 Mikumi is Tanzania's third largest national park and the most accessible from Dar es Salaam. It's an ideal place for those who do not have a lot of time, but want to see a large variety of wildlife. Within its 3230km2 set between the Uluguru Mountains to the north and the Lumango mountains to the south-east. Mikumi hosts populations of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lion, zebra, leopard, crocodile and many others. It is likely that you'll see at least some of these within just a short time of entering the park. Although Mikumi receives comparatively few visitors, those who do come rarely leave disappointed. In the section of the park to the west of the main road, there is a hippo pool which provides an excellent opportunity to watch the animals at close range. This is also a good place for observing varied water birds.
Mikumi is a significant educational and research centre. Among the various projects being carried out is an ongoing field study of yellow baboons, which are numerous here. It's one of just a handful of such long-term primate studies on the continent.
To the west of Mikumi, around Mbuyuni, is an enormous and striking collection of baobab trees stretching along the side of the main road.
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