Size: 1,100 sq km (430 sq miles)
Location: On the North coast, roughly 100km (65 miles) Northwest of Dar es Salaam and a similar distance Southwest of Tanga.

Saadani National Park is the perfect union of beach and bush. Located just 100 km north of the historical town of Bagamoyo and immediately accessible by paved road from Dar es Salaam (Dar), Saadani has recently become a fully protected national park and is a popular day-trip from beach resorts scattered along Tanzania’s coastal circuit. Protected as a game reserve since the 1960s, in 2002 it was expanded to cover twice its former area. The only wildlife sanctuary in East Africa to boast an Indian Ocean beachfront, it possesses all the attributes that make Tanzania's tropical coastline and islands so popular with foreign sun-worshippers. Saadani suffered greatly from poaching prior to the late 1990s, but recent years have seen a marked turnaround, due to a concerted clampdown on poachers, based on integrating adjacent villages into the conservation drive.

The park is a good choice for visitors based in Dar es Salaam, who don’t have time for longer vacations to visit more remote parks around the country. Saadani is easily visited on a day trip or short weekend holiday. It’s elephant population frolics in the sands and sometimes ventures into the crashing surf, which alone makes a Saadani safari more special and unique. It is also the one place where those idle hours of sunbathing might be interrupted by an elephant strolling past, or a lion coming to drink at the nearby waterhole!

Wildlife
Surprisingly, a wide range of grazers and primates are seen on Saadani safaris or walks, among them giraffe, buffalo, warthog, common waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, red duiker, greater kudu, eland, sable antelope, yellow baboon and vervet monkey. Herds of up to 30 elephants are encountered with increasing frequency, and several lion prides are resident, together with leopard, spotted hyena and black-backed jackal. Boat trips on the mangrove-lined Wami River come with a high chance of sighting hippos, crocodiles and a selection of marine and riverine birds, including the mangrove kingfisher and lesser flamingo, while the beaches form one of the last major green turtle breeding sites on mainland Tanzania. The Wami River, which passes through Saadani and empties into the Indian Ocean, hosts a large population of hippos, crocodiles, flamingos, and many large bird species. Elephants are often viewed bathing and playing on Saadani’s beach, especially in the early hours of the morning.

How To Get There
Charter flight from Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam with possibility of scheduled flights in the future. Thrice-weekly road shuttle from Dar , taking four hours in either direction. No road access in Dar along the coast – follow the surfaced Moshi road for 160km (100 miles), then 60km (36 miles) on dirt. Road access from Tanga and Pangani except after heavy rain. 4x4 required.

What To Do (Activities)
Saadani safari game drives and guided walks. Boating safaris on the mangrove-lined Wami River. Swimming in the prestine aquamarine waters of the Indian Ocean. Visit Saadani fishing village, which lies within the reserve, where a collection of ruins pays testament to its 19th century heyday as a major trading port.

When To Go
Generally accessible all-year round, but the access roads are sometimes impassable during April and May. The best Saadani safari game-viewing is in January and February and from June to August.

Accommodation
One luxury tented safari camp. Campsites planned.