About Park
Saadani National Park is situated on the north coast of Tanzania, approximately 100km North West of Dar es Salaam. This is a place where the bush meets the ocean, the only wildlife sanctuary in East Africa bordering the sea with romantic palm trees, beautiful white sandy beaches and spectacular views of the blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
The park is home to an amazingly wide variety of plains game and primates, in addition to general game. Boat trips on the Wami River offer exciting wildlife viewing as well as fantastic bird watching, while the beaches offer one of the last major green turtle breeding sites on mainland Tanzania. A site so typical of this area is the Swahili fishermen casting their nets with a magical African sunset in the background.
The reserve is a mere boat ride from the island of Zanzibar, which is a beach-goer’s paradise. Saadani is wonderfully located between island relaxation and safari excitement.
he main rainy season, or the ‘long rains’, lasts during March, April and May. Afternoon downpours are the norm, which are heavier and more predictable beside the coast and on the islands. The humidity is high and daily temperatures reach the low-mid 30s (degrees Celsius).
The long dry season lasts from June to October, during which time the rainfall is unusual. Temperatures vary hugely with altitude and location, but it’s usually a fine, clear sky and sunny weather.
During November and December there’s another rainy season, which is known as the ‘short rains’. These are much lighter than the long rains and less reliable. If it has rained during the short rains, then it normally dries up for a few months in January and February, which is Tanzania‘s ‘short dry season’, before starting to rain again in earnest in March.