Harbouring one of East Africa’s great forests, Udzungwa Mountain National Park has an area of 1900 sq km, bordered by the Great Ruaha River to the north, with Mikumi National Park and Selous Game Reserve located further to the north and east. Protected as a national forest reserve until 1992 when it was commissioned as National Park, Udzungwa Mountains is undoubtedly one of the few true virgin and unique forested lands remaining in the world.
The major attractions include its biologically diverse forest, harbouring some plant species found nowhere else in the world, from a tiny African violet to 30-metre high trees. Apart from the forest, which acts as a water catchment area and having a large number of endemic species of both animals and plants, the park has spectacular mountains scenery, grasslands, rocks, rivers and waterfalls. One of the most interesting sights is the presence of two indigenous species of primates, the Iringa red colobus monkey and the Sanje Crested Mangabey, not known until 1979. Apart from providing habitat to about six species of primates, its plateau contains populations of elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, African hunting dogs and several forest bird species.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park-3 Days/2 Nights Itinerary
UDZUNGWA ITINERARY
Please take note that U.D.Z. 002 indicates the number of nights you will spend at Udzungwa Mountains National Park.
8:00 am – Commence your Safari for a 7 hour drive from Dar to Udzungwa Mountains. Enjoy your view of the countryside as you pass through Morogoro town where you shall have your lunch. After lunch you shall continue your journey and check in for 2 nights at Udzungwa Falls Lodge upon your arrival at Udzungwa Mountains.
7:30 pm – Dinner and overnight at Udzungwa Falls Lodge in Udzungwa Mountain
7:00 am – Breakfast
8:00 am – After breakfast, set off on five hour hike further into the mountains along a rural road/path. Arrive at Sanje waterfall which plunges 170 meters (550 feet) through a misty spray into a forested valley below. Here you shall set up camp. Udzungwa is the largest and most biodiversity of a chain of a dozen large forest-swathed mountains that rise majestically from the flat coastal scrub of eastern Tanzania. Known collectively as the Eastern Arc Mountains, this archipelago of isolated massifs has also been dubbed the African Galapagos for its treasure-trove of endemic plants and animals, most familiarly the delicate African violet. Its a unique attraction within Tanzania in that its closed-canopy forest spans at an altitudes of 250 meters (820 feet) to above 2,000 meters (6,560 ft) without interruption.
1:00 pm – Enjoy a magnificent Bush Lunch in the Mountains
2:00 pm – Continue exploring surrounding areas, swim in either of the two pools of the waterfalls.
7:30 pm – Dinner and overnight at the Campsite in Udzungwa falls lodge.
