Combine two of Southern Tanzania's best national parks on this unique and budget-friendly, fly-in Private Tanzania Safari.
In just eight days, fly from Dar es Salaam to the vast Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous) then the secluded Ruaha National Park, and back to Dar es Salaam. You will visit truly remote areas to experience crowd-free wildlife encounters. At Nyerere National Park, one of Africa's largest parks, you will embark on game-viewing adventures in search of endangered wild dogs, vast herds of wildebeest, and an impressive abundance of other wildlife. Remote Ruaha National Park is a predator hotspot boasting an abundance of big cats, along with an exceptional diversity of other wild animals and birds in an unusual mix of habitats.
Travel in a small group staying at comfortable tented camps while you explore Southern Tanzania's hidden gems at an excellent price.
Welcome to East Africa's ultimate safari destination, Tanzania! On day one of our Private Tanzania Safari you fly from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's capital, to the wild Nyerere National Park (former Selous Game Reserve). Touching down at the airstrip, your guide will be there to collect you and transfer you to our first camp in an open-sided 4x4 safari vehicle.
Your tented camp sits on the banks of the great Rufiji River close to the borders of Nyerere National Park. After arriving at the camp your guide will brief you on the safari adventures ahead followed by lunch. In the afternoon enjoy a shared game activity (boat, walk, or game drive) for the first taste of the abundance of wildlife in this area of Southern Tanzania. After dinner, relax around the campfire enjoying the view of the Rufiji River. Sunsets from here are particularly spectacular!
The next two days are spent exploring Nyerere National Park, with your option of game viewing activity - either 4x4 game drive, boat safari, or walking safari.
Covering an area 3 times the size of the famous Serengeti National Park, Nyerere National Park is one the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. It was created relatively recently in 2019 with the upgrade of the north portion of the renowned Selous Game Reserve into a National Park. The Park is more remote and pristine than Tanzania’s more famous and crowded parks to the north, which allows for some spectacular game viewing opportunities and the chance to take your wildlife photos without the intrusion of many more safari vehicles crowding in on the shot.
Nyerere National Park is noted for its high plant and wildlife diversity. On our game drives, we get to experience diverse habitats, from grassland plains and wetlands to woodlands and riverine forests. We stop to watch animals and birds, take photos, and have picnic lunches at scenic spots overlooking the lakes.
What animals will we see in Nyerere? Common wildlife sightings from the Big 5, particularly wildebeest and lions, along with hippos and plenty of plains game such as zebras, giraffes, and a variety of antelopes. Elephants are commonly sighted, leopards are occasionally seen but rhinos are only found in the southern part of Nyerere. This is also one of few Parks left in Africa with a sizable population of wild African Hunting Dogs which face extinction elsewhere. There are plenty of crocodiles and spotted hyenas so chances of spotting these carnivores are high. Antelope species include sable, puku, greater kudu, eland, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, bushbuck, duiker, klipspringer, oryx, waterbuck, and an abundance of impalas.
At the end of our exciting days of game viewing in Nyerere, we return to the lodge for a refreshing dip in the pool and sundowners on the beautiful stone deck area overlooking the Rufiji River.
This morning we return to the airstrip near Nyerere National Park and catch a flight directly to Ruaha National Park. Landing at Ruaha you are collected from the airstrip and transferred to our next camp. Upon arrival, your guide provides a short brief on what to expect, followed by a tasty lunch.
In the afternoon you embark on your first open 4x4 game drive in the wild Ruaha National Park. This lesser-known safari destination is considered one of East Africa's hidden gems, hosting diverse wildlife, birds, and flora. It offers a far more authentic safari experience than the more crowded famous parks of northern Tanzania. In Ruaha, we are almost sure to encounter elephants, buffalos and lions (three of Africa's Big 5), and possibly leopards too. Other commonly sighted animals in Ruaha include wildebeest, giraffes, hippos, and antelopes of various kinds.
The next few days of our Private Tanzania Safari are dedicated to wildlife viewing in Ruaha, Tanzania's best-kept safari secret. The game viewing program is flexible allowing you to choose the timing and type of safari activities that suit you best. Pick between full-day or half-day game drives (included in the cost) and picnic lunches in the bush or hot lunches back at camp. Optional activities available at an extra cost include walking safaris in Ruaha, night game drives, and even hot-air balloon safaris!
The Ruaha National Park is known for its large elephant and buffalo populations as well as the exceptionally high number of predators found here. Lions are especially abundant in Ruaha, home to about 10% of the world's total lion population. This is also a stronghold for endangered African wild dogs, as well as hosting impressive cheetah populations and numerous leopards.
Ruaha is situated in a transitional zone where eastern and southern ecosystems overlap resulting in an unusual mix of habitats and accompanying inhabitants, hence its remarkable diversity of plants, animals, and birds. It is one of the few parks where both greater and lesser kudu can be found, as well as rare sable and roan antelopes. Ruaha also offers outstanding bird-watching opportunities given the diversity and abundance of species. Over 580 bird species have been recorded, rare and endangered species included.
Wake up in the heart of the untamed African bush one last time and tuck into a hearty breakfast. Then, we set off on our final game drive in Ruaha as we exit the park and return to the airstrip. Leaving Ruaha we fly back to Dar es Salaam where our Private Tanzania Safari adventure comes to a close.
If the preferred accommodation listed on this itinerary is not available, similar accommodation of the same quality is used, and we'll let you know.
This Private Tanzania Safari can be customized to suit your needs and preferences. Our travel experts can tailor this safari for you by changing the accommodation and adding destinations, extra days, activities, and more. To customize, contact us.
You can add a beach holiday to Mafia Island and/or Zanzibar to this private Tanzania Safari at an additional cost. Contact us for details about these optional Tanzania beach trips.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does take children.
Children under 16 years may not be permitted on walking safaris - the camp management or ranger accompanying the walking safari have the right to stop a child from participating
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