Saadani

Saadani National Park is definitely a wildlife sanctuary with a difference. It is one of the newest National Parks, being established in 2005, although it has been a game reserve since the 1960s. It is the only National Park where you can go on a game drive to see the wildlife in the morning and then spend the afternoon under a palm tree on the beach with the gently lapping Indian Ocean at your feet, watching the Swahili fishermen and the billowing sails of the traditional dhows sailing past. If you're lucky you might even see elephants frolicking in the shallow waters.

Although many tour operators regard this as very much a second class park in terms of game viewing, the latter is actually quite good, and different in kind to that found elsewhere. Both game drives and walks are conducted here in Saadani National Park, to view a vast array of antelope including greater kudu, eland and sable antelope, as well zebra, buffalo, secretary birds, grey parrots, giraffe and wildebeest. There are large herds of elephant and several lion prides as well as leopard, hyena and black backed jackal. At certain times of the year you may also witness the rare Sea Turtle laying its eggs on the beach. [cont.]

Saadani is definitely worth a visit if the possibility of combining game viewing with lazing on the beach appeals to you, and, for example, time restricts your visiting a better known Park as well as hopping over to Zanzibar.

"Nowhere else in the world can you walk on a beach following the footprints of a lion".