Udzungwa Mountains


Tanzania is famous not only for its magnificent safaris . This country is one of the leaders in the world in terms of development of ecological tourism and promotion of nature reserves. In Tanzania, there are thirteen game reserves, twelve national parks and thirty-eight conservation areas. Udzungwa Mountains occupies a worthy place among the national nature reserves of the country, in large part due to the presence here of the massive Udzungwa Mountains and the largest Sandge waterfall.

General information about the park

Udzungwa Mountain National Park is located in the central part of Tanzania , 350 km west of the city of Dar es Salaam , next to it is the hunting reserve Selous. The territory of the park belongs to the regions of Iring and Morogoro in Tanzania.

Udzungwa Mountains National Park was founded in 1992. It covers an area of ​​1990 square kilometers. The park belongs to the mountain system of the Eastern Rift, which is part of the Great Rift Valley. In the park are the Udzungwa mountains, the largest in the mountain system of East Africa. The height of the peaks in these mountains reaches from 250 to 2576 m above sea level. The highest peak of the Udzungwa mountains is the Peak Lohomero.

You can move around the park only on foot, there are no roads here. If you travel 65 km to the south-west from Udzungwa-Muntins Park, you can get to another national reserve - Mikumi . Tourists often visit these two parks for one excursion .

Weather in Udzungwa Mountains

Rains in the Udzungwa Mountains Park are not uncommon, but there is a so-called dry season that lasts from June to October. At this time, precipitation, if any, is minor. But in the rest of the time, considered a rainy season, you need to be very careful in the park, as slopes are slippery and climbing mountains can be dangerous.

The air temperature varies greatly depending on the season and altitude above sea level. Also, there are large differences in daytime and nighttime temperatures.

Active rest in the park

In Udzungwa Mountains, camping safaris, waterfalls and forest trekking, guided tours, multi-day mountain climbing, bird watching and excursions to cultural and historical attractions in the park and beyond are waiting for you. On the territory of the park today, five pedestrian routes for tourists are laid. The most popular is the five-kilometer route to the Sanje Waterfall (English Sanje Waterfall), whose height reaches 170 meters. From the lower cascade of Sanjee, water falls from a height of 70 meters into the forest below, leaving a light fog in the air. Other routes in Udzungwa Mountains will give you fascinating scenery:

There are 2 more longer routes: climbing Mount Mvanikhan (38 km / 3 days) and the Rumemo trail (65 km / 5 days).

What interesting things can you see in the park?

The Udzungwa Mountains National Park attracts visitors with a unique landscape. Here, a continuous series of mountains covered with dense forests, is replaced by cascades of waterfalls. The Udzungwa Ridge is sometimes referred to as the "African Galapagoss", because it has a large number of endemic flora and fauna.

In the park incredibly diverse vegetation. Here you can find 3300 plants, among which almost 600 names of trees. One of the most amazing trees in Udzungwa Mountains is the African spiculum, its distinctive feature is the absence of side branches to a height of 15-20 meters. Here in the park you can find fig, red and plum trees. The fruits of the latter are enjoyed by local elephants. In height some trees reach 30 and even 60 meters, some of them are covered with mosses, lichens and mushrooms.

As for the wildlife in Udzungwa Mountains, it is also very diverse. Here you can meet mammals, birds and even amphibians. The most widely represented primates, there are 9 species in the park. For example, in Udzungwa Mountains you can see a rare species of dwarfish green monkeys, as well as antelopes. Of the more exotic inhabitants of the park, we will distinguish the red colobus Iringa, the scabbard mangabey Sanya and the Ugzungwa galago.

On the territory of the park there are about 400 species of birds. Many of them are endangered and endemic, i. E. live only in the local parts, ranging from the green-headed Orioles and to the more rare unique species of birds of East Africa. This, for example, is a local forest partridge, described by scientists only in 1991 and has an external resemblance to Asian representatives of the pheasant family. Pay attention also to the white-wing apallis, silver-winged kalao, long-winded turako, crested guinea fowl and mountain brown bulbul.

Accommodation in Udzungwa Mountains

On the territory of the park there are several public and special campsites near the gate of Mangul and along the hiking trails (they need to be booked through the park administration). Good conditions for accommodation are provided at the campsite Hondo Hondo Udzungwa Forest Tented Camp. At a distance of about 1 km from the entrance to the park for visitors, there are 2 comfortable lodges with bathrooms and toilets. Food, water and all the necessary things you need to take with you.

How to get to the park?

Udzungwa Mountains National Park is located 5 hours drive from Dar es Salaam (350 km from the park), and just over 1 hour you will take the road to Mikumi National Park (65 km south-west of Udzungwa Mountains).