Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania

A More Relaxed and Adventurous Place

February, 2014

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We made sure our extra fuel container was full, then left Same and arrived at the gate to Mkomazi National Park bright and early. We paid for two days, and when they asked where we would be spending the night we gave them the name of a campground we had read about which was about half way down the park. The ranger wrote that down and indicated all was good, then handed us a map of the park and we headed off. The map was great; or at least it looked good on paper. It had a few more roads and features on it than the ones we had brought with us, which were poor at best.

The northern gate where we entered is at the base of the Pare Mountains, and the setting is wonderful.


Pare Mountains from Mkomazi

We stopped the car within a few hundred yards of the gate because there were so many birds flitting around. From that point on, our progress was leisurely. In short order we came to a signpost. Wow! An actual road sign. We compared it to our new map and it matched up perfectly. Whoppie! We headed south, planning on making a big circuit around the northern half of the park, and camping at a campground near the bottom part of the loop.


Namaqua Dove Photo by Dona	Von Der Deckens Hornbill Photo by Dona	Long Tailed Fiscal Shrike Photo by Dona	Chestnut Weaver Photo by Dona


Black Coucal Photo by Dona


Xxx Photos by Dona	Bee Eater Flying Photo by Dona


European Roller Photos by Dona


Flower Xxx Blue Photo by Dona	Flower Xxx Blue Photo by Dona


Red Billed Buffalo Weaver Photo by Dona	Xxx Red Billed Buffalo Weaver F Photo by Dona


Brown Snake Eagle Photo by Dona	African Grey Hornbill Photo by Dona

Yellow Necked Spurfowl
Photo by Dona

Mkomazi

Millipede
Photo by Dona


Flower Xxx Pink Photo by Dona	Flower Xxx Violet


Flower Xxx Lavender	Flower Xxx Blue


		Photo by Dona
Pin Tailed Whydah

Red Billed Quelea


Red Billed Quelea Photos by Dona


Xxx	Black Coucal Photo by Dona	White Bellied Bustard Photo by Dona

Tree Xxx Blossom
Photo by Dona


Eastern Chanting Goshawk Photos by Dona

We got down to the Kisima Airstrip via Babu's Camp, which was where our road was supposed to start looping to the east. And that was the point where reality and the map diverged. There was a sign, but it didn't match either the map we had brought from home, or the new park service map we had been given that morning. We knew where we were, and we knew where we wanted to go, but apparently you couldn't get there from here. The maps said you could, but the ground didn't. We headed towards Kaveteta, we thought. Up until then the signs had made sense. This sign said "Maore Dam and Ranger Station" to the left, and "Kifukwa R.S. and Kamakota Special Camp" to the right. We went left, over a rougher 4wd road, past a marsh and over a divide to where we could see into what we thought must be Tsavo West National Park in Kenya. It was getting late and we had no chance of making our intended circuit to camp, since we were basically lost. The signs didn't make sense, although the general direction did. So we turned around and backtracked.


Impala Photos by Dona

We hoofed it fairly quickly back to near the gate where we entered, then headed for a different camp marked on our map, near the Ibaya airstrip. This route had more varied and interesting terrain, and we enjoyed our search for wildlife.


Flower Shrub Xxx Photo by Dona	Flower Xxx Yellow Photo by Dona


White Bellied Go Away Bird


Mkomazi	Mkomazi


Mkomazi	Mkomazi

Mkomazi

Mkomazi Cat Tracks


Little Bee Eater Photo by Dona	Northern Carmine Bee Eater Photo by Dona

Mkomazi Tortise
Photo by Dona

We found the airstrip, but no obvious signs of a camp. It was a brushy area with two to three foot high grass. There were some falling-down buildings from an old abandoned research camp on a nearby hillside, overgrown with brush, trees, and tall grass. The day was fading towards dusk, and Dona opined that "This isn't Montana," so we backtracked again and headed to the camp a few km from the Zange gate.

That camp had a large cleared off area with some planted trees and a bathroom facility, which was locked. It was better than the Elephant Motel by far, but not what camping at the airstrip would have been.

Mkomazi Camp near Zange Gate
Photo by Dona

The next morning we headed off on another planned circuit, more-or-less our original plan in reverse. We worked our way back out to the abandoned research station and Ibaya airstrip, then on to the Dindira Picnic Area / Overlook, which has a good view over the surrounding area including the waterhole behind Dindira Dam.


Lilac Breasted Roller Photo by Dona	Blue Capped Cordon Bleu Photo by Dona	White Winged Widowbird Photo by Dona	European Bee Eater Photo by Dona

Dik Dik
Photo by Dona


Mkomazi Hartbeest Photo by Dona


Superb Starling Photo by Dona		Isabelline Shrike Photo by Dona

Mkomazi


Mkomazi	Old Research Station above Ibaya Airstrip


Dindira Picnic Overlook	Dindira Reservoir

The sign by the picnic area said "Dindira Special Camp 2km" and "Vitewini Pt 6.5km + 3.5km". Vitewini Point wasn't on our map, but it seemed like the right way to go so we headed that way. It was a bumpy ride; we could have used a more beat-up higher-clearance vehicle. But we made it and had a great view.

Mkomazi


Flower Xxx Yellow	Flower Xxx Yellow	Flower Xxx White Photo by Dona

When we got to Vitewini Point we didn't really know what we were looking at. Unfortunately, we didn't see much big wildlife roaming around down there, which would have been more fun. The entire landscape was green and lush; it was difficult to imagine it in the dry season.

We backtracked from Vitewini point, for once again the signs didn't match our maps, and the road which descended from the saddle where we turned off to the point itself seemed to deteriorate a bit. I was pretty sure we could get down it, but I wasn't all that sure we could get back up. And since we didn't have an adequate map, there was always the chance we would be heading off into Kenya, which didn't seem like a good idea. Next time we will come with more time, real maps, and a better vehicle and camp set-up.

View from Vitewini Point

View from Vitewini Point
Photo by Dona


Flower Xxx Red	Flower Xxx Red Photos by Dona

Mkomazi
Photo by Dona

Mkomazi


Giraffes Photos by Dona


Giraffes Photos by Dona

Giraffes
Photo by Dona


Ostrich Photo by Dona	Eastern Paradise Wydah Photo by Dona	Little Bee Eater Photo by Dona

Flower Xxx Lavender
Photo by Dona

We left Mkomazi part in late afternoon and headed north towards Marangu and the Kilimanjaro area, where we would to spend our last night in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro was sticking its head out and we had some nice views on our way north, although it was still hazy.


	Photo by Dona
Kilimanjaro