Kitulo Safari Park
Kitulo National park
The indeginous people know kitulo plateau as bustani ya mungu, meaning the garden of God. Whereas botanists have named it the Serengeti of flowers host to one of the great floral spectacles of the world. And infact Kitulo is not a common botanical wonder, inhabits a full 350 species of vascular plants, involving 45 types of terrestrial archid, which erupt into a riotous wild flower display of extraordinary scale and diversity clearing the main rainy season of late November to April.
Preched at about 2, 600 metres (8,500 feet) between the rugged summits of the kipengere, porato and living stone mountains, the properly-watered volcanic soils of Kitule give support to the huge and most useful montane grassland community in Tanzania.
One of the most useful watershed for the great Kuala river, Kitule is famous for its floral importance not only a multitude of archids, but also the stunning yellow-orange red-hot poker and a number of acoes, proteas, geranicems, giant lobelias lilies and aster daisies, of which over 30 species are endemic to southern Tanzania.
Big game is represented sparsely, though a few hardy mountain reedbuck and eland still move around the open grassland.
But Kitulo, a botanist and hiker’s paradise is also highly attractive to birdwatchers. Tanzania’s only population of the scarce Denhamis bustard is resident, together wilth a breeding colony of the endangered blue swallow and such range-restricted species of mountain marsh widow. Njombe cisticaloa and kipengere seedeater. Endemic species of butterfly, chameleon, lizard and from further increase the biological wealth of God’s garden.
About the proposed Kitulo plateau National park.
The size is 412.9 square kilometers or 159 square miles.
It is located in southern Tanzania.
The temporary headquarters of the part at matamba are found about 100 kilometres or 60 miles form Mbeya town.
How to get there.
8 only.
From climala, 78 kilometres east of Mbeya on the surface highway to Dar-es-salaam, go south along the rough but spectacular dirt road, known as Hamsini na saba (57) after the number of hairpin tends along its lengths, to the temporary headquarters at Matamba, from where you drive another hour up to the plateau.
Basic and irregular transport is presents.
What to do
Nice hiking tracks are present and will eventually be modified into a formal trail system.
Open walking across the grasslands to look at birds and wildflowers.
There is climbing at the hil on the nearby ranges. A half day walk from the part passed the livingstone mountains heads to the splendid looking matema teach on lake Nyara.
When to go
Wild flower shows summit between December and april September to November which are the sunnier months are more convenient for walking but no so profitable to botanists.
From June to August the weather is cold and foggy.
Accommodation.
Mbeya is serviced by everything from luxury hotels to simple guest houses, while two simple guesthouses are also present in Matambo. In the past, there exists no accommodation as yet, but very basic accommodation and meals are present at the near Kitulo farm.
Three special camp sites are planned in the park, catering for well equipped camps.
Two average priced church-run hostels are found in Matema beach.
Tanzania Guide
