Udzungwa National Park

Udzungwa National Park is the most significant biodiversity-rich mountain reserve, with a chain of a dozen large, forest-swathed mountains that rise majestically from the flat coastal scrub of eastern Tanzania.

Known collectively as the Eastern Arc Mountains, this archipelago of isolated massifs has also been dubbed the African Galapagos for its treasure-trove of endemic plants and animals, most notably the delicate African violet.

Brooding and primeval, the forests of Udzungwa seem positively enchanted: a verdant refuge of sunshine-dappled glades enclosed by 30-metre (100-foot) high trees, their buttresses layered with fungi, lichens, mosses, and ferns.

Udzungwa alone among the ancient ranges of the Eastern Arc has been accorded the national park status. It is also unique in Tanzania in that its closed-canopy forest spans elevations from 250 meters (820 feet) to above 2,000 meters (6,560 ft) without interruption.

Although not a conventional game viewing destination, Udzungwa is a magnet for hikers. An excellent network of forest trails includes the popular half-day ramble to Sanje Waterfall, which plunges 170 meters (550 feet) into a misty spray, forming a waterfall in the forested valley below.

The more challenging two-night Mwanihana Trail leads to the high plateau, with panoramic views of the surrounding sugar plantations, before ascending to Mwanihana Peak, the second-highest point in the range.

Ornithologists are attracted to Udzungwa for its avian wealth, encompassing more than 400 species, from the lovely and readily found green-headed oriole to more than a dozen secretive Eastern Arc endemics.

Four bird species are peculiar to Udzungwa, including the forest partridge, first discovered in 1991, which is more closely related to an Asian genus than to any other African fowl.

Of six primate species recorded, the Iringa red colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey both occur nowhere else in the world – the latter, remarkably, remained undetected by biologists before 1979.

Undoubtedly, this great forest has yet to reveal all its treasures: ongoing scientific exploration will surely add to its diverse catalog of endemics.

Location

Five hours (350 km/215 miles) from Dar es Salaam; 65 km (40 miles) southwest of Mikumi.

Getting there

Drive from Dar-es-Salaam or Mikumi National Park.

What to do

From a two-hour hike to the waterfall, as well as camping safaris.
Combine with nearby Mikumi or en route to Ruaha.

Tanzania Travel Tips

Our team carefully researched and focused on trips that attract people with the same interests 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 a hallmark 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 tour type you have chosen, a pre-discussion with your tour planner is a win-win for an enjoyable trip.

Our cook accompanies other tours, and other services are included with our accommodation partners, including 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 politically stable regions to ensure 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 Cruisers and Land Rovers with a hatched roof to give maximum visibility of the game.

African safaris offer unlimited sightseeing; millions of animals, birds, and plant life are the defining features 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 imaginable! Think of a late afternoon thunderstorm, short but violent, and then the beautiful rainbow.

Tanzania’s destinations are accessible year-round, but we recommend scheduling your safari during the dry season for the best sightings, as 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 coincide with the 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 across Africa, this is not a problem, as English is widely spoken in East and Southern Africa. In addition to English, all our professional guides are multilingual, so we have you covered.

African safaris offer unlimited sightseeing; millions of animals, birds, and plant life are the defining features 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 imaginable! Think of a late afternoon thunderstorm, short but violent, and then the beautiful rainbow.