A World-Class Safari in Undiscovered National Parks
Southern Tanzania: Off the Beaten Path
Overview
Tanzania's true wild side is in its southern reaches, where legendary wildlife reserves like Ruaha National Park and the great Selous (now Nyerere National Park) stretch for thousands of square miles relatively undisturbed by human activity. Selous and Ruaha have been protected for more than a hundred years and they shelter globally important populations of wildlife: massive prides of lions (10 percent of Africa's lions reside here), plenty of crocodile, lion, leopard, cheetah, hippo, elephant, black rhino, buffalo, and more than 400 bird species. And southern Tanzania is absolutely the best place in Africa to watch packs of African wild dogs on the hunt. Yet these remote reserves see a fraction of the tourists that visit the northern parks!
With our long-time Tanzania safari leader Goodluck Urassa, we'll set off for exciting game drives, off-road tracking, bush walks, river safaris, and even a rainforest hike. Urassa is known for his keen spotter's eye and extensive knowledge of African wildlife, and he'll be joined by local guides at all our camps. We'll explore Nyerere National Park, Tanzania's second largest wildlife sanctuary, watered by the photogenic Rufiji River, Mikumi National Park, with its plains game and African hunting dogs, and the immaculate rainforest of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, home to a wide array of endemic birds and plants—and even two endemic species of primates! Our grand finale finds us in immense Ruaha National Park, Tanzania's best kept secret, with 7,800 square miles of wildlife-rich wilderness spanning both the eastern and southern African biomes. There are but a handful of safari camps in this vast region, and we've chosen the most comfortable and best located ones, where we'll enjoy a warm welcome. Join us for an unforgettable off-the-beaten-path safari!
Arrive: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Depart: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Highlights
- Safari in the less-traveled wildlife reserves of southern Tanzania, with fantastic elephant herds, plenty of lion prides, leopard, hyena, hippo and huge Nile crocs
- Discover Ruaha National Park, Tanzania's best-kept secret, a kingdom of predators and home to 12,000 elephants
- Explore Nyerere National Park (“the Selous”), an oasis for wildlife and the best place in Africa to spot endangered African wild dogs
- Hike in the Udzungwa Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot of virgin forest full of primates and birdlife
- Enjoy 4WD exploration, walking safaris, river safaris, and a rainforest hike
- Stay in remote safari camps where you'll see abundant game and few other safari-goers
Itinerary
A quick morning flight from Dar brings us to Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve), the largest wildlife preserve on the continent and home to Africa’s largest populations of lion and African wild dog. On game drives and boat safaris, we should see leopard, buffalo, elephant, spotted hyena, hippo, and marvelous birdlife including the Goliath heron and African spoonbill. From our lovely camp, we can watch elephants wandering by and fall asleep to a chorus of hippos.
A private charter flight brings us to Udzungwa, a forest-cloaked wonderland and one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, hosting Tanzania's widest selection of small primates—including the endangered and endemic Sanje crested mangabey—and an array of amazing birdlife. We'll enjoy a hike beneath the forest canopy, a leisurely canoe ride in the Kilombero basin, one of East Africa's largest seasonal wetlands, and a visit to a local village.
Mikumi borders Selous Game Reserve, and together, they share a vast ecosystem of open savanna, dense forests, and water holes that attract game. The centerpiece of Mikumi is the Mkata Floodplain, which draws frequent comparison with the Serengeti Plains—but with a fraction of the visitors! Lions rule this grassy kingdom and stalk the wildebeest, impala, zebra, and buffalo herds that migrate across it.
At over 7,800 square miles, Ruaha is a rugged, baobab-studded thirstland notable for its high predator densities, plus the largest elephant and giraffe population of any African reserve—and yet it's blissfully off the beaten path. On our game drives, we'll see lion, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and less common animals like kudu and sable antelope. On foot, we'll discover the smaller inhabitants of the bush, and a night drive brings us into the nocturnal world of bush babies and hyenas. Depart via Dar es Salaam on Day 12.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 2+, Easy to Moderate, according to our trip grading system. It is a game viewing safari by 4WD vehicle with hikes and walks that can be enjoyed by anyone in reasonably good health who has recent hiking experience.
Review Trip Level Details
The game-tracking walks are accompanied by a professional tracker and are conducted at a pace that allows an intimate exploration of the African bush.
The longer optional mountain hike on Day 8 follows a track through montane forest, but our group will likely leave the trail for periods of time to track the mangabey monkeys. This hike can be steep, slippery, and have loose footing at times, and therefore it is only recommended for travelers in good physical conditioning and with confidence in their stability on rough trails. The shorter option follows a more established trail and can be taken at a slower pace.
December to March is East Africa's "summer" with daytime temperatures from 80-90°F and evenings from 50-60°F. June, July, and August are the coolest months, with lows around 40°F and highs of 70-80°F. September, October, and November are warmer, with lows around 65° and highs of 75-85°F. Scattered rains occur in November and early December, which help to lay the dust.
Our safari camps, while not deluxe, are very comfortable, with private en suite facilities, a peaceful setting, and a high level of service. We choose them for their excellent locations near the best wildlife viewing.
Our game drives and road travel throughout the safari will be in 6-passenger Land Rovers with a guaranteed window seat for all. We carry water and snacks in the vehicles. There is one very long, challenging driving day (Day 5) over rough roads and rugged dirt tracks, but we will break the drive up with rest stops and a picnic or restaurant lunch along the way.
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Book your trip today
Our Area Specialists know every detail about our tours. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!
Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.
