Locally referred to as The Garden of God, Kitulo National Park and its amazing floral display lives up to its name being one of the leading nature conservation parks in Africa, specializing in orchid holidays with fewer wildlife itineraries.
Covering an area of 412km² and rising to 2600m, Kitulo Plateau National Park is nestled between the rugged peaks of Kipengere, Poroto and Livingstone Mountains in Southern Tanzania. The park is known for a vast spectacle of wildflowers, birds, and harmonious grass-eating mammals dominating.
Host one of the greatest floral spectacles of the world with 350 species of Vascular plants. Including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchid! The park reaches its prime during the rainy season from about December until April, when it explodes in a profusion of colour, with orchids (over 40 species have been identified so far), irises, aloes, geraniums and many more flowers carpeting its grassy expanses. Rising up from the plateau is Mt Mtorwi (2961m), which is 1m higher than Mt Rungwe and southern Tanzania’s highest peak. The best months for seeing the flowers are December through March, which is also when hiking is at its muddiest. Orchids are at their peak in February.
Visitors can walk across the grasslands to watch birds and wildflowers. Hill climbing in mountain ranges is also offered. Hiking from the park across the Livingstone Mountains is another opportunity and will lead to the breathtaking Matema beach in Lake Nyasa.
