Udzungwa Mountains national park| Tanzania

Located in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Udzungwa National Park is a biologically diverse national park located in the southern part of Tanzania. It has a variety of vegetation such as tropical rainforests, montane and miombo forests, grasslands and steppe.

The Udzungwa Mountains National Park is home to a variety of wildlife such as the Abbott’s duiker, Kipunji, and the grey-faced sengi elephants among others. Other than the wildlife, it inhabits primates as well such as the Iringa red colobus monkeys and the Sanje crested mangabey that are endemic to this area. This place is also renowned for being home to the Kihansi River which is home to the Kihansi spray toad endemic to this river. This toad was briefly extinct in 2009 when an upstream dam altered its habitat but was later reintroduced by scientists after a successful captive breeding program.

Udzungwa mountains national park is a birding paradise with over 400 bird species such as the African marabou, crowned eagle, Ruppells vulture, the African hobby, Francolin, Rufus-winged sunbird, Dappled mountain robin, sharpe’s akalat, olive-flanked robin-chat, and the white-chested alethe among others.

Climate in Udzungwa Mountains National Park

Due to the vegetation and landscape of this national park, it experiences rainfall during most times of the year however the drier months are characterized with mist and light rain in the higher elevations. The rainy season falls in the months of November and March to May.

Activities in Udzungwa Mountains National Park

Bird watching

This is one of the best bird watching destinations in Tanzania with about 400 bird species. Birds spotted in Udzungwa National Park include African Crested Flycatcher, White-winged Apalis, Usambara Greenbul, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, Arrow-marked Babbler, Tanzania Illadopsis, Southern Yellow White-eye, African Hill Babbler, African Gray Flycatcher, Red-winged Starling, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Branded Sunbird, Usambara Weaver, Rufous-winged Sunbird, Love ridge’s Sunbird, Yellow Bishop, Moreau’s Sunbird, Mountain Wagtail, Northern Gray-headed Sparrow, Eastern Paradise-Whydah, and Dapple-throat among others.

The best time for bird watching is during the morning hours when the birds are just out of their nests and are actively looking for food. These bird watching tours are usually led by experienced local birding guides who assist the tourists spot the different bird species.

Wildlife viewing

Wildlife viewing is one of the most done activities in Udzungwa mountain national park. This park is home to a variety of wildlife both the common, rare, as well as endemic species such as elephants, duikers, bushbucks, leopard, palm civet, buffalos, hunting dogs, African wild dogs, among others and primates such as Sanje mangabey, Kipunji, Udzungwa red colobus monkeys, skyes’s monkey, Angola colobus monkeys, Yellow baboon, Vervet monkeys, among others. These wildlife viewing safaris are done either early morning during a morning game drive or in the afternoon on an afternoon game drive.

Other than spotting wildlife, tourists also spot a variety of bird species in the trees and in the air during the game viewing.

Primate tracking

This is an exhilarating adventure worth experiencing due to its diverse and endemic species such as Sanje mangabey, Kipunji, Udzungwa red colobus, Angola colobus, skyes’s monkeys, yellow baboon, and vervet monkeys, among others. Primate tracking is usually done in the morning when these creatures are most active and are going about their day to day activities such as playing, feeding, carrying their young ones, among others.

Cultural tours

Udzungwa mountains national park is home to a number of local communities such as the Wanji and the Pogoro tribes. These tribes have a rich cultural heritage that one gets to interact with and appreciate when they come face to face with these communities.

During the cultural tours, visitors explore the different communities and learn their way of life, their customs as well as traditions. On this visit, tourists take part in activities such as farming practices, handicrafts, local cooking methods and music. These tours are led by experienced guides who have extensive knowledge of the local cultures and traditions.

Hiking to Sanje waterfalls

Hiking these waterfalls is one of the exhilarating activities to do on a visit to Udzungwa mountains national park. These breathtaking Sanje waterfalls are the tallest waterfalls in Tanzanian national parks at 270m high. It has three stages, the first being 170metres and this is longest of the 3 waterfall stages and displays the map of Africa showing all the clear demarcations of the boundaries. The second is 30m and the third 70m and is the furthest from the peak.

This waterfalls offers magnificent views of this national park to hikers. Also, the long trail to the waterfalls takes you through the lush rainforest filled with unique flora and fauna. During the hike, you will spot other creatures along the trail such as Udzungwa red colobus monkeys, tropical birds and butterflies among others.

At the bottom of the falls, you can take a dip into the cool, crystal clear waters of the pool which is formed as a result of accumulation of the water falling from the waterfalls.

Best time to visit Udzungwa mountains national park

Just like most African destinations, Udzungwa national park can be visited throughout the year however the best time to visit this national park is during the dry season. This season runs from the months of June to October. During these months, the weather is mostly sunny with clear skies and dry trails making it a lot easier to explore the park’s biodiversity. Wildlife spotting is also easy since most of the wildlife gather around water sources during this time of year. Also, Udzungwa national park is flocked with a number of migratory birds at this time of year from different parts of the world hence a perfect time for a bird watching experience.

Accommodation in Udzungwa mountains national park

While visiting Udzungwa mountains national park, there is a variety of accommodation to choose from ranging from budget, mid-range, luxury accommodation and camping such as Udzungwa Forest tented camp, Udzungwa Falls lodge, Twiga hotel, Hondo Hondo, Udzungwa Mountain View camp, among others.

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