Mkomazi National Park

As in other parks in northern Tanzania, February in Mkomazi is hot with occasional rains. Most herbivores stay close to the Dindira Dam. There, you can almost always see giraffes, elephants, ostriches, and zebras. Crocodiles live in the park's water bodies. They spend most of their time in the water but occasionally come ashore.

February is great for birdwatching: migratory birds from Europe and Asia are in Mkomazi, and species diversity is at its peak. Nearly 400 bird species have been spotted in Mkomazi so far, and the list continues to grow. Here you can spot various hornbills, colorful starlings, sunbirds, and birds of prey, among many others. The diverse ecosystems of Mkomazi make birding here particularly exciting.

The beginning of March is one of the best times for safaris in Tanzania overall. At this time, there are few travelers in all parks, and you can enjoy the wild nature of Africa with minimal numbers of other safari vehicles around. In Mkomazi, there are usually no more than ten cars per day.

In Mkomazi, you can see the main representatives of African fauna: elephants, giraffes, ostriches, zebras, and antelopes. Although in smaller numbers than in other northern parks, lions are also present. Around the park's water bodies, you can observe crocodiles.

During a lunch break in a designated area, you might see hyraxes—cute furry creatures that, surprisingly, are biologically the closest relatives to elephants. Your safari guide will share more details about them.

April is the rainy season across Tanzania. There are fewer travelers in the safari parks, and hotels and lodges offer substantial seasonal discounts. Accommodation costs are one and a half to two times cheaper than in January or August. This month is recommended for those who want to enjoy Tanzania's safari parks in solitude and at a lower cost.

Although it usually rains every day, sometimes there are dry days. Moreover, the rains do not last all day: they usually start in the afternoon and end at night. If you go on a game drive in the morning, you will surely return to the lodge before the active phase of the rains begins.

With the emergence of seasonal water sources, animals — elephants, antelopes, giraffes, and other savanna inhabitants — disperse across the reserve. They no longer need to stay near the Dindira Dam and can be spotted anywhere in Mkomazi.

May is the last month of the rainy season. Like in April, lodges offer the lowest prices of the year, and there are almost no visitors in the park. This month is recommended for travelers who want to see how Tanzania's national parks look without other visitors. In all of Mkomazi, there will likely be only 1-2 vehicles at the same time as you.

On a safari, you will see the main inhabitants of the savanna: elephants, giraffes, and antelopes. Predators are less common in Mkomazi than in other northern Tanzanian parks, but if you're lucky, you might see lions. Other cats, like cheetahs and leopards, are rarely seen. Sometimes there are more animals than usual: the park borders Kenya's Tsavo West National Park, and migratory herds of antelopes, zebras, and other ungulates cross over from Kenya.

In June, the wet season ends in Tanzania. There are more travelers in the parks, and lodge prices gradually increase. However, at the beginning of the month, you can still take advantage of seasonal discounts.

Despite the start of the tourist season, there will not be as many people in Mkomazi as in Tarangire, Serengeti, or Ngorongoro. It makes sense to include this national park in your travel program if you want to spend a day or two away from other visitors and be alone with nature.

June is an excellent time to visit Mkomazi's main attraction, the rhino sanctuary. It opened to regular travelers relatively recently, in 2019. The chance of seeing the rarest animal in Africa here is much higher than in other parks.

July is one of the driest months of the year. In Mkomazi, this is particularly noticeable: there are few water sources in the park, and the landscapes change from bright green to desert yellow. The grass dries up, making it easier to spot smaller savannah inhabitants like African hares, mongooses, and small antelopes. More frequently than in other months, you might also encounter the endangered African wild dogs. This species is under threat of extinction, and Mkomazi is one of the few places in Africa where these animals can be seen in relatively large numbers.

Large mammals—elephants, giraffes, zebras, and buffaloes—tend to stay close to the Dindira Dam. Encounters with predators—lions, leopards, and cheetahs—are less common than in other northern parks, but in July and other summer months, they are easier to spot due to the lack of vegetation.

August is the busiest safari month of the year. During this time, the main influx of travelers arrives in Tanzania, and popular parks like Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and Serengeti see quite a few off-road vehicles. The number of visitors to Mkomazi also increases, but not as significantly as in the 'main' northern parks. At the same time, you may encounter up to 10 vehicles throughout the entire park. Given the size of Mkomazi, you are unlikely to notice them.

Due to the drought, there is little grass in the park, and all animals are easily visible. Large mammals — elephants, zebras, giraffes, and antelopes — are easiest to find near the main water source in the park, the Dindira Dam. After visiting it, you can go to the rhino sanctuary, where you can observe how the population of the rarest animals in Africa is being restored. There, you can meet the little rhino that our company has adopted.

In September, the dry season continues in Tanzania. Like August, this is a popular time for safaris, and seasonal traffic approaches its peak. During this time, Mkomazi is one of the few parks where you can enjoy Africa's nature away from other travelers. You can see the main inhabitants of the African savanna: lions, elephants, ostriches, zebras, antelopes, and giraffes. On the riverbanks, you can see crocodiles.

Mkomazi borders West Tsavo, one of Kenya's main safari parks, so animals from the Kenyan side occasionally enter its territory. As a result, encounters with wild inhabitants of Africa occur more often than expected. The famous rhino sanctuary of Mkomazi is isolated from Tsavo: to protect them from poachers, the most valuable animals of Africa cannot leave Mkomazi. You can observe them at any time of the year.

October is one of the best months for safaris in Tanzania. The number of travelers in the parks is decreasing, and hotels begin to offer seasonal discounts. The seasonal rains have not yet begun, and the weather is pleasantly warm.

Although less frequent than in other northern parks, you can still spot the Big African Five in Mkomazi: elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, and rhinos. The latter are especially interesting in the context of visiting Mkomazi, as it's practically guaranteed that you can see them here.

The rhinos of Mkomazi live in a special sanctuary that they cannot freely leave. This sanctuary has a specific access regime for visitors, and its inhabitants are constantly guarded by armed rangers. This is one of the few places in Africa where rhinos are not threatened by poachers.

November marks the start of the seasonal rains in Mkomazi. There are practically no other travelers in the northern parks, and, like in April, accommodation prices are at their lowest. Only a few safari vehicles visit Mkomazi each day during this time. If you want to experience the nature of Africa without the hustle of other travelers around, November is a good choice. Afternoon rains may occur, but by that time, you will likely have returned to the lodge, and the wet weather won’t be a hindrance.

In addition to the main representatives of African fauna—the Big Five, zebras, and antelopes—you can also observe African wild dogs in Mkomazi. This species is at risk of complete extinction, and it is precisely in Mkomazi where the Tony Fitzjohn Foundation has been conducting a successful project to restore their population.

December is a transition month between the autumn lull and the active winter safari season. At the beginning of the month, many hotels still offer seasonal discounts, and you can explore this national park at a lower cost than in August or February.

Large mammals — elephants, giraffes, zebras, and antelopes — usually stay near the Dindira Reservoir. Although there are fewer predators in Mkomazi, you can sometimes see lions. Cats, such as leopards and cheetahs, are rarer.

Mkomazi's signature attraction is the rhino sanctuary. It is open all year round, and you can almost always see the rarest inhabitants of the savanna there. Such an opportunity is not even available in the famous Ngorongoro.