Saadani Game Reserve
Saadani game reserve covers an area of about 1000 sq km of unique wilderness, a mixture of bush, beach and river, found no where else on the Eastern African coastline
This closest park to Dar es Salaam contains a wide diversity of game including giraffe, buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, sable antelope, eland, hartebeest, wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, greater kudu, warthog, hyena, mongoose, civet, serval, baboon, black and white colobus, crocodile, hippo, three species of duiker as well as a great variety of birdlife
Saadani is dominated by acacia woodland, coastal thickets and miombo woodland. It also protects a large area of mangrove swamps around the mouth of the Wami river on the south boundary, and includes several species of palm including the mysterious looking ‘walking palm’, not actually a palm at all!
Dolphins are sometimes seen offshore and whales pass through the Zanzibar channel on their migration. Of particular interest is the green turtle project at Madete, this endangered species is under particular threat from fishing practices offshore from Saadani and a conservation project has been established to help protect both turtles and their eggs.
Just about 4 hours drive from Dar es Salaam, ideal for a weekend getaway, or combine both visits to Mikumi and Saadani in one package. It is also possible to fly to Saadani.