Draping the coast to the North of Dar es Salaam and facing out across the channel with Zanzibar Island beyond, is the small but unique Saadani National Park. Covering 500 km², Saadani is the only National Park in East Africa that lies directly on the coast.

Saadani is a confluence of multiple distinct habitats, rugged Acacia Savanna, lush coastal forests and mangroves in the Wami River and harsh acacia woodlands and hills behind. Wildlife numbers have been increasing since the reserve was given National Park status, with particular focus given to the elephant project within the reserve. Other wildlife present in the park includes Buffalo, Giraffe, elephant, lion, leopard, sable antelope and hartebeest, zebra and eland.

Boat journeys up the Wami River give the opportunity to view large populations of Hippos and Nile Crocodiles, along with Black and White Colobus monkeys watching you wearily from the trees. This river is also a superb area for bird watching with birds such as Fish Eagles, Woolly-necked and open billed storks and yellow billed kites. The acacia forest is a good region to view various species of hornbills, Meyer’s parrots and bee-eaters.

On the ocean front both Bottle - nosed dolphins and Humpback Whales have been seen passing through the Zanzibar Channel, and green turtles open nest near the our lodge in Northern section of the reserve usually from July, August and September, but sometimes as early as March.

Saadani is a unique and engaging National Park with a beautiful location and fascinating wildlife – Africa ’s wild coast as it once was.