7 Days Tanzania Wildlife Safari

Take  a 7:00 am flight from Dar es Salaam domestic terminal. After an hour and half, you will arrive at Mdonya airstrip, where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to Ruaha river lodge.  Arrive at the lovely camp, Set on one of the most stunning stretches of the Great Ruaha River, you can see game throughout the day from the comfort of your veranda; there can surely be few other camps as perfectly situated. Ruaha is split across two locations, with one dining banda along the river, and the other perched high on a nearby kopje, offering a completely different perspective.

Today after breakfast go for a full day game in Ruaha National Park. Being the 2nd largest national park in Tanzania, Ruaha is a birds’ paradise with more than 571 species and some of them are known to be migrants from within and outside Africa. It boasts of an abundance in wildlife and is believed to have the largest concentration of elephants than any other park in East Africa. It is also a place where magnificent mammals like Kudu, Sable and Roan antelopes can easily be spotted in the Miombo woodland. Other animals in the park include lions, leopards, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, elands, impala, bat eared foxes , jackals and even the endangered wild dogs (African hunting dogs). The park is characterized by a semi-arid type of vegetation housing baobab trees, Acacia and other species- there are over 1,650 plant species that have been identified.

This morning, awake early for a foot safari from the lodge after tea/coffee, exploring the diverse environment from Ruaha river. This is a chance to watch for smaller mammals, and the birdlife, before returning to the lodge for breakfast. After lunch, head out for game drive and return to the camp for the Dinner and overnight.

Today, take an early transfer to Mdonya airstrip for your 10:30 am flight back to Dar es Salaam for the afternoon connection to Selous game reserve/ Nyerere national park. Arrival at Rufiji River camp for dinner and overnight.

Nyerere National Park is bisected by the Rufiji River, Tanzania’s largest, and its many tributaries, channels and lakes create the varied landscapes that define the reserve. These waterways are lined by towering Borassus palms and forests of doum palms and are a good place to see unusually large groups of Masai giraffe and other ungulates such as buffalo, waterbuck, impala and zebra. Hungry lion lurk nearby, and there’s a chance of seeing hyena and leopard as well. Despite many years of poaching, elephant populations are growing and can now be seen in the reserve. On your first full day of safari in Nyerere National Park, whether you’ve chosen a bush walk, game drive, boat safari or a combination of a few, you’ll be in for some close wildlife encounters.

Not only is Nyerere National Park varied in landscape and in wildlife, there are several ways you can experience safari as well. All of the camps offer game drives, boat safaris and walking safaris, and each experience will give you a completely different perspective of nature and the animals that survive in it. On game drives, you’ll cover the most ground and see a whole range of wildlife. Boat safaris get you up close to hippo and crocodiles, give you the best bird sightings (Nyerere National Park is excellent for birding) and show you the hauntingly beautiful surfaces of the waterways, dotted with smooth dead trees sticking out like inverted lightning strikes against the backdrop of a blazing sunset. Being on foot allows you to appreciate the smaller creatures and plants, and your proximity to big game will leave you with many stories to take home.

Enjoy your final game drive on the way to the airstrip this morning, where you’ll catch your light aircraft flight to Dar Es Salaam international airport for your onward journey.