Roam Saadani National Park's Spectacular Plains And Beaches

With sun-kissed plains, evergreen jungles and an idyllic coastline absent from tourists, Saadani is a unique East African experience. When mapping out a ‘bush meets beach’ safari adventure, this national park should be top of your list.

The park itself may be big at 1,100 square kilometres, but it is undoubtedly Tanzania’s best kept secret when it comes to game viewing amongst shifting landscapes. Located a short 30-minute flight from either Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar, Saadani is one of the country’s most beautiful national parks and is the only national park in East Africa hugging the Indian Ocean coastline. If you have a keen eye, you can even spot Zanzibar from afar.

Maasai guide leading the way along the Saadani Coast

Due to the high numbers of tourists drawn to Tanzania’s other attractions, such as the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, Saadani has remained largely unknown and this has allowed the park to thrive. Its advantageous setting offers a winning combination of both marine and mainland flora and fauna. Around 30 species of mammals are present as well as various reptiles, including alligators. Bird lovers rejoice – the sky is just as colourful with the goliath heron, African fish eagle and kingfisher, being common sightings. Numerous large fish species, humpback whales, green turtles and dolphins can also be sighted off the coast.

Getting up close to an elephant on safari is a common sight

Saadani’s varied scenery makes for unique wildlife encounters, with the sight of an elephant strolling along the beach not as outlandish or absurd a sighting as it sounds. Expect to also see a great number of elephants, especially in and around the aptly named Elephant Island (a private conservancy).

With limited accommodation available within the park, Simply Saadani Camp is an excellent choice to make the most of your holiday. Choose one of the stilted beachfront wooden cabins to provide an incredible experience to savour and feel the sand between your toes. You can also or venture further into the jungle (an option for only for the bravest of guests).

Get your feet dirty by hopping off the jeep and onto No Man’s Land where you can walk in the footsteps of Africa’s famed wildlife. This can be done around the Simply Saadani Camp or on Elephant Island. With a myriad of footprints almost fossilised in the salt flats, it makes for an eerie encounter – especially when following fresh lion paw prints. Stepping side by side along a pride’s journey across Saadani’s plains can really put it into perspective who rules the land. For those game enough, it is even possible to arrange a candlelit dinner under the stars along the plains – just make sure you’re not the main course.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.