| | | | Size:
1,000 km2/385 sq mi. | | | | |
| Wildlife and attractions: Mountain park that includes
many different biotopes. | | | | |
| Getting there: The park is approximately 5 hours by road
west of Dar
es Salaam, from where there are also trains. | | |
| | | Tanzania map
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| Tanzania: |
| Udzungwa Mountains National Park |
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| Udzungwa Mountains National Park (1,000 km2/385 sq mi) is situated west
of Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi
National Park. It's a one-hour drive west of Mikumi, which is on the main road from
Dar es Salaam.
Udzungwa is set on a mountainside. The altitude varies from 300 m/1,000 ft to 2,800
m/9,200 ft, offering a variety of different biotopes, including rain forest, and a varied
wildlife.
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| The park is home to elephants, African buffalos, elands, lions, leopards, bushbucks,
waterbucks and duikers (a type of antelopes), and local varieties of red colobus (Iringa
colobus monkey) and mangabey (Sanje crested mangabey). It's also a good birding area,
offering a varied general bird life and endemic weavers and sunbirds.
The park lacks road infrastructure, so visitors explore it on foot, guided by park rangers.
The best time to visit Udzungwa is from September to December, when the weather is usually
dry.
Hotels
Camping is the only accommodation within the national park; there are a number
of campsites. There are two basic hotels (see below) in Mangula village (which
has a train station) not far from the park gate. For better accommodation you
may stay in one of the lodges/camps in Mikumi, which is some 70 km/45 mi away.
Udzungwa Mountain View Hotel and Twiga Hotel are budget hotels in
Mangula. Both offer basic but clean rooms with private bathrooms and mosquito
nets, restaurant and bar.
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