NEED TO KNOW
LOCATION Saadani is on the north coast of Tanzania, 96 miles (155 km) north of Dar es Salaam
BEACH FRONTAGE About 22 miles (35 km)
KEY WILDLIFE Elephants, hippos, crocodiles, marine turtles, dolphins
ACTIVITIES Swimming, boat safari, game drives, nature trails, bird-watching
Long, lush, and serviced by just two small and exclusive tented camps, the seafront of Saadani National Park boasts dozens of beautiful beaches and is a great spot for swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing.
There really is no better destination for discerning travelers looking for a true African beach wilderness – a stunning palm-lined beach where you have a good chance of encountering creatures as diverse as eagles and giant turtles, lions and dolphins, seagulls and hippos, and giraffes and jellyfish.
What makes Saadani – which bills itself as “where the beach meets the bush” – even more special is that it is one of the only places on the planet where snoozing sunbathers might conceivably be interrupted by a beachcombing elephant.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Getting There Most visitors fly here either from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar.
The park can be approached by rough roads from Tanga via Pangani or from Dar es Salaam via Chalinze. Activities in the park are organized by the camps.
When to Go Visit Saadani at any time of year, though the rainy season, which runs from March to May, is best avoided.