Katavi National Park

The habitat is mainly grassland savannah and brachystegia (miombo) woodland on the east of the park. After the rains, the place transforms to lush marshes and shallow lakes, leaving behind dusty floodplains of the Dry season.

The Dry season (June to October) is when you should travel to Selous, even though you’ll be joining the crowds attracted by this period’s clear blue skies. It’s at this time animals converge on rivers and waterholes, and the dry bush is sparse enough for views of wildlife to be un-obscured. If you do visit in the wetter months, be aware that numerous lodges close their doors from March to May.

It’s best to visit Katavi in the Dry season (May to October). Unlike during the wetter months, you won’t get cooked by the temperature, savaged by mosquitoes, or have to negotiate boggy tracks. Most importantly, the drier months are when animals congregate on the floodplains to get a drink, and the thin vegetation won’t shield them from your view.

Katavi is a hot place in the Dry season (May to October), except for the evenings when the temperature sinks along with the sun. Not by much, though – nights average a warm 17°C/63°F. The Wet season (November to April) is when things get really uncomfortable, with high levels of heat, plus humidity thanks to the brewing rain.