Kitulo National Park ‘the Serengeti of Flowers’
Kitulo National Park is a protected montane grassland and montane forest on the Kitulo Plateau found in the southern highlands of Tanzania. Locals refer to Kitulo National Park as Bustani ya Mungu translated to The Garden of God, while visitors mostly refer to it as the Serengeti of Flowers. Kitulo National Park is a rare botanical marvel with well over 350 species of vascular plants including over 45 varieties of terrestrial orchids which erupt into beautiful riotous wildflower display of breath-taking beauty, especially in the months of late November to April.
Perched at an elevation of 2600 meters above sea level between the peaks of Kipengere and Portoto Mountains, Kitulo National Park covers an area of about 412.9 square kilometers. Kitulo National Park is located in the Mbeya region, and is regulated by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). Kitulo National Park is the very first park in Africa established solely for the protection of the flora there is in the park. Kitulo National Park was established in 2005, and has since welcomed a number of travellers who do visit to lose themselves to the sheer wild beauty of a variety of flowers, amazing scenic beauty and serenity. Kitulo National Park is indeed one of the world’s great floral spectacles.
Kitulo National Park is an eminently hike able park carpeted with wild flowers half of the year, especially in the months of November to April. There are over 350 species of wild flowers documented to exist in Kitulo National Park including lilies and large fields of daises.
Kitulo National Park has about 400 plant species most of them being wild flowers while others are attractive natural plants which undoubtedly attract visitors to immerse in the wild botanical beauty. Kitulo National Park offers visitors a rare and unusual Africa safari experience, away from the wild game drive safaris prominent in Africa but instead offer travellers with scenic sights and views of some of the vast and variety of wild flowers there are. Kitulo National Park offers amazing wild flower photographic safari experiences, away from the usual and traditional wildlife photographic holidays which most travellers visiting on Tanzania safaris do come for.
Endemic species of butterfly, chameleons, lizards and frogs together enhance the amazing beauty and variety of species to see in Kitulo National Park. Besides these, one of the attractions in Kitulo National park which travellers do appreciate is the various birds in Kitulo National Park; especially intercontinental migratory birds in certain periods of the year, say birds from Europe, Asia and more. Kitulo National Park is a resting ground for migrating storks while frying from Cape Town in South Africa to Northern Europe.
Some of the amazing bird species in Kitulo National Park that travellers can see include European White Storks among other Storks from Scandinavian countries which migrate via West Africa to brood in Kitulo Plateau.
