Mkomazi National Park Safari

A Unique and Uncrowded Safari Destination

For travelers looking for a more peaceful safari, Tanzania’s Mkomazi National Park is an uncrowded gem. Take a three-hour drive from Moshi to this breathtaking wilderness, which has views of Mount Kilimanjaro and serves as a refuge for endangered black rhinos, African hunting dogs, and other wildlife.

Mkomazi Wilderness Retreat: A Stunning Camp Surrounded by Wildlife

Within the park sits Mkomazi Wilderness Retreat, a luxury camp where animals drink from the big waterhole below and guests can visit the rhino sanctuary or go on game drives. It’s set within 3,000 square kilometers of grey-green flowering plants, ancient baobab trees, and rocky hills scattered with grasslands and Acacia forests.

You won’t have much competition to see the sights or stay at the park’s highly reviewed property –– not many tourists come to this tranquil spot. But recent visitors have reported that beautiful rooms, great views, nice people, and delicious food await. It was “my favorite property of my entire safari!” said one Facebook review.

This makes Mkomazi a perfect off-the-beaten-path diversion from a busy Northern Tanzania tour or exhausting trek up Mount Kilimanjaro.

Spend a few nights relaxing in one of Mkomazi Wilderness Retreat’s seven comfortable solar-powered tents nestled in the camp above the Dindira plains. These stylish dwellings are made from local materials and offer walk-in bathrooms with rain showers. Above them sits an open restaurant, bar, and private viewpoint that looks over the Pare Mountains and beyond Mount Kilimanjaro.

Costs range from $330-390 USD per night. Meals are included, with some ingredients grown in the camp’s organic farm. Many of the retreat’s reviews rave about the talent of its chef while complimenting the rest of its friendly and knowledge staff. Guests love the location and rustic vibe of the property, which they didn’t even have to leave to spot herds of buffalo, giraffe, and elephants.

“Mkomazi Wilderness Retreat and the whole national park felt as if it were our own private world, which is incredibly rare and even more special,” a reviewer wrote on Tripadvisor.

The park is considered a conservation success story after it rebounded within the last three decades into healthy wilderness teeming with birds, elephants, and ungulates. Elephants had almost disappeared but are now back in large numbers.

Mkomazi is the only national park in Tanzania where visitors can see all the rare antelope species of the Sahel Biosphere, including the lesser kudu, gerenuk and beisa oryx. It shares a border to the north with Kenya’s Tsavo National Park, offering a hospitable environment for migrating herds of elephant, oryx, and zebra during the wet season.

Those enthusiastic about birding can delight in more than 400 recorded species, including raptors and ground birds. Spot the Vulturine guineafowl, found only in Mkomazi in Tanzania. Mkomazi National Park is also known as Tanzania’s “Home of the Black Rhino,” where guests can support the endangered mammals by visiting the rhino sanctuaries, Mbula and Kisima.

For more information about conservation efforts in Mkomazi National Park, check out The Mkomazi Project at WildlifeNOW: https://wildlifenow.com/what-we-do/ecosystem-preservation/the-mkomazi-project/

Duration: 3 | 5 Days

Season Range: Year round

Price Guide: Starting from $1,750 per person sharing

Highlights:

Black rhino conservation, lesser kudu, gerenuk, beisa oryx, wild dog, elephant, eland, hartebeest, uncrowded wilderness

Detailed Itinerary

Meet your Duma Explorer guide at 9 AM, and depart for Mkomazi National Park. The drive to Mkomazi is approximately three hours. After reaching Mkomazi, proceed on a game drive for the rest of the day. At approximately 6 PM, reach Mkomazi Wilderness Camp nestled on a hillside overlooking a large waterhole.
Game drive with a hot lunch at camp. In the afternoon, head to the Rhino Sanctuary to view the National Park’s rhino feeding hour. Back to Mkomazi Wilderness Camp for dinner and overnight. During the dry season it is best to visit the rhino sanctuary early in the moning.
Spend a full day viewing wildlife in Mkomazi and relaxing at the camp viewing wildlife in the water hole.
Morning game drive as you exit the park. Drive back to Arusha, an approximate 5 hour drive from Mkomazi. Prepare for the next part of your safari journey!

