Udzungwa Mountains Np

Overview

This mountain range from south to central Tanzania. The biodiversity of this park is by far one of Tanzania’s most special features making it ab intriguingly offbeat destination for anyone botanically inclined. Habitats include mountain forests, tropical rainforests, Miombo woodlands, grasslands, and steppe.

The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains which are found in Kenya and Tanzania and were formed some 200 million years ago. Today they hold a unique collection of flora and fauna and cover only 2% of Tanzania’s area but hold between 30-40% of the country's plant and mammal species. 

The vertical height of the Udzungwa forests ranges from 250 m to 2,576 m and with numerous forest trails, offering different kinds of activities, the park is a true hikers' paradise. A half-day tour to Sanje waterfall at a towering 170 m is definitely worth doing. 

The park is also home to 6 species of primates, 2 of which (Iringa red colobus and the Sanje crested Mangabey) occur nowhere else in the world. 
Bird watchers are also in for a treat as the park boasts with over 400 species of birds. Some of them are endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains and four of them are found only in Udzungwa. Other common birds include ruppells vultures, marabous, crowned eagles, malachite kingfishers, woodland kingfishers, silvery-cheeked hornbills, and trumpeter hornbills.