analysis
Saadani is the
closest national park to both Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. A four-hour
drive from Dar es Salaam or 15 minute flight to Zanzibar makes this the
most accessible wildlife park to both places.
However Saadani is
not just a wildlife park - as Tanzania's only coastal wildlife reserve
this truly is where the bush meets a very deserted beach.
Saadani is one of
Tanzania's newest National Parks, after several years of heavy
petitioning the Park was finally upgraded from Game Reserve status in
2005.
The benefits of
this upgrade are now coming to fruition after many years of
indiscriminate poaching, lack of infrastructure development and basic
neglect the change is very visible.
I first visited
Saadani in the year 2000 when access to the park was an adventure, game
was scarce, roads were terrible, the village was screaming for help and
heavy trucks ploughed a weary path through the Reserve to and from the
salt works near the Wami river.
The potential as a
tourist destination was obvious to see but the whole area was a victim
of neglect and mismanagement. Largely through the persistence of the
private enterprise of A Tent with a View Safaris and later Saadani
Safari Lodge the Game Reserve became a National Park, TANAPA now manage
the Park and change is very visible.
The road to Saadani
from the main Dar-Arusha highway is now good and a new gate and Parks
office have been built to welcome guests into the Park. Inside the Park
roads are maintained, a causeway has been built over floodplains and
game drive routes are clearly signposted - a very far cry from the old
days when the lodges almost single handedly maintained the game drive
routes.
Park literature is
available from the headquarters and the village has benefited through
the proceeds from guests at the safari lodges with a new borehole and
wind generators.
The beaches are
clean and new initiatives have been made by the lodges to maximize the
Saadani experience by including snorkeling trips to the reefs at Madete.
Turtle conservation
projects have been introduced by the lodges working closely with the
local communities and organizations such as Sea Sense and WWF.
There are well
preserved swathes of some of Africa's oldest coastal forests in Saadani
and the Zaraninge forest is especially important in botanical terms and
in an area where deforestation is an issue the conservation of this
forest is imperative.
Offshore trawlers
still utilize illegal fishing procedures and the evidence of this
becomes apparent when turtles and larger pelagics are washed up onshore,
and the salt works near the Wami still leave an ugly scar that seems to
be in direct conflict with environmental conservation but these are
issues that cannot be resolved purely by TANAPA and external political
pressure is required to confront the problems.
So, how does
Saadani live up to its billing as a coastal wildlife reserve? Part of
the attraction is the variety of safari options available with game
drives, walking safaris and a great boat safari on the Wami river
providing a diverse range of environments and wildlife and birdlife
species.
The game drive
routes are not as extensive as in the larger parks and you should not go
expecting the large herds of Selous or Serengeti.
However for those
that appreciate the bush there are a diverse range of antelope -
reedbuck are prolific, Liechtenstein's hartebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck,
duikers, wildebeest and eland are commonly seen as well as giraffe,
zebra, warthog, healthy populations of buffalo and primates.
Lions are becoming
more visible and contrary to several tour operators imaginations
elephant are not seen on the beach but early morning sightings are
becoming more frequent particularly in the northern areas of the park.
Saadani is a good
choice for families with young children as a morning or afternoon game
drive should produce most of the above species without spending hours
driving around, and then there is the beach for children to play safely
on - a good compromise.
Seasons do play a
big part in the volume of animals to be seen in the Park - when the
waterholes are full game viewing is much more productive, in the dry
season game does tend to disperse in search of water but TANAPA are
apparently looking at ways to keep the waterholes full in times of
drought.
While walking
safaris may not provide too much direct game viewing the scenery in
Saadani is beautiful, birdlife is abundant and it is a good way to
appreciate the environment from a different angle.
At the southern end
of the Park the Wami River offers one of the most productive boat
safaris in the Tanzanian portfolio. Large pods of hippo, sun baking
crocodiles and an incredible array of birdlife make this an exciting and
informative safari option.
Flocks of
flamingoes are also often seen around the salt works en route to the
Wami. Both lodges and the public Campsite at Saadani have direct beach
access.
While the beaches
may not be the white sands of Zanzibar and the water not aquamarine
blue, the benefits of miles and miles of deserted beach, safe swimming,
no jet skis or waterskiing and no hassle from beach boys make the
Saadani coastline very attractive.
The northern
coastline is picture postcard coconut palms fronting an empty beach
whilst the southern coastline is more open with the bush literally
meeting the beach and baboons and vervet monkeys frolicking in the sand.
The Saadani coast
is tidal and the tide goes out a long way at low tide revealing rock
pools. The opportunity to walk for miles along deserted beaches does not
present itself very often and is part of the allure of Saadani.
There is a public
Campsite near Saadani village with a lovely location right on the beach.
Located next to the Park guesthouse there are toilet and shower
facilities but the main downside is not many shaded areas and
particularly curious baboons and vervets.
The plus side is
you will usually have the Campsite to yourself except for the primate
company. A Tent with a View Safari Lodge is located on the northern
coast just outside the Madete gate near Mkwaja.
Benefits of this
are that you can plan safari activities so you only pay park fees on
days spent on safari inside the Park and can relax on the coconut palm
fringed beach on other days without paying a park fee.
0 comments:
Post a Comment