Southern Tanzania Budget Lodge Safari

Our 9-day Tanzania Lodge Safari explores the well-known conservation areas in the more remote south of Tanzania.

Visit unspoiled national parks like Mikumi, Udzungwa, Ruaha and the Selous Game Reserve game viewing in safari vehicles, on foot and by boat. In addition to the wildlife safari activities, there will be ample of time to meet the local Tanzanian people and get a lasting impression of African culture.

Due to the long driving distances in the southern part of Tanzania, this Southern Tanzania Budget Lodge Safari offers a combination of driving and flying between safari destinations. This gives you the opportunity to explore the entire south of Tanzania while reducing the travelling time.

A unique and unforgettable budget African Safari through Tanzania's southern parks!

Day 1 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

The Southern Tanzania Budget Lodge Safari starts with collection from your hotel in Dar es Salaam or at the airport on the morning of day one.

This Tanzanian Safari starts as soon as your luggage is loaded onto the safari vehicle. We travel straight to our first safari destination, Vuma Hills Tented Camp in Mikumi National Park driving on a good tar road for about 5 hours. Our first overnight stay will be at this well-located and excellently managed safari lodge in Mikumi. A hot lunch awaits you upon your arrival followed by an afternoon game drive in the national park.

Lunch; Dinner 

Day 2 Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

Mikumi National Park is the 3^rd biggest park in Tanzania covering an area of 3.230 km². The park consists largely of open areas ideal for photo safaris, especially the seemingly endless Mkata Plains in the northwest of the park which resemble the Serengeti plains.

Mikumi Park is well-known for its large buffalo and elephant herds with approximately 2000 wild animals. You have a good chance of spotting and photographing zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, reedbucks, hyenas, baboons, lions and many more in this wilderness area.

After a full day of game-viewing in the bush, you will return to Vuma Hills Tented Camp for a relaxing evening.

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 3 Mikumi National Park, Tanzania – Udzungwa National Park, Tanzania

Day three starts with an early breakfast, before driving to the Udzungwa Mountains, about 1 ½ hours away.

A local guide will meet you at the entrance of the Udzungwa  National Park and take you for a several hour long hike through the lush rainforest. This magnificent mountainous green area is home to several endemic plants and animals such as the Udzungwa red colobus or the sanje mangabey – one of the most endangered primates in Africa. One of the highlights of the forest walk is the 300 meter high Sanje waterfall.

In the evening, we drive back to Vuma Hills Tented Camp for another overnight stay at this comfortable safari lodge.

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 4 Ruaha Valley, Tanzania

After breakfast at Vuma Hills Tented camp we head south through Tanzania towards Iringa. Along the way we pass the scenic valley of the Great Ruaha River dotted with majestic Baobab trees. Our next safari destination is the Kisolanza Farm, 40km from Iringa.

The farm is owned by a family that has been growing vegetables, flowers and tobacco for more than 50 years. We arrive in the afternoon, allowing time to explore the farm and the surrounding area. In the evening we get to taste the fresh farm produce at dinner and spend our overnight in the rustic cottages on the farm.

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 5 Ruaha Valley, Tanzania – Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Today our Southern Tanzania Budget Lodge Safari takes us to Ruaha National Park. If you choose to your guide can stop at the local market in Iringa, the biggest city of the province with the same name.

Driving through some small rural villages we reach Tandala Lodge, your home away from home for the next 2 nights in Tanzania. In the afternoon we embark on a game drive in Ruaha National Park.

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 6 Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Ruaha National Park, covering 10 300km², is the most visited national park in the southern part of Tanzania. Thanks to the size of the park and the fact that the South of Tanzania is less visited than the northern parks, you will have plenty of space and hardly encounter any other safari vehicles on your game drives.

Ruaha National Park forms a border between Africa’s eastern and southern eco-systems and is home to a variety of wildlife. The game park is home to kudus, seldom found further north, and grant gazelles in their southernmost breeding area.

The Great Ruaha River is the main source of life flowing through the park, attracting huge numbers of crocodiles and hippos. During drier periods in Ruaha National Park more animals congregate along the river lifeline. In the dry season wildlife sightings include elephants (numbering around 10 000), buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, antelopes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, mongooses and many other wild animals.

After a busy and rewarding day on safari, we return to Tandala Lodge for a relaxing evening.    

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 7 Ruaha National Park, Tanzania – Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

In the morning, you will go with your local guide on a walking safari in the concession area around Tandala Lodge.

After lunch, you say goodbye to your safari guide and fly to Selous Game Reserve. At the small airstrip you will be collected by a driver from Selous Wilderness Camp.

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 8 Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Selous Game Reserve is the biggest wildlife conservation area in Africa and together with the bordering Mikumi and Udzungwa national parks forms an area as big as Switzerland!

The northern part of Selous Game Reserve features open vegetation allowing for great photo safaris where you can find Miombo trees, open grassland and savannah plains. The mighty Rufiji River meanders through the game reserve and during the dry season, this unique river attracts elephants, buffalos, giraffes, lions, wild dogs, wildebeests, zebras and different species of gazelles and antelopes.

From the luxurious safari camp, we explore this unspoiled wilderness area of Tanzania by safari vehicle and by boat on the Rufiji River.

Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 9 Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

After breakfast, there will be time for one last game drive on this Southern Tanzania Budget Lodge Safari. Then you will be dropped off at the airfield from where you take your flight to Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar.

Breakfast; Lunch

If you would like to spend a couple of relaxing days at the beaches on the south coast of Dar es Salaam or on Zanzibar, this can be easily arranged.

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