Saadani National Park in Tanzania

Where wildlife and beach life meet

For many Africa visitors a safari is normally combined with a few days relaxing on the beach. If your wallet does not allow you to do Serengeti National Park with a Seychelles extension, the small national park of Saadani might just be the option for you, as it is the only place in East-Africa where wildlife and beach come together. On top of that, prices for accommodation are reasonable….

The park

Saadani National Park is located straight opposite of the Island of Zanzibar and covers an area of about  1100 km². The uniqueness of this little national park lies within the combination of the beautiful coastline with its mangrove forests, the sweet water Wami River that becomes more brackish towards the sea and the coastal forests that are interrupted by shrub land and savannas. The area came under protection in 1969 as a Game Reserve, but only in 2005 was it gazette and changed into a national park.

The wildlife

Although the Saadani region had its indigenous wildlife, quite a few animals were brought in between 1968 and 1974 order to stock a zoological garden in the area. The zoological garden became a failure and to prevent the wildlife from dying it was released in the area which is nowadays Sadaani National Park. It is said that wildlife can actually be seen on the beaches. The only other place in Africa were wildlife is regularly seen on the beach is in Gabon.

There are a few animal species present that make a visit to Sadaani worthwhile. First of all is Saadani famous for its Green Turtles that come to lay their eggs on the beaches and secondly does it have a healthy population of White-bearded Wildebeests. Other interesting species are the Black and White-Colobus Monkeys and the diverse number of waders and other water birds that flock the shores of the Wami River.
Of the Big Five only the rhino is missing, although elephant numbers are low and lions are very skittish. Due to the presence of the sea, dolphins and whale are sometimes spotted as well.

The lodges/campsites

There is one accommodation inside the park.

Saadani Safari Lodge
Luxury lodge. No prices available.

Just outside the park there are two accommodations.

Kisampa
Eco-community lodge. No prices available.

Tent With A View
Luxury Lodge. Prices from $195 – $375 pppn.

Activities

Activities in the park range from game drives, game walks and bird watching to boating on the Wami River and just enjoying the beach. Best game viewing months are Jan. and Feb, and June to August. Saadani Village is worth a visit as it used to be an important centre of the slave trade in the 19th century.

How to get there

The easiest and most expensive way to get to Sadaani is to fly in with a chartered aircraft, either from Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam. The cheapest way is to drive in and make the 4,5 hours from Dar via Chalinze to Saadani.