Ugalla river National park is one of the beautiful safari park to visit for anyone planning Africa Tanzania wildlife safari tour. It is situated in Tanzania’s western area, halfway between the Tabora and Rukwa provinces and it covers an area of 3,865 square kilometres. The Ugalla National Park, which is located to the west of the Ugalla River Game Reserve, is made up of a fragmented plateau with steep valleys that connect to the Masito Hills to the west.
The Ugalla Game Reserve was founded in 1965, and in 2019 it was designated as a national park (after the Tanzanian parliament separated part of the Ugalla River Game Reserve to form a national park). It shares borders with the Hulu Hill Forest Reserve, Ngongwa, Iyonga, and Ipole Game Reserves.
The Ugalla River in west-central Tanzania is a sizable, slowly flowing river with sandbanks, small pools, oxbow lakes, and swamps that meanders its way through a lonely and all-but-forgotten environment with an exceptional diversity of animals.
Wildlife in Ugalla river national park
The park’s dominant vegetation types—Ugalla River Grass and Miombo Woodlands—support a notable population of monkeys as well as numerous species of reptiles and birds, including owls. Other common animals that can be seen in the park include Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, eland, hyena, impala, jackal, Oribi, ostrich, Bohor reedbuck, common reedbuck, warthog, sitatunga, wild dog, and zebra.
The Sitatunga antelope, Cape clawless otters, and a variety of fascinating water birds, including shoebill storks, wattled cranes, and pygmy geese, can be found in the swampy areas to the west of the park. These animals within the park focus more and more on the Ugalla River during the dry season, which lasts from July to October, and it develops into a region where interesting species can be found virtually everywhere.
The Ugalla River is home to several hippos and crocodiles, including some of the biggest crocodiles ever seen in Africa. They eat catfish and other fish during the rainy season, but as the dry season wears on, they begin to supplement their diet with animals that come down to drink. These animals can grow to be more than 21 feet long.
The river itself, with all of its stunning overlooks and countless loops and twists, is the main subject of game viewing. Groves of enormous trees are strewn along the banks, making for ideal camping spots or perhaps just peaceful places to unwind for a mid-day picnic or coffee break while taking in the wildlife surrounding you.
Beyond the confines of the national park, the Ugalla River gently flows westward into the intricate network of canals and marshes of the Moyowosi Swamps, which finally empty into Lake Tanganyika. Undoubtedly, this huge and inaccessible region contains some of Africa’s finest undiscovered natural treasures.
Tourist Activities: Things to do in Ugalla river national park
Everyone may enjoy a safari vacation to this pristine and untouched national park thanks to the abundance of tourist attractions and activities offered there. The park provides activities for all types of visitors, including those who are traveling alone, couples on their honeymoon, families, and kids. The following are a few of the tourist activities in this park:
- Game drives along the river’s banks,
- Walking safaris
- Bird watching safaris
- Photographic safaris
- Camping safaris
- Picnicking safaris
- sport fishing
- beekeeping
Getting There
Despite being in a distant place, the ugalla river national park is easily accessible by both road and air transport.
The park is easily reachable by air via domestic flights and private chartered flights from all regions of Tanzania, including Dar es Salaam and Arusha city. Road Transportation, It can be visited in a 4×4 safari vehicle from June to October, which is the dry season.
Ugalla river National Park safari
It is advisable to combine Ugalla River National Park with other adjacent safari parks like Kigosi, Mahale, Katavi, and Ruaha National Park in a one safari itinerary or bucket list. Visitors who are more interested in pristine or virgin areas that have not been hampered by tourist activity would find the park to be the ideal complement. If you want to experience an actual, authentic African safari, put the Ugalla River National Park at the top of your list of Tanzania safari destinations.
