Saadani National Park

Coastal Tanzania, Tanzania

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Saadani National Park along coastal Tanzania spans 1,062 square kilometers and stands as the country's only coastal national park, officially gazetted in 2005 from a former game reserve, uniquely blending sandy Indian Ocean beaches, mangrove forests, the Wami River estuary, and inland savannas where elephants roam shores and lions hunt nearby.

This rare fusion of marine and terrestrial habitats protects green sea turtle nesting sites, coral reefs teeming with fish, and diverse wildlife including hippos, crocodiles, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and over 350 bird species like mangrove kingfishers.

Accessible from Dar es Salaam, it offers beach walks interrupted by wildlife, boat safaris on the Wami River, game drives, and guided hikes in a serene, less-visited gem preserving East Africa's coastal bush heritage.​