Tanzania Destinations

Tour Overview

Mkomazi National Park, previously called Mkomazi-Umba Game Reserve, was founded in 2008 and lies between the Pare and Usambara Mountains which form part of the Eastern Arch Mountains. The words “Mkomazi” derives from the Pare vernacular word for “a scoop of water”. This semi-arid park, which borders Kenya’s vast Tsavo National Park, falls into the Greater Tsavo Ecosystem which is the 2nd largest transboundary ecosystem in East Africa next to the famous Serengeti-Mara.

Bushwalks with an armed ranger and rhino tracking in the new Mbula Rhino Sanctuary are the highlights of this park as well as trying to spot the elusive gerenuk and lesser kudu. The park also is a habitat for the African wild dogs, which you can’t see in most northern safari destinations.

Mkomazi is a birders paradise and is also home to 5 endemic birds including the Violet Wood-Hoopoe, Friedmann’s Lark, the Somali Long-billed Crombec and the Yellow-vented Eremomela. Of course, with some luck, one can see the Big Five too!

Though Mkomazi National Park can be visited year-round, there’s always an excellent time to visit Mkomazi for a superb game-viewing experience. That time would be from late June to October. These months are the prime time for wildlife viewing in Mkomazi National Park.

This corresponds to the Park’s dry season when the vegetation is much thinner, and animals gather closer.