If you want to go off the beaten track and explore ‘real’ Tanzania then this day excursion is perfect for you. The Park offers a real wilderness away from the crowds of tourists. The park is located 190 kilometers from Arusha and about a 3 hours drive from Moshi (120 km).

Mkomazi National Park is a magnificent, 3.245 square kilometer national park in the northern part of Tanzania, between Moshi and Tanga. The name was derived from Pare tribe’s word for “scoop of water” meaning little water as the area is too dry, especially during the dry season.

The park finds itself in a beautiful setting with both the Pare and Usambara mountains towering above its boundaries. Depending on the weather, Mt. Kilimanjaro can be seen from the park.

The main source of water in Mkomazi comes from the Umba River in the southeast. As the park receives very little rain all year game drives along the river offer excellent wildlife sightings. Mkomazi wildlife includes African wild dogs, black rhinos that live in a private sanctuary, Oryx, gerenuk, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackal, elephant, buffalo, hartebeest, giraffe, warthog, and crocodiles.

There are 450 species of birds found in the park including go-away birds, ostriches, eagles, hoopoes, bustards, kingfishes, flamingos, cormorants, plovers, and ducks. The vegetation resembles that of a dry, desert-like landscape. Due to the climate, the vegetation primarily consists of acacia  woodlands, and towards the western mountains the vegetation changes to a dry land forest.