Saadani National Park
Saadani National Park is the only national park of East Africa that boasts an Indian Ocean beachfront. The national park is perfect for a beach holiday as well as offers a unique game drive. Saadani is home to a wide range of grazers and primates that includes Lions, leopards, giraffes, buffalo, warthogs, customary waterbucks, reedbucks, hartebeests, wildebeests, red duikers, increasingly important kudus, elands, sable pronghorns, yellow mandrills, and vervet monkeys as well as you can spot a good number of water animals like hippos, crocodiles, and sea dolphins.
- The park is situated between Dar es Salaam and Tanga alongside India ocean
- The park was a game reserve since 1969, covers up an area of 1,062km2
- The cultural tours to the main ethnic Waswahili, Wazigua and Wadoe tribes who are residing in the region are one of the unique attractions the park has to offer.
- The national park offers a spectacular bird view including flamingos and pelicans
- There are some whales that can be spotted though that is very rare.
- The unique vegetation of the park include mangrove forests around the Wami River and Ocean, Plam trees, Coral reefs of Indian Ocean, short-tall grass savannah
- The closest wildlife destination to Zanzibar hence can be connected by daily flights
- Saadani National Park is the only wildlife sanctuary of Tanzania that combines the grassland and shoreline.
- The land is home to a wide range of grazers and primates that includes giraffe, buffalo, warthog, common Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Hartebeest, wildebeest, red Duiker, greater Kudu, eland, sable antelope, yellow baboon, and vervet monkey.
Getting there
- By Chartered or scheduled flight from Arusha, Moshi, Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam
- By road from Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Pangani, Mikumi National Park. But no road access from Dar es Salaam along the Coast.
Activities
- Boat safari
- Wildlife Safari
- Beach Safari
- Birding Safari
- Walking Safari
- Wedding and anniversary Experience
Best time to visit
The destination is good to visit all year round as it combines the beach and grassland, although the access roads are sometimes impassable
- April and May. Scenery is beautiful and green, peak for birds watching but road become muddy and hard to travel
- January to February and June to August, wildlife viewing there is plenty of water available in the plain after the rain where the wild animals gather to drink water.
- The Park offers a good range of accommodation from friendly budget to semi- luxury which includes tented Saadani bandas, camps and lodge which are quite comfortable beds, stylish furnishing, modern bathrooms, and outdoor hot and cold showers and most are on the beachside.
