Katavi is like travelling back in time, maybe to the Pleistocene era. Animals seem bigger and more bestial. As a human, for once, you don't feel like you own the planet. It's a thrilling experience. Survival here depends on fragile seasonal rivers, the Katuma river, the Kavu and the Kapapa. Between the rivers, huge herds of buffalo and other herbivores concentrate on the rich grass of four great floodplains. On the edge of which sits our own expeditionary style camp, Chada.
As months wear on, the grass dries gold and withers. By the end of the dry season, it all goes a bit mad. As water becomes limited, Hippos, in their thousands, are drawn to the riverbanks, while crocodiles retreat into tunnels carved deep into the banks. Great herds of buffalo and elephants compete for dwindling waterholes. And always, the predators are close behind lion, hyena, and leopard, alert and opportunistic. All offering a truly unfiltered safari experience
This is a far-flung, primeval bushland untouched by time, where nature reigns supreme.
Towering trees and ancient landscapes create a dramatic backdrop for life on a grand scale.
Here, Africa's mega-beasts roam freely in their ancestral home.
Greystoke
Chada
Charlie, Ugalla
What makes Katavi National Park so special is how far it is from everything. It is really miles from anywhere, and very few people ever come here, so it feels completely untouched. In the dry season, huge numbers of animals gather on the floodplains, and the game viewing can be extraordinary.
September and October are my favourite months, with short grass, comfortable temperatures, and perfect conditions for walking. What I love most is the feeling of true African wilderness — wide open spaces, huge herds, and hardly another vehicle in sight. You even see unusual things, like crocodiles aestivating in the riverbanks during the dry season, waiting for the rains to return. It’s classic Africa, with palm forests, winding rivers, and open plains full of life.
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The majority of safari camps and safari lodges are not set up for young children, but this exclusive-use sister property to the eight-room Lamai Serengeti was designed especially for them: there are two fenced-off pools (including one for infants and toddlers), the staff cook to order and game drives are when it suits.
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An Incredible Dream.
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Low-impact Entamanu is set slightly apart, but close enough to have astonishing views into the crater bowl and the Serengeti behind (the name means “circle” in the Masai language).
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This is to South Africa’s Kruger Park what most safaris are to Whipsnade Zoo.
