Nyerere National park gates

Nyerere National park gates

Nyerere National park gates  : Nyerere national park is a true massive African paradise with undistributed ecology, this part is considered to be the most remote national park in Kenya and love for its pristine and unspoilt ecosystem.

Nyerere national park was recently formed in 2019 which was a result of taking over the northern part of the famous Selous Game Reserve in the Southern region of Tanzania.

Nyerere national park is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in Africa covering an area of 30,893 square kilometers which is inhabited by the great River Rufji. The park is a home to adverse animal species including elephants, cape buffaloes, lions, hippos, leopards, wild dogs, zebras, the magnificent sable antelopes, giraffes, hyenas, wildebeest, gazelles and 400 birds like African fish eagle, Malachite Kingfisher, African skimmer, Bohm’s Bee-eater among others.

During a Tanzania safari to Nyerere national park, it is important to use the correct gate as it will save you hours of additional driving. Below are the lists of the main gates at Nyerere national park together with basic information regarding lodges and camps which are closet to the various access points.

Nyerere National park gates  are well distributed at most convenient and popular places that lead to the park, if you are travelling to Nyerere national park by road, you can access the park on its 2 main gates that are Mtemere Gate and Matambwe Gate.

Mtemere Gate

Mtemere Gate of Nyerere national park is located on the eastern border of the park, this gate is the main gate and most preferred entry and exit gate to Nyerere national park because it is on the main road from Kibiti Town.

Also because, the best lodging options in Nyerere national park are situated near Mtemere gate. These lodges include

• Rufiji River Camp
• Selous Impala Camp
• Sand Rivers
• Serena Mivumo River Lodge
• Siwandu Camp
• Roho ya Selous Camp
• Lake Manze Camp.

Matambwe Gate

Matambwe Gate is the second gate at Nyerere national park located on the northwestern corner of Selous Game Reserve, just next to Matambwe airstrip and Fuga Railway Station. This gate is also situated close to Kisaki – a small town with various amenities and some of the best lodges in Nyerere national park. These include

• Sable Mountain Lodge
• Beho beho Camp
• The Retreat Camp
• Azura Selous Camp
• Steigler’s Gorge Camp.

Entry and exit timing in Nyerere national park

• The entry timing is 6.00 am
• The exit timing is 6.00 pm

Note: it may be possible to enter and exit beyond the above timings in exceptional cases as long as you get a permission from the park’s warden. For example in case of a vehicle break down or may be adverse weather causing road closures.

How to get to Nyerere national park

Nyerere national park is located in the Southern Tanzania, in the northern part of Selous Game reserve and approximately 230 kilometers to the nearest entry point of the park from Dar es Salaam.

Nyerere National Park can be accessed by road and air means of transport.

By road – it is a drive of approximately 6 hours to Mtemere and Matembwe gates of Nyerere national park. From Dar es Salaam there is a direct route covering a distance of 240 kilometers, this route follows the eastern road and takes you through Kibati and Mloka to Mtemere gate which you will use to access the park

Approximate driving hours to Nyerere national park’s gates

• From Dar es Salaam to Nyerere national park, it is a drive of approximately 5-5.5 hours using Matemere Gate.
• From Dar es Salaam to Matembwe Gate is a drive of approximately 6-7 hours.

By air – Nyerere national park is served by a number of several airstrips which facilitate domestic flights from Arusha Airport, airstrips serving Nyerere national park include Mtemere Airstrip, Sumbazi Airstrip, Siwandu airstrip, Beho Beho Airstrip, Matambwe Airstrip and Kiba Airstrip.

Domestic flights to Nyerere national park are operated by several local flight companies including Regional Air, Coastal Aviation, Safari Air Link and Auric Air.

Best time to visit Nyerere national park

Nyerere national park can be visited all year round, however the best time of the year to visit the park is during the dry season that is from July through October. What makes this season to be the best time to visit the park is because sees the great concentration of game around the park as wildlife normally congregates around watering holes and lake to drink water.

Also visiting Nyerere national park in the wet season offers good views of animals, it is also a lovely time of the year as it is a green season with lush and green around the park. February which is one of the wet months is a great time of the year to see newly born animals and is also the best time for birding.