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 called Nyerere National Park) stretch for thousands of square miles relatively undisturbed by human activity—and these world-class reserves host just a fraction of the travelers who visit the northern parks! We’ll set off for exciting game drives, off-road tracking, bush walks, river safaris, and even a rainforest hike, plus explorations in Mikumi National Park, with its plains game and wild dogs, and the remote rainforest of Udzungwa Mountains National Park, home to endemic birds and plants as well as two endemic species of primates. Our comfortable and well-located safari camps extend a warm welcome.
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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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.
