A World-Class Safari in Undiscovered National Parks
Southern Tanzania: Off the Beaten Path
Overview
The truly wild side of Tanzania is in its remote southern reaches in legendary wildlife reserves including Ruaha National Park and the great Selous (now called Nyerere National Park). These reserves stretch for thousands of square miles, are relatively undisturbed by human activity, and host 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 lush ecosystem of Udzungwa Mountains National Park. 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, leopards, hyenas, hippos, 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
Itinerary
We fly to Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve), home to Africa’s largest populations of lion and African wild dog. On game drives and boat safaris, we should see leopards, buffalos, elephants, spotted hyenas, hippos, and marvelous birdlife including the Goliath heron and African spoonbill.
Udzungwa hosts Tanzania’s widest selection of small primates and an array of amazing birdlife. Here we hike beneath the forest canopy and canoe along the Kilombero basin, one of East Africa’s largest seasonal wetlands.
Mikumi borders Nyerere National Park, and together, they share a vast ecosystem. The centerpiece 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 here.
At over 7,800 square miles, Ruaha is a baobab-studded thirstland notable for its predators and the largest elephant and giraffe population of any African reserve—and it’s blissfully off the beaten path. We’ll explore on game drives, walking safaris, and a night drive 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.
Client Testimonials
"Loved the trip. It was truly off the beaten path, which is what we enjoyed. We found the area lovely and the people hospitable."
Ellen M.
Santa Fe, NM
"What a wonderful first-time safari! Besides seeing beautiful birds, animals, and vistas, one got the feel for Africa. It is a nation that welcomes you with a smile and a song."
Linda V.
Cinnaminson,New Jersey
"I liked that we went to four national parks and that they were all so different. Udzungwa was 100% different from the other parks, but really cool to get to experience - and the hike to the waterfall was amazing."
Meeghn H.
Granite Bay, CA
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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.