Katavi

Katavi Region, established as a standalone administrative unit in 2012, wraps around one of Tanzania's most spectacular and least-visited protected areas. The region's centrepiece — Katavi National Park — sees fewer than 1,500 visitors annually despite harbouring one of Africa's highest concentrations of hippos, crocodiles, lions, and elephants. During the dry season, the Katuma River and Chada floodplains contract, forcing wildlife into tight congregations that create dramatic interactions rivalling anything on the Serengeti. The Piti Hot Springs bubble quietly on the park's edge, while the surrounding miombo woodland hides roan antelope, sable, and Defassa waterbuck in populations that larger parks have long since depleted.