Saadani National Park

Saadani National Park is the sole wildlife sanctuary on the coast of East Africa which means that it offers holidaymakers a chance to see the rich birdlife and the big game as well as unwind on the beaches of the Indian Ocean at the end of their Safari in Tanzania. This park is Located North of the city of Dar-es-salaam just 130km away and immediate West of Zanzibar which implies that it can easily be combined with a Zanzibar Beach Holiday.

History of Saadani National Park

Originally established in 1962 as a nature reserve, Saadani was declared in 2005 as a national park to protect an ecological system that comprised of the Zaraninge forest, the Wami River as well as the previously Mkwanja ranch region making it Tanzania’s thirteenth biggest national park. The park today covers a scale area of approximately 1062 sq km with a shoreline of about fifteen kilometers.

Wildlife in Saadani National Park

Saadani National parks is home to four of the Big Five and its diversified eco-system supports a wide range of bird life and mammals for example the leopard, elephant, giraffe, lion, wildebeest, buffalo, colobus monkey, crocodile, zebra, the uncommon Roosevelt sable and the hippo. Saadani provides the opportunity to enjoy boat tours on River Wami, nature walks and game driving safari.

When to go | Best time to visit Sadaani National Park

The ideal time to tour Sadaani National park is in the dry season which is from June all the way to September with a good view of the wildlife from the sunny weather.

How to access Saadani National Park

One can get to this amazing park by using either air transport or road transport.

By Road: You can get to the head office of the park by taking the well paved road from Dar-es-salaam and cover a distance of 160 kilometers which takes about 3 hours, then go via Chalinze and then Mandera village to link to Mvave Park gate which is a rugged road that covers about sixty-five kilometers. You could alternatively get to Saadani national park through Bagamoyo from Dar-es-Salaam. In case you are approaching from the town of Tanga, drive via Pangani and then get to Mkwaja Gate on a dirt road that covers a 120km distance and takes about four to five hours.

By Air: there are several Charter flights that connect from Dar-es-salaam or Tanga or Zanzibar or Arusha and from so many other towns.

The Saadani weather

The Saadani Park experiences two major seasons: the wet and the dry, with the wet season beginning in November, through the whole of December, to January, February, March and April (with minimal amounts of rain being experienced from December to February).and the dry season beginning in July up to August or September. This park has a hot equatorial climate with medium temperature variations of 25°C to 27°C all year round. This is the standard temperature of the day where as at night there is a fall in the temperatures to an interval of 19°C to 23°C.

Activities you can do in Saadani National Park

There are several activities that can be done during your Safari in Saadani such as:

Game Drive Tours

Game drives are carried out in the morning and afternoon hours. While on the game drive, you will be able to spot many animals like buffaloes, warthogs, zebras, elephants, giraffes, waterbucks, wildebeest, spotted hyenas, hartebeests, lions, the sable antelope plus the large-eyed Rondo Galago.

Boat Ride Tours

Boat ride safaris are conducted on the Wami River: You will be able to feast your eyes on crocodiles, hippos and bird species like the Eurasian oystercatcher, flamingoes, the common greenshank and various sandpipers.

Guided Nature walks

All our Nature walks are guided by well experienced guides. These nature walks give you the chance to closely approach Mother Nature’s treasures. The walks are directed by the local park guides that have good knowledge of the area.

Bird Watching Tours

Join in on the amazing bird watching safaris in the park that are conducted by skilled bird guides. This park’s shoreline attracts quite a big number of migratory birds thus becoming the perfect destination to enjoy a Tanzania Birding Tour for enthusiast birders.

Sun Bathing on the Beaches

Basking in the sun on the Saadani beach is also another activity you can do. Take time out of your trip to go sun bathing and relish in the gorgeous African sun as you relax on this amazing beach. The Indian ocean also has dolphins and humpback whales that are entertaining to watch.

Visit the turtle breeding site

Check out the breeding site for the green turtle in Saadani National park which is among the few places in this world that have a green turtle breeding site.

Visit the Fishing Village

During these tours you will get a chance to visit the Saadani fishing village that was once a lively and busy trading center. There are many villages that surround the park with Saadani village being one of them; Saadani was once a slave trade center and quite a lively harbour town in East Africa. This village has now become an ordinary town with somewhat a large population of close to 1000 residents who depend on fishing as their livelihood.

Visit the Salt pans

As you go about your adventure in the park’s southern part, check out the salt pans where you will discover the locals harvesting the salt.

Where to stay | Accommodation in Saadani National Park

Several accommodation facilities are located both inside and outside of the park ranging from luxury facilities to mid-range and budget. The park has lodges, campsites, basic bandas and rent houses. A few of the common accommodations used here include the Saadani Safari Lodge and Saadani River Lodge.