Mkomazi National Park is an unspoilt little wonder and not at all tourist, nestled between the Pare Mountains and the Usambara Mountains, with the Kilimanjaro in the northwest background. It is located along the path that leads from the northern parks to the coast, in a succession of hills dotted with majestic baobabs. Due to its drier climate than other parks, it is possible to meet rather rare animal species in the rest of Tanzania, such as gerenuk, oryx and minor kudu. The park also hosts two conservation projects for the reproduction of black rhinos and wild dogs. Ideal for fans of birdwatching, there also live some species of birds hardly seen elsewhere.
Mkomazi means, in the Pare language, “ladle of water”; the park is in fact in the least rainy area of Tanzania, which makes its plains unsuitable for grazing for large herds of herbivores. The territory of the park, rich in marshes and vegetation, is more hospitable for mammals than the neighboring Tsavo national park in Kenya. Mkomazi National Park deserves a stop for the location nestled in the mountains, for the variety and originality of its landscape, for the opportunity to observe rare species almost alone, as well as the presence of the conservation and reintegration project of the black rhinoceros. Birdwatching paradise, the park is divided into two areas: to the north-west the lush and bright marshes where you can see the fauna in an enchanting landscape, to the east paths in the dense bush lead to the unmissable Rhino Sanctuary, where, guided by a ranger, you can still see wildlife, in addition to the majestic and always present black rhinos.