Eight unhurried days trace the finest of southern Tanzania, from the waterways of Nyerere National Park to the elephant country of Ruaha. This is safari at a slower rhythm, with time for boat safaris, long game drives, walking with rangers and a night under canvas in a private fly-camp.
You travel by light aircraft between parks and stay in exclusive tented camps along the Rufiji and Great Ruaha rivers, guided throughout by seasoned specialists.
A light-aircraft flight from Dar es Salaam brings you to Nyerere National Park in under an hour. Your guide transfers you to a luxury tented camp on the banks of the Rufiji River. Settle in over lunch and ease into safari with an afternoon boat cruise among hippos and fish eagles.
Explore the Rufiji's lakes and channels on a morning boat safari, watching elephants drink and crocodiles bask on the sandbanks. After lunch and rest at camp, head out by four-by-four across the plains in search of lion, giraffe and buffalo. Return for sundowners as the river glows in the evening light.
Join an armed ranger for a morning walking safari, learning to track and read the bush on foot. Later explore the Lake Tagalala area with its crocodiles, hippos and nearby natural hot springs. The unhurried pace leaves ample time to relax at camp between activities.
After a morning game drive, set out for a night of private fly-camping in a remote corner of the park. Simple, comfortable bedrolls under mosquito netting bring you close to the sounds of the African night. Dinner around the fire and a guided night's stay make this a highlight of the journey.
Return to the main camp for breakfast, then transfer to the airstrip for a light-aircraft flight to Ruaha National Park at Msembe airstrip. The landscape shifts to baobab-dotted hills and the broad Great Ruaha River. An afternoon game drive introduces you to this wild, less-visited park.
Spend a full day discovering Ruaha's rugged wilderness, famed for its enormous elephant herds and powerful lion prides. Drives along the Great Ruaha and its dry sand rivers reveal kudu, giraffe and abundant birdlife. Enjoy the remoteness of a park where you may see few other vehicles all day.
Combine a morning walking safari with an armed guide and an afternoon game drive deeper into Ruaha's baobab country. Track big cats, watch elephants move through the woodland and pause for a bush picnic in the shade. A final Ruaha sundowner caps your last full day on safari.
Take one last early game drive before breakfast at camp. Transfer to Msembe airstrip for your light-aircraft flight back toward Dar es Salaam and your onward connections. Your unhurried southern Tanzania safari draws to a close.
12 Days
6 Days
4 Days