Two black rhinoceroses in a dry, wooded area.

Aerial view of lush green landscape with hills and a small pond under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Two antelopes with long, curved horns standing in dry grasslands and sparse bushes.

Breakfast table with an omelet, sliced fruits, cold cuts, and a carafe of juice on a wooden surface.

Two people outdoors holding plates with desserts, surrounded by trees and greenery.

Outdoor gathering in a dry, grassy area with people socializing near a small table, surrounded by folding chairs and lanterns hanging from a tree. Hills and a body of water are visible in the background during dusk.

Interior of a luxury glamping tent with a view of mountains and countryside, featuring comfortable seating and outdoor chairs on a wooden deck.

Person making coffee with a French press on a tray with two cups on a balcony overlooking a scenic landscape.

People sitting at a warmly lit outdoor dinner table with lanterns, glasses, and decorative wheat arrangements.

Gerenuk standing on hind legs reaching for tree branches

Two servers in green uniforms carrying plates of food, including rice and vegetables, at an outdoor restaurant with a scenic view.

Brunch table with assorted fresh fruits, coffee, and pastries.

Elegant table setting with folded napkins in wine glasses, plates, cutlery, and dried wheat decor.

Aerial view of a campsite with tents, a glowing campfire area, and surrounding greenery.

Aerial view of green landscape with scattered trees, small buildings, a pond, and distant mountains under a cloudy sky.

A flock of vulturine guineafowls walking in grassland.

Luxury safari tent interior with large bed, colorful pillows, and panoramic windows overlooking a scenic landscape of mountains and birds.

Luxury safari tent interior with large bed, colorful pillows, wooden floor, and panoramic views of nature outside the windows.

Interior of luxury safari tent with wooden furniture, large windows, and a view of the landscape outside.

Table setting with a dessert in a glass, garnished with mint, placed on a decorated napkin on a plate, surrounded by woven placemats.

A group of people having an outdoor meal surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees, with a table set up on a grassy area under a clear sky.

People enjoying drinks in a lush outdoor setting with trees, wearing casual attire, including a man serving beverages on a tray.

Top view of vanilla ice cream scoop in a glass, drizzled with chocolate syrup and garnished with a mint leaf, on a woven placemat.

Person standing in grassy field with scenic mountain background, holding a wooden stick

Luxury safari tent with wooden deck, glass doors, and outdoor seating area overlooking natural landscape.

Group of antelopes with long horns standing in a dry, thorny African savanna landscape.

A deer peeking through green foliage in a forest.

Two African birds, possibly bustards, standing in grassy field

A large herd of elephants near a waterhole in a dry, hilly savannah landscape.

Lioness sitting in tall grass with a lion cub partially visible, surrounded by dry vegetation, an African safari tent in the background.

Night scene with a glowing tent in a forest under a starry sky.

Group of people toasting with champagne glasses at an outdoor gathering, in a lush green landscape.

Cozy bedroom setup with a bed adorned with vibrant orange and red pillows, a neatly arranged gray towel, and a welcoming card on the bed. The room has wooden decor and soft lighting.

Scenic view of African savanna landscape from a tent with mountains, open plains, and scattered trees under a clear blue sky.

Outdoor seating area with chairs around a fire pit, overlooking a scenic landscape with green fields, a river, and mountains under a cloudy sky.

Three people seated on wooden chairs on a terrace overlooking a scenic landscape with mountains and a cloudy sky. One person uses binoculars, while two others hold drinks and talk.

A group of elephants, zebras, and giraffes gather around a muddy waterhole in a savanna landscape.

Duma Client Experiences

“Can't-miss Tanzania trip”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“This was a trip of a lifetime, which I took at the end of a 3- year job living in Dar es Salaam. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to a country I love. The geography of descending out of the Ngorongoro Highlands into the Great Rift Valley is indescribable. You feel so profoundly connected with the landscape. Walking by foot gives you a deep appreciation of the environment, but Duma Explorers takes care of all the creature comforts with running the campsite. Can't recommend more highly!” Read more
Chaggard, December 2020