Saadani National Park Tanzania

Best known as the place where the bush meets the ocean, Saadani National Park is the only wildlife sanctuary within Tanzania sharing borders with the Indian Ocean. The park was initially established as a game reserve back in 1962; however, in 2005 it was declared a national park with an eco-system comprising of |River Wami, Zaraninge Forest and former Mkwaja ranch-area, making it the thirteenth (13^th) in Tanzania. Today, the park covers an area of 1100 square kilometers with approximately 15 kilometers of shoreline. The highest point of this park is 350 meters high despite the fact that most of it is at sea level. It is located on the northern coast approximately 100 kilometers north-west of Dar-es- salaam.

The park is surrounded by several villages among which is Saadani village which was previously a very busy harbor town as well as a centre for slave trade within East Africa. Today this is a basic town with approximately 800 occupants whose livelihood is mostly surviving on fishing.

The coastal vegetation includes palm trees, a tidal magroove forest which forms a barrier between the land and ocean. Within the park you will find River Wami, the semi-open woodlands that somewhat looks like that of the Selous reserve and grassy areas all serving as safe wildlife habitats. Park

Saadani is a one of a kind paradise 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.

Best time to Visit / Weather of Sadaani National Park:

This amazing park experiences both the rainy season and the dry season. The dry season starts in July, through August to September. On the other hand, the wet season begins in November, through December, January, February, March, April to May. The less rains are from December to February.

The park experiences a tropical- hot climate with the average temperature range of 25-27°C throughout the year. The average day time temperature, while at night, the temperatures drop to an average of 20 to 24 °C.

So the best time to visit this park is from June to September when the park is dry, wildlife visibility is good and it is sunny.

 How to get to Saadani National Park

This beautiful park can be accessed either using road transport or air transport

By road transport:

1. When connecting from Dar es Salaam, drive along a good tarmac-road for about 3 hours covering 160 km through Chalinze to Mandera village and then connect to the Mvave Park Gate along a rough road covering 65 km. this will get you to the park’s head office. Alternatively you can reach Saadani national park from Dar es Salaam via Bagamoyo.
2. When coming from Tanga town drive through Pangani to the Mkwaja Gate along an earth road for 4-5 hours covering 120 km.

By air Transport:

There are charter flights conneting from Tanga or Dar es Salaam or Arusha or Zanzibar, as well as from a number of major towns.

 Where to stay / Accommodation in Saadani National Park

There are a number of different accommodation facilities found within and around the park ranging from the budget, mid-range and luxury facilities. These include: basic bandas, campsites, rest-houses, and lodges. The Sanctuary Saadani Safari Lodge is among the commonly used accommodation facilities here.

What to do in Saadani National Park

There are a number of different activities you can do while on safari in this park, these include:

Game drives: these are conducted early morning and in the afternoon. During these you will see various animals such as zebras, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, giraffes, wildebeests as well as waterbucks, in addition to hartebeests, the large-eyed Rondo Galago, the sable antelope, spotted hyena, Lions

Boat trips on River wami: during these, you will see hippos and crocodiles plus various birds such flamingoes, different sandpipers, Eurasian oystercatcher as well as the common greenshank

Guided nature walks: our nature walks offer you an opportunity to come close to the gifts of Mother Nature. These walks are led by local guides who are very knowledgeable about the area.

Bird watching tours: be part of the exciting bird watching tours guided by experienced birder guides within the park. The shoreline of this park is commonly visited with large numbers of different migratory birds making it the ideal destination for bird watchers to visit.

Visits to Saadani fishing village: this village was previously a very busy and lively trading centre

Sun bathing on Saadani beach: spare some time and enjoy the amazing African sun as you unwind on the beautiful beach

Attractions within Saadani National Park

It is within Saadani National Park that crabs meet with elephants and the thundering roar of the lions occasionally interrupts the quite atmosphere of the Park.

Saadani National Park is also one of the very few places in the world where you will find a breeding site for the green turtles.

When you explore the southern part of the park, you will find the local people harvesting salt from the salt pans.

The amazing wildlife living within the park includes: zebras, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, giraffes, wildebeests as well as waterbucks, in addition to hartebeests, the large-eyed Rondo Galago, the sable antelope, spotted hyena, Lions as well as leopards.

The Beautiful Beaches of Saadani: while on the beach, you will get a unique chance to see the breeding green turtles, in addition to humpback whales and dolphins putting up a show in waters of the Indian Ocean.