Travel in a private group, heading off the beaten track in the comfort of your 4x4 safari vehicle to experience the best of Southern Tanzania. On this Private Tanzania Safari, you'll explore the Southern Tanzania national parks that offer a truly authentic African safari experience without the hoards of other tourists and safari vehicles.
Begin by exploring Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous), one of the largest wildlife parks in the world. From Nyerere, head to Mikumi National Park with its open plains and vast herds reminiscent of the famous Serengeti (but without the crowds). Next, take in the unspoiled splendour of Ruaha National Park, a predator hotspot boasting an abundance of African big cats.
At the start of your Private Tanzania Safari, your guide meets you at 6h00 in central Dar Es Salaam. Leaving the bustling city, you travel southwest to Selous Kulinda Camp, just outside Nyerere National Park.
Covering an area of 30,893 square kilometres (3 times the size of the Serengeti National Park), Nyerere National Park is one the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. It was created relatively recently in 2019 when the northern portion of the renowned Selous Game Reserve was incorporated into the newly formed Nyerere National Park. The national 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.
We arrive at the camp in time for lunch and settle into our accommodation on the banks of the majestic Rufiji River, the longest and largest river in Tanzania. The sunsets from here are spectacular. After lunch, we head into the Nyerere National Park for an afternoon 4x4 game drive.
Explore Nyerere National Park on 4x4 game drives over the next two days of your Private Tanzania Safari.
After breakfast at our safari camp, your private guide takes you on a morning game drive in the Nyerere National Park, followed by lunch and a rest back at camp. Later in the day, you'll head back out on an afternoon game drive.
The variety of ecosystems, from grassland plains and wetlands to woodlands and riverine forests, makes for an impressive variety of wildlife to be spotted, from the Big 5, amazing birdlife to the hippos and crocodiles which thrive in the Rufiji River. This is also one of few game parks left in Africa with a sizable population of wild African Hunting Dogs which face extinction elsewhere.
Between our 4x4 explorations, you can relax at the camp and watch wildlife and birds along the Rufiji River, admiring the unforgettable sunsets.
Start day four of your Private Tanzania Safari with an early breakfast, before collecting a packed lunch and journeying to Mikumi National Park in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. The park lies between the Uluguru and Lumango Mountains and features Miombo woodlands on low foothills and seasonal floodplains below, covered with open grasslands that closely resemble the famous Serengeti Plains. Mikumi hosts the Big 5 animals and vast herds of herbivores spread out over the plains; of note is a particular subspecies of giraffe found here.
We head to Camp Atupele near Mikumi and enjoy dinner and a relaxing evening at the safari resort.
After breakfast, our Private Tanzania Safari travels west to Ruaha National Park. This lesser-known Tanzania safari destination is considered one of East Africa's hidden gems, situated in a transitional zone where eastern and southern ecosystems overlap resulting in an unusual mix of habitats.
Ruaha National Park is known for its large populations of Big 5 animals. Notably, it is a predator hotspot: Lions are especially abundant in Ruaha, with its lions making up 10% of the entire world's lion population. Ruaha is also a stronghold for endangered African wild dogs, as well as hosting sizeable cheetah and leopard populations. It is also one of the few parks where both greater and lesser kudu can be found, as well as rare sable and roan antelopes.
Arrive at Tandala Tented Camp near Ruaha National Park in time for a late lunch followed by an afternoon game drive in the park. Dinner and overnight in luxury tented accommodation at Tandala Tented Camp.
Embark on guided morning and afternoon game drives in the Ruaha National Park. Explore Ruaha in your 4x4 safari vehicle with your dedicated guide. The rest of your time is spent at your leisure. Relax at the authentic safari camp and take a dip in the pool, keeping an eye out for birds and animals.
The Ruaha National Park is named after the Great Ruaha River which flows into the Rufiji River. The Great Ruaha attracts and supports diverse birds and animals, including hippos, crocodiles, antelopes like waterbuck and reedbuck, and buffaloes. Predators to look out for include lions, leopards, jackals, hyenas and African wild dogs. Ruaha is also a paradise for birdwatchers, hosting over 520 species including fish eagles, kingfishers, hornbills, sunbirds, plovers and egrets.
After an early breakfast, our Private Tanzania Safari takes us back to Mikumi National Park. Enjoy lunch at Camp Atupele just outside the Park, followed by an afternoon game drive in Mikumi National Park.
Enjoy an early breakfast at camp, before collecting your packed lunch and departing for Dar es Salaam. Your Tanzania Safari adventure ends with a drop-off in the city centre.
Optional Extras: Beach Tour to Mafia Island or Zanzibar
Add a beach holiday to Mafia Island and/or Zanzibar Island to this Private Tanzania Safari at an additional cost. Contact us for details about these well-priced optional beach tours.
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 tour does take children.
Children are welcome on this Tanzania Safari. For children's rates and tour details, please contact African Budget Safaris.
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