3-Day Mikumi & Udzungwa Review: Parks, Tips & What to Expect

Thinking about squeezing Mikumi National Park and Udzungwa Mountains National Park into just three days? It’s a quick trip, sure, yet it’s completely doable and gives you this solid taste of what Tanzania’s parks have to offer. From seeing wildlife on the plains of Mikumi to trekking among the beautiful waterfalls in Udzungwa, get ready to go on quite a ride! So, here’s the scoop, more or less, on how to make the most of it.

What to Expect on Your Safari

Mikumi National Park, often called a smaller version of the Serengeti, gives you that classic safari feel. That being said, don’t expect to see quite as many animals per square mile, but honestly, the experience is just super cool anyway. You’ll probably spot elephants, giraffes, zebras, and maybe even some lions, should you get that lucky. So, early morning and late afternoon game drives usually give you the best chances of seeing the animals, since that’s generally when they’re most active. Keep your eyes open, alright, because there is something awesome around nearly every corner!

One of the really special parts of Mikumi is how accessible it is from Dar es Salaam, too it’s almost right next door!. The drive takes about 4-5 hours, pretty much depending on the traffic, yet you avoid the need for any those expensive and time-consuming internal flights. This pretty much makes it this ideal option for travelers with tighter schedules or budgets. When you are cruising through Mikumi, there’s this good chance you’ll come across those massive baobab trees that dot the landscape. The park’s openness allows for easy spotting, and you often get, just maybe, unique sightings as well, perhaps predators stalking prey, even!

The weather can be a factor as well. Typically, the dry season from June to October is clearly the best time to visit for easy wildlife viewing. That said, the wet season still has its charm, with this landscape very green and lush, but expect that, in a way, animals may be a little harder to spot with all of that extra vegetation.

Hiking in Udzungwa Mountains

Udzungwa is the completely opposite world from Mikumi’s open plains. Really, it’s a rainforest paradise full of interesting stuff!. That said, this park is known for its hiking trails, diverse plant life, and these stunning waterfalls. You might have a slight issue there should you be super into wide, open landscapes, yet Udzungwa brings you in super close with nature.

One popular hike is to the Sanje Waterfalls, which involves this trek that gets you sweating, and yet it really pays off big time. You pass via multiple levels of the falls, with these opportunity for swims in the very cool pools down below, assuming that the weather lets you, that is. You’ll maybe want some pretty solid hiking shoes since things can get slippery, just a little. Should you pay attention to the tree-tops you may even be able to get a look at some primates that really only live in the Udzungwa mountains, and that, in that case, will be special.

Udzungwa is generally really hot and humid, you may want to take a very quick drying shirt and plan for it, for that matter. Getting there, after, basically, Mikumi may make up a small amount of planning, and yet it isn’t insane by any means, assuming your driver really knows what they are up to, anyway.

Making the Most of Your Time

Fitting both Mikumi and Udzungwa into a 3-day trip means it is just really important to plan effectively. Here’s how you could maybe structure your time, for instance:

Day 1: Drive from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi, do an afternoon game drive.
Day 2: Early morning game drive in Mikumi, transfer to Udzungwa in the afternoon.
Day 3: Hike to Sanje Waterfalls, head back to Dar es Salaam in the late afternoon.

A good driver who also knows how to be, in some respects, a guide makes or breaks something such as a quick excursion. So, make absolutely certain you choose something legit. Pack wisely. I am telling you: light clothes, sturdy shoes, bug repellent, sunscreen are absolutely something you are going to need!. Be mindful of the fact that, like your average natural reserve, you won’t be allowed to exit your car at just anywhere or veer off of those paths, too, obviously. Do you see, you probably are putting yourself in what might just be a life threatening place, should you exit your jeep while 5 lions are resting only 10 meters away!

You’ll want, potentially, all sorts of snacks too. It will tend to be useful at various points. Anyway, taking on parks like this tends to require some level of preperation. You could even try and reach out and find something like a whatsapp group for tourists of Tanzania who might also have other peices of helpful trivia too!

Accommodation Options

Both Mikumi and the nearby areas around Udzungwa offer options when you are looking for places to rest your head. In Mikumi, there are lodges both inside and outside the park. Lodges inside the park give you convenience in getting to morning game drives early. This tends to cost you just a little, anyway.

Near Udzungwa, you’ll often find places in the town of Mikumi or nearby villages. These options can tend to range from simple guest houses to some more comfortable lodges. So, for a shorter trip it will certainly do, typically!. Make an assessment for yourself, maybe. Try and read feedback before selecting accommodations, anyway. Some of these options can be extremely variable. On balance, many tourists choose lodges of better prestige.

Booking can usually be best dealt with some time prior. This probably seems extremely obvious, and yet some people often forget to. If the place is known and regarded well it has a real propensity to be fully booked a fair chunk of time before. Getting this right may potentially affect everything else associated with your time spent visiting!. Make this decision at your leisure and see where that takes you!

Understanding the Costs

So, this three-day safari, it can be a wide variety of prices, completely depending on the degree of well-being that you’re aiming for, of course, the period you expect to go and something such as how many of you there are, I mean, naturally. Park entrance fees in Tanzania can also be pretty significant, and yet they will tend to be absolutely worth it because the parks tend to provide everything you want and desire, really.

Park Fees: Figure around $80 per person per day for each park.
Accommodation: From $50 a night for a simple place to $200+ for lodges.
Transportation: Costs really can vary, yet expect to maybe pay at least $150-$300 a day for a 4×4 with a driver/guide.
Food: $20-$50 a day, perhaps, depending on where you eat.

Generally, arranging tours will tend to involve paying for what can often be called “a day rate.” Ensure you will pay less, relative to, on something like the second day. On balance you would have already made a full day booking. The tour guides are still super great people, generally, and tend to offer what you will want regardless of something such as if that is “good value,” more or less.

Going on safari is often this once in your lifetime occasion! You may find that many costs will soon not even bother you should you simply be seeing the things you imagined yourself looking at the instant you booked the airplane, you may find that out soon enough! After seeing those lions your budget concerns might not be quite as severe!

Essential Tips for First-Timers

If it’s your first time on safari, that tends to mean there may be a few additional considerations to address before deciding to jump on your 3 day outing. Obviously, one may be what things you might take with you and another can obviously relate to things you expect to do every moment, of course! You will soon probably discover even more questions relating to stuff after thinking hard!

Pack Appropriately: Light, neutral clothing; sturdy hiking boots; a good hat; sunscreen; and insect repellent.
Stay Hydrated: Always carry water with you, more or less, it makes no sense not to!.
Respect Wildlife: Keep a respectful distance from animals and really listen to your guide’s directions.
Be Patient: Wildlife viewing just means taking time. The more you wait, clearly the higher something such as your propensity to see amazing creatures!.

In Tanzania, just like elsewhere in the African world, really try your very very hardest to treat others really nice. A great amount of them will also typically be kind as well!. Many of these men also exist in the profession in providing for entire big family members which, depending on whether you exist from what would be called “the west,” will tend to affect greatly you just being there too! Your 5 dollars makes something of an entire life-style switch, I suppose!

It would tend to pay also in some aspects to pick and choose what season is best for certain types of trips, if you are actually a big-time natural phenomenon-seeker! For some trips these seasons matter very a good deal for others not quite nearly at all!