Things to do in Mikumi National Park
Things to do in Mikumi National Park : The location of Mikumi national park is conveniently situated in the southern circuit, Mikumi National Park is one of Tanzania’s largest national parks, covering 3,230 square kilometres. For those with limited time, Dar-Es-Salaam is just a three to four-hour drive away, making it fairly accessible. The Mikumi National Park offers an abundance of amazing and incredible year-round tourism activities. This has helped the park become a popular destination for wildlife safaris, attracting more adventurers over time, particularly those who are interested in weekend getaways and short safaris. The park’s proximity to Dar es Salaam makes the short day safaris ideal for those with limited time. In Mikumi National Park, popular tourist activities include;
Game drives
One of the main tourist attractions in Mikumi National Park is game drives. In an savannah grassland national park like Mikumi, game drives provide visitors the chance to explore and see wildlife in its natural environment. Take a game drive safari in this expansive national park to see the expansive Mkata Floodplain, which is perfect for seeing a pride of lions as they idly count the steps of their prey, which consists mostly of large herds of buffaloes, zebras with wild dogs, wildebeest, and impalas that roam the grassy plains. See elephants hiding in the acacia trees for shade, observe hippos in groups swimming in the man-made ponds near the entrance, and come across other animal herds that congregate around these pools, including giraffes, elands, zebras, antelopes, and many others.
Birdwatching
Bird watching is one of the most popular tourist activities in Mikumi National Park. Those who are interested in wildlife enjoy seeing the roughly 500 different, unique species of birds that live in the park, including migratory birds, savannah birds, water birds, and endemism native species. The best areas of Mikumi National Park for viewing water-based bird species like the African Fish Eagle, African Spoonbill, Bateleur Eagle, and Open Billed Stork, as well as the local Zanzibar Red Bishop, Yellow Throated Long Claw, Lilac Breasted Roller, and African Fish Eagle, are the rich habitats filled with open grasslands, swamp areas, and artificial hippo pools.
Hiking
The Uluguru Mountains, an extensive mountain range that is a part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, are located far to the north of Mikumi National Park. The mountain range’s main Mountain Ridge, which rises to a height of 2,630 metres at its highest point, offers an incredible landscape and spreads its beauty with rare species of plants, birds, mammals, and amphibians that are not found anywhere else in the world. Hike along the trails through lugged but lush woodlands to relax and indulge in the true authenticity of natural habitat and wilderness. You can enjoy adventure and the scenic landscapes, vegetation and the beautiful biodiversity of popular pot plants, endemic species such as African Violets, impatiens and begonias.
Camping
There are two campgrounds in Mikumi National Park, one for public camping and the other for private camping. Enjoy the magnificent sense of sleeping far in the wilderness at these two camping sites: the public one in Nkata Plains and the private one in Vuma Hills. Both provide distinctive camping experiences to admire nature and its beauty while you are on your wildlife trip.
Picnic
If you would want to have a picnic while on a family vacation, group safari, or excursion as a couple, The nicest picnics are available among the tourist activities offered in Mikumi National Park, an Acentric Wilderness Arena. You will be rewarded for these picnic experiences with breathtaking vistas, interesting terrain, and locations that will provide for unforgettable experiences and an amazing journey.
Nature walk
Particularly for those who appreciate the outdoors and wildlife, there are various trails in Mikumi National Park that allow you to get up close and personal with nature while exploring the savannah plains. These trails include the Lodge Trail, the Vuma Trail, and the Kikogoba Trail. Along these trails, you can take in the park’s features, wildlife, and various bird species.
How to get to Mikumi National Park
Mikumi National Park is one of Tanzania’s southern circuit national parks with excellent accessibility, making it possible for daily trips, so there shouldn’t be as much worry for the many tourists who may wish to visit this country’s fourth-largest national park but are still unsure of how to get there. Because Mikumi National Park is so close to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and the primary entrance point for all foreign visitors, getting there is more simpler than getting to other national parks. Located 283 kilometres from Dar es Salaam in southern Tanzania, the park is situated along the well-maintained Tanzam Highway, which leads to Lusaka, Zambia. Both air and road access are available to this park.
By road, the well-built Tanzam Highway to Lusaka, Zambia, which crosses the National Park, ensures easy access to the park. As a result, after landing at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere Airport, or if you are already in the city, your tour operator, Focus East Africa Safaris, can pick you up from your hotel and begin your overland safari to Mikumi via Morogoro. This is the most affordable and entertaining method to enter Mikumi National Park, allowing for a comfortable drive. It takes about three to four hours by car over breathtakingly beautiful rolling hills and landscapes to get to this park. Additionally, Dar es Salaam has local buses that go to the park headquarters, where game drive safaris are typically scheduled.
There are several air companies, such safari Air link and coastal aviation, that offer scheduled chartered flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, or connecting from the Selous Game Reserve to Mikumi and other southern circuit national parks, for travellers who would want to fly directly to the park.
