Sadaani National Park is the newest national park in Tanzania having been officially recognised in 2003. Previously part
of the national park was a game reserve. The national park
is small by Tanzanian standards, being 1,265 sq km, which
is about the size of the Isle of Wight off the south coast
of England. Sadaani National Park is relatively close to Dar-es-Salaam,
being about 120 km north as the crow flies. Access to the
national park is either by plane (Dar-es-Salaam
30 minutes, Zanzibar
20 minutes) or by 4WD vehicle (Dar-es-Salaam 4
hours).
Sadaani National Park is unique because it has a coastline
where the bush meets the Indian Ocean. It is therefore possible
to combine a safari with a beach holiday from one venue, such
as A Tent With
A View.
The national park is beautiful with varied vegetation ranging
from savannah grassland to mangrove. The landscape is dominated
by doom and borassus palms with the occasional massive baobab
tree. There are patches of acacia and thick scrub. Numerous
salt water inlets add to the parks charm with the majestic
Wami River meandering along the southern edge of the park.
There is quite a wide range of game to view, although it
is not prolific, especially when compared to most of the other
national parks in Tanzania,
such as Ruaha National
Park, Mikumi
National Park and Selous
Game Reserve. The national park is home to lion,
leopard, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, zebra, sable antelope,
élan, hartebeest, wildebeest, reed buck, common duiker,
red duiker, water buck, warthog, black and white Colobus monkeys,
vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and baboons. The national park
is excellent for bird watching with over 400 species recorded.
A river safari is a wonderful experience. The Wami River
is wide, calm and edged by a wide range of exotic vegetation,
including mangroves. It is home to large numbers of hippos
and crocodiles, as well as a large and varied bird population.
Sadaani National Park is a magical, peaceful place where
one is able to get totally away from the crowds and experience
the vastness and solitude often associated with Africa. For
example, with less than 1,000 visitors in 2004 it is frequently
possible to spend a whole day on a game drive without seeing
another vehicle.
Sadaani National Park is not recommended for those guests
who want to view a lot of game and only have time to visit
one national park. Mikumi
National Park, which can be reached in slightly
less time from Dar-es-Salaam,
is a better proposition, as are Ruaha
National Park and Selous
Game Reserve for guests who have more time. However,
for those guests visiting other national parks it is definitely
worth considering, especially if you want to combine a safari
with a beach holiday from one venue and/or want to really
get away from the crowds. For guests who want to view a lot
of game combined with time on the beach, and do not want to
spend large amounts of time travelling, staying at Sadaani
National Park and Mikumi National Park is
a good option.
The camp we use in Sadaani National Park is A
Tent With A View. |
