Katavi National Park: Visitor Guide to a Remote Wilderness

Few Tanzanian parks are as remote or as seldom visited as Katavi, and that's the whole attraction. It's meant for travelers who've completed a classic safari already and are now after exclusivity rather than convenience. Katavi puts on its most dramatic show in the dry season, roughly July through October. Shrinking water sources force hippos and crocodiles into the remaining waterholes in huge numbers, crowded together as you won't see them at more accessible parks. Limited access and a small number of camps are exactly why it stays so uncrowded. We wouldn't suggest Katavi for a first safari. The same remoteness that makes it special means less infrastructure and a bigger logistical effort to reach it. But if you're an experienced safari traveler who has done the Northern Circuit and craves somewhere that feels truly off the map, it ranks among the strongest options in the country. Write to us to work out whether Katavi matches where you are as a safari traveler and what your schedule allows.