The Park finds itself in a beautiful setting with both the Pare and Usambara mountains towering above its boundaries. Depending on the weather, Mount Kilimanjaro can also be seen from the park. To the south the pare and usambara mountains form a dramatic backdrop and to the north, Kenya’s vast Tsavo National Park shares a border with Mkomazi, making common ground for migratory herds of elephant, oryx and zebra during the wet season. Together with Tsavo, it forms one of the largest and most important protected ecosystems on earth.
Mkomazi derives its name from Pare-ethnic language; “Mko and Mazi”. “Mko” means a traditional tiny wooden spoon used by the Pare people for eating and “Mazi” means water. This implies that the water in the Park is hardly enough to fill up the wooden spoon. It covers an area of 3,245sq km.
The climate in Mkomazi is usually dry and warm to hot. The warmest months are October to April and coldest months are May to September. It also experiences two wet seasons, the long rains which are from March to May and short rains are from Novermber to December. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 570 mm in the lowlands to 1,910 mm in the highlands.
The Park can be accessed by road or air.
The Park is 120km from Moshi. Same to the nearest entry gate is 6km on a graveled road. The Park is also easily accessible on special arrangement through Njiro, Kivingo and Umba gates
Chartered flights are available to Kisima airstrip in the center of the park near the rhino sanctuary
The animals of Mkomazi are typical of the arid area. Giraffe, oryx, generuk, hartebeest lesser kudu, eland, impala and grants gazelle share the park with elephants, buffalo and numerous predators including lions, leopards and cheetah.
Black Rhinos spend their days and nights grazing and only sleep during the hottest parts of the day. When they aren’t eating, they like a cooling mud soak.
Ride into Mkomazi to come and see these majestic and powerful creatures that conquered the world.
These long legged canines can only be seen in abundance when you visit Mkomazi. Their four toes per foot unlike other dogs make them unique. They live in packs therefore they are social animals and communicate by touch, actions and vocalizations.
A healthy population of 450 species are also found in the park and several species can be seen during a game drive. The most commonly seen species include go away birds, ostriches, long crested eagles and bustards. Doves, hornbills, weavers and guinea-fowl are all present in large numbers as well as such shrinking species as the martial eagle and violet wood-hoopoe.
There are several tourism activities inside and outside the Park.
This is a 2 night 3 day adventure using the mountain huts Miriakamba and Saddle huts. It has to be prearranged at the Momella Gate requiring porters and an armed Ranger escort. The hike traverses several vegetation zones including beautiful montane forests. Expect to see wildlife en route including buffalo, giraffe, monkeys, baboons, antelope and lots of birds.
This is the main tourism activities in the park where visitors visit different areas of attraction inside the Park using vehicles during the day.
In Mkomazi visitors have an opportunity to walk around the Park with an armed trained Park Ranger. Can do short walk around Dindira or Long walk starting from Zange area (Park’s Headquarters) to Babus area
The park has more than 450 bird species, including the migrants ones, birds of prey and water birds, hence makes this the best area for bird lover visitors to enjoy this activity within Park.
Mkomazi National Park has a good scenery full of natures beauty, and other attractions found in abundance, this makes it an ideal area for filming.
Nature walk can be done in Nilo and Amani Nature Reserves near Muheza town. Walking and Hiking in Chome Nature Forest Reserve in Same
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