Kitulo National Park

Nicknamed Serengeti of Flowers, Kitulo National Park is the first National Park in tropical Africa to be established primarily for its floristic importance.

Host one of the greatest floral spectacles of the world with 350 species of Vascular plants. Including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchid!

Visitors can walk across the grasslands to watch birds and wildflowers. Hill climbing in mountain ranges is also offered. Hiking from the park across the Livingstone Mountains is another opportunity and will lead to breathtaking Matema beach in lake Nyasa

Indeed, it is a rare botanical marvel, home to a newly discovered monkey species as well as which erupt into a riotous wild flowered display of breathtaking scale and the diversity during the main rain season.

Kitulo supports the largest and most important montane grassland community in Tanzania.

But Kitulo, a botanist and Hiker’s paradise, also is highly attractive to bird watchers. Tanzania’s only population of Denham’s Bustard is a resident, alongside blue swallow and such range-restricted species as mountain marsh widow, Njombe Cisticola and Kipengere seedeater.

Tourists can hike in the specially developed trail system. These include open walking across the grasslands to watch birds and wildflowers and hill climbing on the neighbouring ranges.

A half-day hike from the park across the Livingstone Mountains leads to the scenic Matema beach on Lake Nyasa.

The Highland Mangabey, famously known as Kipunji is the first new monkey species discovered in Africa in 20 years

Climate

The climate is influenced by altitude, Lake Nyasa and is largely temperate. The maximum daily temperature varies from 14.5°c to 18°c and minimum ambient temperature ranges from 7°c to 8°c between December and April, and can go as low as 0.5˚c during June to August ,during this period frost occurs.

The average annual rainfall is 1600mm ranging from 1500 – 1700mm. The rain season begins from October to May.

How to get there

The park can be accessed from Mbeya town, which is about 110 Km away via Chimala road and 70 Km via Isyonje road. It is about 90 Km from Songwe Airport. The park can only be reached by road.

• By Air: Through Songwe Airport; 90 kms via Isyonje and 125 via Chimala small town to Kitulo. Songwe airport is an airport in the southern highlands region of Tanzania serving the city of Mbeya and the nearby regions. It is able to accommodate commercial jet traffic. The services of domestic flights are provided by Air Tanzania, Precision air, Fast jet and Tropical air.
• By Road: Mbeya city-Isyonje- Kitulo is 70 kms: Mbeya city-Chimala-Kitulo is 103 kms: Njombe town-Ikonda-makete-Kitulo 165 kms.
• By Railway: Through railway transport Tanzania-Zambia (TAZARA), Iyunga and Makambako stations.