​User Reviews – Katavi NP

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 11-19 of 19 Reviews
Andrew Steiger Visited: November 2013 Reviewed: Dec 28, 2013

an incredible number of hippos and up close
Overall rating
5/5

Katavi is a wonderful Place of the World, with many Animals.
We drive in the Park in the dry Time, the Natur is then not so green, but the Animals are then watch masse. We look on the Game Drive Lions in the starting phase on the hunting, directly Elephant on the Road and masses of other Animals. The most impressiv experience was the many Hippos, the Hippos urge in the last Water in the Park.
I would return in any case again to Katavi.

Justin   –  
Canada CA
Visited: November 2014 Reviewed: Apr 28, 2015

Email Justin  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Overall rating
5/5

This park is amazing!! Easily one of my favourite parks. If you think Ruaha has a bush vibe, this one trumps it. We had lions lying within feet of the car window, giraffes showing up at our door at the bandas, hundreds upon hundreds of hippos crammed into small mud pools. We saw lions taking down hippos, a beautiful leopard at close range etc. Katavi is as remote as it gets! We spent 8 hours waiting under a mango tree for a bus out of Sitalike heading towards Namanyere! This place is remote and rugged and I highly recommend it for a solid adventure.

Andre Gilden   –  
Netherlands NL
Visited: October 2014 Reviewed: May 2, 2015

50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Overall rating
4/5

Many buffalo in the park and lions which hunt on the buffalo. Nice marshes which provide water to the wildlife.

Selestinus Emanuel   –  
Tanzania TZ
Visited: October 2014 Reviewed: Mar 24, 2016

Email Selestinus Emanuel  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Isolated, untrammelled and seldom visited park
Overall rating
5/5

Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few intrepid souls who make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it must have been a century ago.

Tanzania's third largest national park, it lies in the remote southwest of the country, within a truncated arm of the Rift Valley that terminates in the shallow, brooding expanse of Lake Rukwa. Katavi’s most singular wildlife spectacle is provided by its hippos. Towards the end of the dry season, up to 200 individuals might flop together in any riverine pool of sufficient depth. And as more hippos gather in one place, so does male rivalry heat up – bloody territorial fights are an everyday occurrence, with the vanquished male forced to lurk hapless on the open plains until it gathers sufficient confidence to mount another challenge.

Philippe Z.   –  
Norway NO
Visited: January 2011 Reviewed: Mar 16, 2017

Email Philippe Z.  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Overall rating
5/5

A great place, like Ruaha, with great wildlife viewing. Actualy fantastic lions viewing in some part of it (sorry i won t say exacly where) when I visited in october 2009. We also saw hyenas, elephants, lots of giraffes, large herds of buffalos, diferent species of antelopes, crocs, birdlife etc.

Eleanore Avery   –  
United States US
Visited: February 2012 Reviewed: Apr 19, 2017

Email Eleanore Avery  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Eleanore Avery and not that of SafariBookings.
Overall rating
2/5

Very remote in western part...I only stopped there on way to Mahale park. canals restrict viewing because you cannot cross canals. Lots of Hippos.

Owen Shaffer   –  
Kenya KE
Visited: August 2017 Reviewed: Dec 18, 2017

Email Owen Shaffer

One of my favorite safari locations
Overall rating
5/5

I stayed at Chada Katavi for seven nights in August of last year. I have to say that Katavi offers one of the highest levels of bush vibe in Africa.
The wildlife viewing was simply outstanding. I've never seen bigger pods of hippos nor more crocodiles as well as massive herds of buffalo and topi. There were lots of elephants and they often came into camp. I saw lions and leopards.

I went fly camping for two nights and on one night drive. Fly camping was particularly enjoyable. My night drive was simply awesome. One can go for hours without seeing another person.

Lise Pedersen   –  
Denmark DK
Visited: January 2019 Reviewed: Feb 13, 2019

Email Lise Pedersen  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Overall rating
4/5

Long driving distances from game drive areas to camp! Flamingos and lions were very special here, but also a lot of fine birds.

ShaiK Haneef   –  
India IN
Visited: June 2023 Reviewed: Mar 17, 2024

Email ShaiK Haneef  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Awesome
Overall rating
5/5

Amazing animals I was seen in park...sach a beautiful moment,,🤩🤩😍🥰

Average User Rating

  • 4.5/5
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star 12
  • 4 star 5
  • 3 star 1
  • 2 star 1
  • 1 star 0
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