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Mbali Mbali Katavi

  • Comfortable accommodation at the heart of Katavi National Park
  • Eleven well-appointed rooms and one sumptuous suite
  • Spacious lounge, dining area, viewing deck, fireplace, swimming pool
  • Great game drives, and night drives available too!
When To Visit Katavi National Park:
When To Visit Katavi National Park:
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"Facing stiff competition from Nomad Tanzania’s outstanding Chada sees Mbali Mbali Katavi struggling for YZ’s business. The place to stay if Chada is too adventurous for your taste… but if that’s your view, you shouldn’t be in Katavi in the first place!"

OVERVIEW:

The property is owned by Mbali Mbali Lodges and Camps, whose portfolio also includes the high-quality Mbali Mbali Mahale! The property is owned and operated by Mbali Mbali, who specialise in providing accommodation in Tanzania. Previously called Katuma Bush Lodge, Mbali Mbali Mahale is highly recommended for travellers seeking comfortable accommodation within the fantastic Katavi National Park.

ACCESS & LOCATION: 

Mbali Mbali Katavi, accessed via light aircraft flight into Ikuu Airstrip, followed by a brief road transfer, is positioned on the sprawling plains of Katavi, amidst tall palm trees and acacias.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT MBALI MBALI KATAVI:

The communal lodge is a classic wood-and-thatch structure on a very large scale! A wide flight of steps leads travellers up onto the viewing deck, which incorporates a swimming pool with sunloungers laid out alongside. Inside, there is a spacious lounge, featuring well-cushioned wood-framed seating around coffee tables, a tea-and-coffee station, bookshelves, reading lamps, and a telescope for taking a closer look at the surrounding bushscape. The dining area is very roomy too, and includes chic wooden tables flanked by upright chairs. As the lodge is open sided, you can enjoy amazing views wherever you choose to be. You can even dine on the deck, or cosy up by the fireplace on chilly nights! With lanterns hanging overhead and the sounds of nature all around, Katuma can feel incredibly atmospheric.

Guest accommodation here consists of 11 rooms and one suite. Each Safari Room occupies the perimeter of the Katisunga floodplains close to the communal building. Like the lodge, this option is raised above ground level. A few steps lead up to a private veranda, set with two easy chairs and a small table – there’s a hammock here too! Stroll into the tent, and you will find a king-size bed or twin beds, as well as mosquito nets, a writing desk and chair, a luggage rack, and a separate seating area. Each room’s en-suite facilities comprise flush toilet, washbasin, indoor shower, and outdoor shower. The overall look is comfortable and stylish, with details such as carved headboards and colourful cushions adding a lot of interest! The Sable Suite is equally impressive. This option overlooks the floodplains too and has two bedrooms, each with a king-size bed and en-suite shower room. The suite also boasts a private deck expansive enough for a day bed, sunloungers, and a dining table, in addition to an outside spa tub! Highlights of the interiors include air conditioning, two separate lounge areas, a satellite television, a buffet/breakfast bar, and a fully stocked fridge. And there’s a private butler service! The food and drink is delicious, with a variety of options available – breakfast and lunch in camp or prepared as a packed meal, plus communal or private dining. And there’s an outdoor BBQ twice weekly!

ACTIVITIES AT MBALI MBALI KATAVI:

  • From this sumptuous base camp, you can take part in exceptionally good game drives, which start out in early morning and late afternoon.
  • When it comes to wildlife viewing, Katavi is very special indeed! This national park is one of the least developed of its kind in Africa, and the result is a really wild safari experience.
  • Huge herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, and antelopes roam the plains.
  • Predators such as lion, leopard, and cheetah are at large where savanna meets woodland, appearing on the grasses whenever they have a chance of catching a meal!
  • There are lots of hyena too, and wild dog within the park’s escarpment.
  • The river attracts incredible numbers of hippo and crocodile.
  • Vast flocks of pink-backed pelican, crested crane, storks, and spoonbills soar through the skies, and the wooded areas resound with the calls of paradise flycatcher and golden oriole.
  • Visitors to Katavi are guaranteed spectacular sightings – just make sure you pack your camera and binocs!
  • Night drives are also on offer, providing exciting opportunities to check out the nocturnal life of the national park, such as the wide-eyed bushbaby and long-tailed pangolin.

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.

Katavi National Park

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