Mikumi National Park covers an area of 3,230 square kilometers. The third largest National Park in Tanzania, Mikumi connects to the Selous to the Park’s south. The Park is named after the village just to the west, which village’s name is Kiswahili for the Borassus Palm. The Park lies in the flood plain of the Mkata River, with the Uluguru Mountains to the east and the Rubeho Mountains to the west. The flood plain is largely open grassland, bordered by brush or wooded grassland interspersed with miombo woodland. Short rains usually fall during November and December, with heavier rains occurring from March through May. By mid-August all temporary surface water dries up, leaving the hippo pools, some water holes, the main river and a spring as the only source of water until the rains again fall in November.

We drove to Mikumi from the Selous, some 300 kilometers away, over what may be the dustiest, roughest road in all of Africa (at least the first 200 kilometers which were not tarmac). The trip was for Irene and I an interesting introduction to Tanzanian culture. Our vehicle drove past numerous settlements. Buildings were made of mud bricks, some of which had thatch roofs, others of which had tin roofs and some of which had no roofs. Holes were left for the door and windows, but rarely did we see a building that had a door or a window. The populace generally was outside, sitting around a fire or otherwise congregated in small groups. Some of the women were washing clothes or hauling food or other items. We attracted great attention as we passed. Adults generally stared, but the children raced to the road to waive at us, smiling the entire time. We wondered if these people encountered many tourists.

Lunch for us was a picnic on a soccer field outside Morogoro, where we became a curiosity to the children at the local schoolhouse. School let out shortly after we pulled in and many of the school children stood on the road side, watching us eat, although none of then approached. They waived and called to us as we departed.

Near Morogoro, we picked up hard top, making the trip in the land rover more bearable, although the road was still full of potholes, the remnants of all the rains caused by a recent el nino. This highway traverses all of Tanzania and bisects the Park. (1) Nearing the main gate, we passed a baboon sitting in the middle of the road, apparently directing traffic. Lucky for him, our vehicles and the truck coming from the opposite direction slowed so as not to hit him.

By the time we arrived at the Park in the afternoon, we were covered in layers of dust. Our lodging for our two night stay was Mikumi Wildlife Camp, a rather sparse facility but more than adequate. The bungalows were constructed of adobe and stone with a thatched roof, the adobe painted a dull green. Showers and toilets were ensuite. A quick shower to peel away the layers of grime and we were ready to continue our safari.

The dining area of the Camp was an open-air facility, with an excellent unobstructed view of the open flood plain. Elephants could be seen in the distance, strolling through our sight of view. An artist was busy putting the finishing touches on a mural that he had painted on a wall in the dining area. Superb starlings bounced from table to table, seeking morsels of food crumbs that fell to the ground or hoping for handouts. One or two more brazen starlings swooped in quickly for a quick nip of butter which was set out on the tables, flying out just as quickly with their trophy. On a pathway between the dining area and our bungalows was a sign that stated “Exercise extreme caution with elephants.” The message was common sense and I could not help but wonder whether someone from OSHA had visited the Camp, noticed the elephants strolling through and insisted on a sign stating the obvious. However, in retrospect, the sign is not much different from signs in National Parks in the U.S. warning tourists not to approach too close to the animals.

Being a National Park in Tanzania as opposed to a Reserve as the Selous, our only options at Mikumi were game drives. And the animals at Mikumi seemed to be present in a lesser concentration than those we discovered in the Selous, somewhat to the apparent disappointment of Gary. This does not mean, however, that there was no interesting game viewing at Mikumi. It just meant that there was not as many animals or as great a diversity as found in other National Parks in Tanzania. The morning game drive generally was a bust, with very few animals spotted. We did however add the Bohor reedbuck to our checklist of new animals and, under a small tree, we spotted a lioness that appeared to be injured (whether she was we do not know). Also at one point, one of the members of our group left his land rover to inspect an injured snake lying on the side of the road. And there was the occasional bird such as the Hartlaub’s bustard and the lilac-breasted roller.

On the afternoon drive, we encountered a greater number of animals. Herds of impala roamed the grasslands, with the occasional wildebeest mixed in. (2) A few masai giraffes browsed in the woodland and small herds of zebra grazed on the grasses of the plains. A large herd of buffalo had settled down under some trees to rest, laying in the tall grasses as cattle egrets and oxpeckers fluttered about. When we stopped to view them, the herd immediately sprang to their feet, their gaze locked onto us. Backlit by a late afternoon sun, the fringe on their ears glowed red, accentuating this particular feature.

We also encountered a large number of elephants. Some were sole specimens, wandering over the plains. Others were in pairings or small groups of three or four, a herd of eight and finally, towards the end of the day, a larger herd of more than 15. This herd was spotted at a waterhole, the water in which was covered with vegetation and very murky. We parked our vehicles across from the herd on the other side of the waterhole to enjoy the spectacle. The sun was low in the sky, behind the herd and in our eyes, hampering visibility and not ideal photographic conditions. But the experience was wonderful nonetheless.

There was a cow in the herd with a very small youngster who captivated the hearts of our group. The baby played with dust, rolled in the mud, waded in the water and generally had a great time like most children. His mother slated her thirst when she was not busy tending to him. Other elephants waded into the water, extending their trunks beyond the vegetation to drink. One of the older elephants laid down on the edge of the waterhole, dropped his trunk into the water and proceeded to blow bubbles for several minutes, the purpose of which escaped me. After they had drank their fill and finished their dust baths, the herd moved on as the sun began to set low.

My last impression of Mikumi is of the sun setting behind a giant baobab, bereft of leaves, the stark sentinel of Africa, unique to this continent.

Mikumi was not the high-light of this safari. There was a dearth of animals, the accommodations were sparse and it was hot. I cannot recommend it as a destination in and of itself. However, it does lie between the Selous and Ruaha and, if you are traveling by road between the two, it is a logical stop. Based upon my experience, however, I would not expect too much.

Footnotes
(1) The highway through the Park results in a large number of animals being struck each year by oncoming vehicles. This is a substantial problem for the Park, with thousands of animals being killed annually.
(2) Apparently there are no gazelles in Mikumi, although they do roam the plains to the east of the Park and are found in Ruaha National Park to the southwest. I never understood why.