Mkomazi Game Reserve & Saadani Game Reserve
Located in North Eastern Tanzania on the Kenyan Border & Set below the verdant slopes of the spectacular Usambara and Pare Eastern Arc Mountain ranges and overseen by the iconic snow capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mkomazi Game Reserve’s breathtaking beauty demonstrates unique natural treasures and a vast sense of space, a much needed bridge between northern circuit and coastal attractions.
Mkomazi is one of the only places in the whole of Tanzania and is vital refuge for two highly endangered species, the charismatic black rhino and the companionable African wild dog, both of which were successfully reintroduced in the 1990s. Nomadic by nature, wild dog might be seen almost anywhere in the park, but black rhino are restricted to a fenced sanctuary, ensuring their safe keeping for future generations enjoyment and prosperity. The Reserve covers over 3,200 square kilometres and is dominated by Acacia-Commiphora vegetation. The area commonly called 'Mkomazi' is actually the union of two Game Reserves, the Umba Game Reserve in the east (in Lushoto District, Tanga Region) and the Mkomazi Game Reserve in the West (in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region).
In sharp comparison Saadani Game reserve is where the beach meets the bush. 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 sun-worshippers. Yet 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. Today, a surprisingly wide range of grazers and primates is seen on game drives and walks, among them giraffe, buffalo, warthog, common waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, red duiker, greater kudu, eland, sable antelope, yellow baboon and vervet monkey.