insect repellent (the best way to prevent malaria and other insect-borne diseases), sunscreen, cap or hat, sunglasses, binoculars, detergent powder if you want to wash some clothes yourself, hand-wipes small flashlight, aspirin, diarrhea medicine, rain jacket, poncho, or collapsible umbrella, plastic bags (for wet clothes, swimsuit and for keeping dust away from camera equipment), Kleenex/toilet tissue a neck chain for eyeglasses if you take them off to use binoculars and cameras, any medical prescription you need, masking tape or labels for marking exposed films cans, film, extra camera batteries.

Although more than 200 languages and dialects are spoken throughout Africa, this presents no problem as English is spoken throughout East and Southern Africa. Apart from English, all our professional guides are multilingual so we get you covered.

African safaris guarantee unlimited sightseeing; millions of animals, birds, and plant life are the core characters of the African savanna. You roam across the countryside in search of Elephants, Lions, Rhinos, Cape buffalo, and Leopards (the so-called “Big Five”). On any given day, you will encounter Blue Wildebeests, Zebras, a large variety of antelope species, Gazelles, Giraffes, Baboons, and Hippos. The birdlife is fantastic – in some areas, up to 400 bird species have been identified! Think of the majestic Baobab tree (some tribes believe that the tree was indeed planted upside-down!), and there are hundreds of varieties of thorn trees! You will also see the acacia-dotted landscape, endless plains, majestic mountains, and the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises one could ever imagine! Think of a late afternoon thunderstorm, short but violent, and then the beautiful rainbow.

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