Katavi National Park

If you are looking for the Africa of a century ago, Katavi is where you will find it. As Tanzania's third-largest park, Katavi is incredibly remote and sees fewer visitors in a year than the Serengeti sees in a single day. This is a land of massive floodplains, dense brachystegia woodlands, and seasonal lakes that transform with the rains.

The park is defined by the Katuma River, which becomes a lifeline during the dry season. As the water recedes, Katavi produces some of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles in Africa. Tens of thousands of buffalo, elephants, and zebras congregate on the plains, while the shrinking river pools become packed with hundreds of hippos and crocodiles.

The raw, predator-heavy environment creates a "survival of the fittest" atmosphere that is both intense and awe-inspiring. Named after the legendary spirit Katabi, who is said to inhabit a sacred tamarind tree near Lake Katavi, this park offers a truly authentic African wilderness experience.