A brief Overview of Katavi National Park
Located absolutely miles from anywhere, it is no surprise that it took a while for Katavi to really be discovered as a safari destination in the late 1980s. Since then, little has really changed. To visit the park now, with its three seasonal camps, is to visit a real diamond in the rough.
Roughly speaking, the park is made up of three interlocking flood plains that, in the rainy season form Lake Katavi, Lake Chada and the Chemchem Springs. Between each of these runs the Katuma and Kapapa Rivers that supply the park with water in both the dry and the wet season. This geographical payout is the reason for the park being, arguably, amongst one of the best in Africa.
Do see our best camps & lodges in Katavi National Park picks for 2026/27 on this page.
Katavi's Anomalies
As mentioned in the summary passage, this park is not just about great game numbers…as the main rivers dry towards the end of September, the habitable areas for the water-based animals starts to diminish.
Many animals have, over the centuries, worked out strategies for survival until the November rains. For the hippos it is in sociability, all cramming together to form super-pods of up to 4 thousand! For the crocodiles it is digging caves out of the dry river banks and going to sleep in their hundreds.
There is nothing normal or ordinary about Katavi and, having visited a good proportion of the game parks of Africa, we definitely vote this in our top 3!
Do see our best camps & lodges in Katavi National Park picks for 2026/27 on this page.
Best time to visit Katavi National Park
While it is true to say that the viewing out of season is fairly dire, with the “black cotton soil” bringing even the most experienced of drivers to a standstill, the dry season (between June and November) game viewing is outstanding as the water dries and the evenings bring a congregation of animals to the small Katuma River system to drink.
Along with vast herds of buffalo and plains game also come the inevitable predators of which there are many.
Do see our interactive best time to visit Katavi National Park guide on this page as well as on our parent guide to tanzania page for more in-depth information on when to go.
Or call us on +44 1525 840 149. That’s what we’re here for.
Need more help?
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to >send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Get help with a Safari to Katavi National Park
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to >send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Where is Katavi National Park?
Katavi National Park
