Proposed Kitulo
Plateau National Park
Kitulo National
Park covers 412.9 sq km (159 sq miles). Locals refer to the
Kitulo Plateau as Bustani ya Mungu - The Garden of God – while
botanists have dubbed it the Serengeti of Flowers, host to
‘one of the great floral spectacles of the world’. Kitulo is
indeed a rare botanical marvel, home to a full 350 species of
vascular plants, including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchid,
which erupt into a riotous wildflower display of breathtaking
scale and diversity during the main rainy season of late
November to April.
Perched at
around 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) between the rugged peaks of the
Kipengere, Poroto and Livingstone Mountains, the well-watered
volcanic soils of Kitulo support the largest and most
important Montane grassland community in Tanzania.
One of the most
important watersheds for the Great Ruaha River, Kitulo is well
known for its floral significance – not only a multitude of
orchids, but also the
stunning yellow-orange red-hot poker and
a variety of aloes, proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies
and aster daisies, of which more than 30 species are endemic
to
southern Tanzania. Big game is sparsely represented, though
a few hardy mountain reedbuck and eland still roam the open
grassland.
But Kitulo – a
botanist and hiker’s paradise - is also highly alluring to
birdwatchers. Tanzania’s only population of the rare Denham’s
bustard is resident, alongside a breeding colony of the
endangered blue swallow and such range-restricted species as
mountain marsh widow, Njombe Cisticolas and Kipengere
seedeater. Endemic species of butterfly, chameleon, lizard and
frog further enhance the biological wealth of God’s Garden.
Getting
there
Kitulo is accessible by road
from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. A fleet of Classic Tours &
Safaris 4x4 will take you to this
very flower park in Tanzania - 'Garden of God'. From Chimala,
78km east of Mbeya along the surfaced main road to Dar es
Salaam, head south along the rough but spectacular dirt road -
called Hamsini na Saba (57) after the number of hairpin bends
along its length - to the temporary park headquarters at Matamba situated approximately 100km (60 miles) from Mbeya
town from where it’s another hour’s drive to the plateau.
What to
do-Activities
Good hiking trails exist and will soon be developed into a
formal trail system. Open walking across the grasslands to
watch birds and wildflowers. Hill climbing on the
neighbouring ranges. A half-day hike from the park across the
Livingstone Mountains leads to the sumptuous Matema Beach on
Lake Nyasa.
When to
go
Wildflower displays peak between December and April.
The sunnier months of September to November are more
comfortable for hiking but less rewarding to botanists.
Conditions are cold and foggy from June to August.
For more details
contact us
