Udzungwa Mountains National Park

The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, the arc which begins in Taita Hills in Kenya

The national park covers an area of 1990km², and rises from 250 mtrs to 2576 mtrs above sea level, Lohomer being the highest peak.

It has a wet humid climate providing water for Kilombero valley. Rainfall in the southeast of the mountains amounts to 2000 mm per year and on the Northwest rain shadow area it decreases to 600 mm. Temperatures range from 21-27 centigrade on average.

There are hundreds of different species of trees, shrubs, climbers and herbs of which 50 are restricted to the area. 200 species of plant have medicinal properties. The Iringa Red Colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Birdwatchers are attracted to the park where the forest has a rich bird habitat with more than 250 different species. The most popular walk is the Sanje Waterfalls trail, to the stunning 170m waterfall, which takes about four hours to complete

The national park mainly appeals to those who enjoy hiking, trekking, cycling and being close to nature, rather than those who are looking for typical wildlife safari.

The park is often included as part of a visit to Tanzania's southern parks such as Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park and Selous Game Reserve.

The dry season, June to October, is the best time to visit Udzungwa Mountains National Park

[[ttop(1355,1356,2088,2225,2063)(Safaris to Udzungwa Mountains National Park)()]]