MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK.
Mikumi National Park borders Selous Game Reserve on the south, the two areas forming a unique ecosystem. Two other natural areas bordering the national park are the Udzungwa Mountains and Uluguru Mountains. Malundwe Mountain is within the park, the highest of a belt of hills that run east and west through the park, connecting the Uluguru Mountains to the northeast with the Uvidunda and Udzungwa mountains to the west. Malundwe Mountain consists of three peaks along a ridge running north and south. Malundwe’s south peak is the highest point in the park, reaching 1290 meters’ elevation.
Some of the attractions at Mikumi national park.
Game viewing
Nicknamed as little Serengeti national is Mikumi national park. This national park is rich with a wide range of wildlife. The park hosts large number of elephants, buffalos , zebras, wildebeests, hyenas, leopards, lions, Sable antelopes, great kudu, and many others, the chances of watching a tree climbing lion are higher than the in the famous tree climbing lions home of Lake Manyara National Park. The animals can be viewed throughout the year and many are mostly seen in water catchment areas during the dry season as the are looking for water to quench thirsty.
Birds.
This is one of the Key attractions found in this national park. The park recorded over 400 different bird species with both permanent and migratory birds and one of the bird destination in the country. The birds here can be viewed patiently with about three days and most of the birds seen in this place include, yellow throated long claw, Zanzibar red bishop, Lilac breasted roller, Martial eagle, Francolin, superb starling, straw tailed whydah, Boehm’s bee-eater, black billed bustard, secretary bird, open billed stork, guinea fowl, ox peckers and many others.
The park has a lot of more attractions including culture, kinole waterfalls,
ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT AT MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
Natural walks
This is an interesting activity to explore the nature of the Mikumi National park. This activity gives more understanding knowledge about the national park and bring you closer to something you want to visit.
Camping.
Mikumi National park has the two major camping grounds one of them is a public camping and the other is a private one camping ground. The private campsite which also referred to as campsite 5 is found within the Vuma hills, while the public composite also referred to as Campsite1,3 found in the Nkata plains. These campsites are open all year round although the best game views are between June and November
Picnic lunches.
This is a good place to have your picnic lunches you will also have an opportunity to enjoy sights of the green wilderness that offers habitats to so many wild animals set right before
Game drives.
These offers an opportunity to see different animals within their natural habitats such a large school of hippos playing in the water pool, giraffes, hippos, eland, greater and lesser kudus, zebras and elephants among others. The activity is carried out in two sections of the day that’s to say morning drive, evening drive, the morning drive carried out with a well guided and protective rangers and guides,
Bird watching experience.
This national had recorded over 500 different bird species these also include the native and the migratory birds the common of these include the Zanzibar red bishop. Bateleurs eagle, yellow throated long claw is some of the bird species seen.
How to get to Mikumi National Park
The national park can be accessed either by road transport or air transport. It’s just one-hour drive from Dar-es salaam through Morogoro. There are also road connecting from the Selous Game Reserve, Udzungwa Mountain National park and Ruaha national park, however these can only be accessed during the dry season
There is a chartered flights connecting from Dar-es Salam into Mikumi as well as from other national parks in Tanzania. One good service providers for these charter flights is Safari Air link.