Kitulo National Park is a remote park and difficult to reach, but it is a unique wonder in the world for lovers of botany. Called Bustani ya Mungu, the Garden of God, it is colored with thousands of flowers especially during the rainy season, from December to April. The landscape winds between rolling hills and water jumps; noteworthy is the dizzying waterfall of the Numbe forest, in the eastern part of the park. Also called the Serengeti of the flowers, it is a paradise for the observation of the birds and the butterflies. It is possible to see the rare Denham’s Bustard.
Kitulo National Park
click on the placeholder
- Mbeya – Mwakapembe main gate: 2 hours and a half
- 1 day to visit the park
- 1.613 km² extension
approximately equal to the province of Milan
-
altitude up to 2.700 meters
- accommodation in Mbeya
- accommodation in Guest House in Matamba
- accommodation in the park
THE PARK IN ONE DAY
Mwakapembe gate is the main entrance
the waterfall in the Numbe forest is a hundred meters high and is one of the main tributaries of the river Great Ruaha
The park was established in 2005 because of its botanical importance and is the first African national park for plant protection. In fact, in the Kitulo there are 350 species of vascular plants, including 45 different species of orchids. This attracts many lovers of botany but the park is also great for hikers because during the dry season there are walking trails that lead to dizzying waterfalls, including the unmissable waterfall in the Numbe forest, surrounded by unspoilt nature. The plateau and its surroundings form the water basin of the Ruaha River.
It is not the ideal place for those who are interested only in animals, even if here the first new species of African monkeys, endangered, the monkey Kipunji, has been discovered, along with the forest galago. There are also other species of monkeys and small antelopes, as well as endemic species of butterflies, lizards and frogs.
The fauna in Kitulo National Park
one of the best for sightings of
• Kipunji monkey • Jackson’s chameleon
sightings of
• mountain reedbuck • common Duiker (Grey) • klipspringer • galago of the forest • Angola black and white colobus • and other species…
birdwatching
Very rare elsewhere • Denham’s Bustard⚑⚑
Other species • African Yellow Warbler⚑• Churring Cisticola • Kipengere Seedeater⚑• Blue Swallow⚑⚑• Short-tailed Pipit⚑• Common Stonechat⚑(in photo) • Marsh Widowbird⚑• Montane Widowbird • Yellow-throated Mountain Greenbul⚑… and several other
⚑ Threatened
⚑ Tanzania endemic
⚑ Near endemic
⚑ Africa endemic
⚑ Migratory
PARK ACTIVITIES INCLUDED IN OUR SAFARIS
Trekking to the waterfall in the forest Numbe, if the road is accessible, is an uphill/downhill path of about 2 hours round trip
Visit to farms where milk is produced
Entry to the National Parks in Tanzania is allowed to licensed off-road vehicles of local tour operators with a valid license. The paths of the safaris are strictly bound to the trails. The strict regulation of parks has the laudable aim of safeguarding the inestimable natural heritage and supporting the local economy. The “DIY tourism” presents many unknowns and therefore becomes difficult to practice. With us, local tour operator with Italian participation, you can realize your dream of a tailor-made safari! Contact us
ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE PARK
Mbeya: city tour
For information on transit fees and park accommodation, already included in the price of our safaris, visit the Park Fees page. The system of taxation of tourism in the parks of Tanzania is the necessary contribution to the conservation of an uncontaminated and wild natural heritage, of inestimable environmental value.
For general information about all parks in Tanzania and about this park – when to go, where is it, nearby destinations – go to Parks of Tanzania page
Are you interested in Kitulo National Park? Contact us!
