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.
The table below provides a clear overview of suggested locations, durations and key highlights to help plan a memorable and authentic Nomad adventure.
Location
Western Tanzania, between Lake Tanganyika and the Rukwa Valley.
Type of safari
Remote, expeditionary wilderness safari with very few visitors.
Getting there
Accessed by light aircraft into Katavi / Ikuu Airstrip, then by game drive transfer to camp. Flight routings matter, so careful specialist planning required.
Wildlife
Huge buffalo herds, elephant, hippo pools, crocodile, lion, leopard, hyena and dramatic dry-season concentrations.
How busy is it?
Very low — one of Tanzania’s least-visited safari areas.
Best time to visit
June to November, when the dry season intensifies and wildlife gathers around shrinking rivers, pools and floodplains.
How long to stay
3–4 nights.
Nomad Camps
Best combined with
Mahale Mountains, Ruaha or occasionally the Serengeti, depending on flight routing.
Best for
Safari-goers in search of the wild, wildlife purists for sightings all to themselves.
Why go?
Go to Katavi for raw, faraway Tanzania: big herds, big skies, hippo-filled pools and the feeling that the rest of the world is a very long way off.
Cost range
Costs are shaped by Katavi’s remote location, flight logistics and seasonal combinations.
“
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.
“
A comfortable tent, hot water bucket shower, and delicious meal awaits at the end of the day and your adventure deep into the wilderness. Evenings are best enjoyed around a crackling fire under a blanket of stars listening to the nocturnal calls of the bush. There is nothing quite like it in the world.
“
This is to South Africa’s Kruger Park what most safaris are to Whipsnade Zoo.
“
In a grove of sausage trees in Ruaha National Park on the banks of the Ifuguru River, in the best game area in the park.
“
Get up close and personal with our genetic cousins at Greystoke Mahale. Perched treehouse-like on the sandy shores of Lake Tanganyika, it’s your base for tracking the fascinating troops of chimps that occupy the emerald Mahale Mountains.
