Kitulo National Park

We Tanzanians refer to Kitulo as “Bustani ya Mungu” meaning “The Garden of God”…Botanists have dubbed it the Serengeti of Flowers, hosting one of the greatest floral spectacles of the world. It is a botanical paradise where 350 species of vascular plants, including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchid, display a breathtaking scale and diversity during the rainy season from late November to April. At an elevation of 8,500ft and located between the Kipengere, Poroto and Livingstone Mountains, it is situated at the nexus of one of the most important watersheds for the Great Ruaha River, Kitulo’s well-watered volcanic soils support the largest and most important montain grassland areas in Tanzania.

In addition to being a botanists and hiker’s dream site, Kitulo is also alluring to birdwatchers. It is home to Tanzania’s only population of the rare Denham’s bustard alongside a breeding colony of endangered blue swallow and mountain marsh widow, Kipengere seedeater and Njombe cisticola. Endemic species of chameleon, lizard, butterfly and frog are part of the biological wealth of Kitulo. It is well known for its stunning yellow-orange red-hot poker and a variety of aloes, proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies and aster daisies, of which more than 30 species are endemic to the region. Big game is sparsely represented, though a few hardy mountain reedbuck and eland still roam the open grassland.